Mountain People

On Friday morning at sunrise, I was on top of Tanzania’s second highest mountain, Mount Meru. Rather than tell you all about Meru or recount blow-by-blow the rather uneventful three days I spent on it (two days ascending, one day down), I will summarise by saying it was bloody wonderful, and hugely enjoyable to do alongside two fellow Mondo volunteers, Caroline and Kirsten, and a team of guides and porters who patiently conducted their Sisyphean task of leading us to the top and back.

What is far more important to tell you is that when I get home, I am going to burn a CD entitled ‘Mount Meru’, consisting of songs that popped into my head over the three days. In no particular order, I remember humming:

“Bangs” They Might Be Giants
“I Can’t Remember” The Thorns
“Reject” Green Day
“Don’t Turn Around” Aswad
“All That She Wants” Ace of Base
“Jungle Love” Steve Miller Band
“Tax Loss” Mansun
“Standing On The Top” The Temptations featuring Rick James
“Big Tears” Elvis Costello & The Attractions
“It’s My Life” No Doubt
“Love Machine” Girls Aloud
“Forever In Blue Jeans” Neil Diamond
“My Way” Frank Sinatra
“Steppin’ Down The Glory Road” Runrig
“What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” R.E.M.
“Dope Nose” Weezer
“99 Problems” Jay-Z
“Closer To The Heart (Live)” by Rush
“Summer People” Webb Brothers

Some of these (Rush, R.E.M.) are old favourites, others came out of absolutely nowhere (Mansun, where HAVE you been?). As we breached the 4,000m mark and approached the summit, my memory capacity was obliterated as such that the only song I could remember the words to was “Flower of Scotland”. This was perhaps appropriate, as upon reaching the summit, out came the Lion Rampant and a miniature of Glenlivet that I have been keeping for a special occasion, before staring the nine-hour walk back:



After walking through day and night, this was as arduous as it sounds. But we all made it and, apart from some chapped lips and stiffness in the knees, all got back in one piece to collect a certificate and hobble to the bar. Here I am at the top with Caroline (left) and Kirsten:



After a restful Friday evening in Arusha, I returned home to Moshono on Saturday, only to face a cockroach the size of a Kit-Kat who wanted to share my bed. Thankfully, I had just about enough energy left to dispatch him with the heel of my hiking boot; an act which I have done almost every day since arriving in Tanzania two months ago, and which no longer seems strange.

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My weekend got even better this morning when BBC World Service brought me the news that David Haye had beaten Nikolay Valuev and was Britain’s first boxing heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis.

Despite that being his only fight this year, I’d say that should make him favourite for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. His abrasive attitude might lose him a few votes – even by boxing’s standards, he’s too mouthy – but he delivered in the ring and to be a heavyweight champ, and an exciting one at that, should be enough to get the nod.

I predict, however, he will pushed close by Jessica Ennis, and to a lesser extent, Jenson Button. The also-rans will be Phillips Idowu, Amir Khan, Tom Daley, Andrew Strauss, Keri-Anne Payne, Beth Tweddle and Mark Cavendish.

Carl Froch probably deserves a nomination this year as much as Khan, but is about as exciting to watch as a bollard, and just as mobile. However, he will be impossible to overlook next year if he defeats Kessler and holds three belts.

New dad (always a votewinner) Wayne Rooney should probably be in there too for being consistently outstanding all year for club and country, but with 2010 being a World Cup year, the stage is set for him next year instead. And maybe Andy Murray will finally win a Grand Slam tournament to get his name in there too.

For now though, the Hayemaker is the man to beat. Bring on the Klitschkos.