Day 4 Shira 2 to Barranco camp via Lava tower

We reached a altitude of 4650m today!! Woo! Minimal symptoms, just intermittent headache and having to control my breathing. Slow pace trek up hill and then we descended. Loose rocks and dirt, but the mountain is magical.

The day seems so long ago, we left about 8.15am and had lunch around 12 I think and from then it was only a short trek to barranco camp, we arrived about 1.30pm. 14km today. I rested because I felt pretty crappy, tired and i felt like my face was on fire and burning up a temp but had shivers too.

I feel much better after dinner and rehydration. I didn't feel like eating but once I got going, I had a fair amount of soup and bread, and rice with beef and veg. It's so nice to have some hot food!

There are apparently 700 others in this camp with us! I didn't know what I was expecting but I am surprised at how many people there are. There is constant chit chat in Swahili, and boy do they talk loud! It doesn't bother me too much though.

We get to rest a little more and start our trek later because the path that leads to the next camp is narrow and uphill, it will be packed with porters and Trekkers. Kibo is just to the right of us and wow it looks so close!!

We are more than half way and I can't wait til summit night. Bring it on. I just have to make sure I rest well and keep myself warm!

It's 9pm and I can hear thunder...I'm keeping myself tucked into my sleeping bag and see what tomorrow brings. I hope it doesn't rain!! My tent is slightly on a decline...it might get washed down the mountain!

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Day 5 barranco camp to Karanga camp

That was an avalanche I heard last night but at the other side of the mountain. Climbing kili is a risky business!

A nice 'short' day today. 4 hrs trek but it was difficult, I was using my hands to climb, it was more like rock climbing. The terrain was really varied, up and down, straights, across rivers, rocky, dusty. So much dust, it just covers you from head to toe.

On leaving barranco camp today we had to climb this steap side of the valley and that was quite an experience, the paths were so narrow that there was a traffic jam of people and porters on the mountain!

The views were amazing today, we were above the clouds.

Tomorrow night at midnight is our ascent to the summit. It's come so quickly. Our guide Theo's moto is 'no pain, no gain'. I'm intrigued at what summit night has in store for me.

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Day 6 Karanga camp to barafu camp - summit night

In 12 hours time we will begin our midnight climb to the summit of kili. We've trekked 2.5 hrs to barafu camp and now it's time for recuperation.

Mmmm I'm in my tent, I'm surrounded by others, Trekkers and porters alike only a few metres away from me. I can hear conversations in Swahili as if they are inside my tent. I've wrapped up warm and snuggled in sleeping bag... This is the perfect time to sleep but I've just been I interrupted by jasper that lunch is ready.

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It's hailing. It's windy. And I am trying to sleep as much as I can before we make the final push to the summit at 11.30pm tonight. My bladder is full and I am farting frequently. I don't really want to get out of my warm sleeping bag to pee.

On another note, I saw Kurt, the guy from Norway who I met at springlands hotel and went to the orphanage with him. He summited this morning! I hardly recognised him, his face is so tanned and he's lost a noticeable amount of weight. Gave him a big hug.

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Just had dinner. It's nearly 7pm, and there is constant rumble of thunder. 4 more hours of precious rest before we head to the summit. Now I can hear a roaring sound overhead. The weather is going to be freezing cold and wet. I absolutely detest the cold. This is going to be challenging. Just saw a spot of lightning.

Good night.

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Day 7 summit day

I got out of the tent at 11.30pm and everything was covered in snow. We had tea and biscuits, I also got out my moon cake that's been in my luggage all the way from home.

I wore 6 layers ad my waterproof, and 3 pairs of trousers and a waterproof over it. I was truly warm. Although my hands were cold most of the time because my gloves were crap.

It was pitch black, with only our head torches slicing through the darkness. I was behind Theo, our guide, who managed to weave his way through the snow covered mountain with ease. I looked behind us and I could see lights from Moshi far below us, and a line of lights from head torches snaking its way up behind us. We stopped every hour to drink and then we stopped every 30mins.

I had to pee, the moment you pee, you get to just enjoy the view. You don't have to concentrate on anything, just relax and wow I really marvelled at the lights of Moshi below me and the darkness around me, the cold tingling my face.

We summited at 0655. It was amazing.

I really had to concentrate on my breathing otherwise I'd go out of breath, and I felt very elated when we all got up to the top. The view was amazing, truly beautiful. Something I had not seen before, nor could I have imagined it, and I started crying because it was all so overwhelming. This was when we had passed Stellar point and heading to Uhuru peak.

The descent though was not what I had expected. I basically, with the help of Peter slid down the snow covered dirt path with rocks jutting out. I arrived back in barafu camp just before 10am. We rested for an hour or so and then had lunch, and had to trek for another 3.5 hrs to another camp. We had done almost 14 hours of trekking! No rest for the wicked, this camp site is loud.

I've had enough of sleeping with my own dirt for company, no matter how many baby wipes I've used. My hair had not been washed for 8 days and it is disgusting. All my clothes are dirt ywith the exception if a few socks! I feel I've caught too much sun on my face and I really need to shave. I've been peeing behind bushes and rocks and been opening my bowels in the bucket with a lid. I need a hot shower, have all my clothes washed, shave, pluck, moisturise!