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Erm yeah, this climbing mount kili aint so easy anymore . . .
Walkies.
The full moon is huge in the sky lighting up the mountain. Millions of stars glowing, I just love the night sky here, I can never get over how beautiful it is.
Everyone is ready, I've got all my layers on, minus a head torch and walking poles which everyone has. Looking up people are making there way up with headtorches shining, moon beating down reflecting the white of the snow. They are like little bugs, single file moving poly poly, it really is a beautiful sight.
So we set off poly poly entenze stating we go slowly as a group single file. As we had been spilt into two groups the whole time, one faster one slower, this just wasn't going to work. As one the slower people felt pressured and two the faster group were cold. Rox and shermin had decided to give it a go and turn around if need be, which we were all happy for them to push themselves that little bit further.
So after 5mins me, judy, bruce and stephan went ahead with zaceria, aka the big friendly giant to me.
I kept going ahead so zaceria went in front to slow us down. We over took group after group of the bugs with headlights until we were at the front with a tiny couple lights in the distance. This was roughly up to the point where we had built our snowman, there was a path worn into the snow for this bit, so nice and easy.
But of course this can't be easy all the way. We hit fresh snow where noone had walked, and started to zig zag our way extremley slowly up the mountain, painfully slow. Snow was at least mid shin deep. Zaceria planting the steps, sometimes I would go sometimes make my own as the steps we made would collapse on second use on occasions where you slip, and look down at the steepness we are climbing hoping you don't start skidding down the slope, as who knows how far you would go before you stop. Underneath the snow are tiny pebbles, and there are muddy patches with lots of pebbles on show where the water runs down the mountain. I can't do the rocks, I keep saying when we got taken on them a couple times as I just slip constantly with having no sticks. So we stick to the snow. Which the higher up we go, the deeper it slowly gets.
Our zig zags are so wide, and when we get about 400meters or so from our first peak, guildmans peak, this was when it hit me. I started questioning in my head, what on earth am I doing, this is dangerous stuff. I was exhausted, and the moon was going behind the mountain so I started to not be able to see where I was going, testing each foot hole before plunging my body weight onto that spot.
I decided at this point since I was slipping and going into deep snow that was going over into my boots when I pulled my foot out, that I would head to the back of the group for a breather.
What a relief this was, footsteps were ready and steady for me to use and. The guide behind me once we reached the rock climbing bit would grab hold of my back pack and give me a shove every now and then to stop me toppling back down. There were just huge boulder style rocks that you could weave between or climb, so I climbed as the sticks stopped you slipping when you were weaving.
After a short time at the back, I went back to the front as the other 3 were struggling more than me. Bruce was in a terrible state but he just kept his head down and ploughed on through. Whenever we shout everyone ok, bruce can barely even grunt a response.
At one point aswell stephan slipped and his pole went flying down the hill, which our back guide went running down after it then clambered back up, how he did this I don't know. But I would like to take this opportunity to express my hatered for these sticks! People have prodded, poked, whacked and stabbed me with these things on the duration of the climb. As when they slip the sticks skid back into your feet, knees or shins. When pulling up pants or pulling up tops, the sticks whip out and bash everyone in the surrounding area. Of course there is the storing at the huts and confusion of people picking the wrong sticks. And if you walk where the stick is going you get stabbed.
So we finally meet guildmans point after stephans not encouraging altitude height countdown. It would be 200meters and after trekking for half an hour maybe we barely climbed 20meters. oh that was when you wonder how much further and longer will this take. But in the end it turned out his watch had been miscalculating our finally climb day!
So we reached guilmans point. Where my hands were frozen dispite judy giving me hand warmers to pop inside my gloves, and I was tired. A glass had been broke so the other three downed there tea, I had a glass, and we were starting to freeze over decided to leave having a break and continue to the summit with the moonlight on the side of the mountain we were climbing to light the way.
The crater was to our left as we trode through fresh snow, this was also a question of why am I doing this, knackered just tumbling our way along, hoping that we don't slip and landslide ourselves into the crater, as that would be the end as I would know it. A few times my front foot would plunge forward divingf into the snow, falling up to my crotch with my back leg stuck in the snow footprint behind me, the only reason why I didn't fall deeper was coz I was trapped, we just don't know how deep it went. Bruce, who was looking not too good somehow would muster strength to pull me outta the snow.
The one and a half hour walk it suppsosedly takes took at least an hour more as the four of us slowly trudged outway through making mini land slides as we fell. Stephan kept commenting how he felt dizzy and not well. I don't think any of us had the energy to respond.
Somehow as me and bruce had said it looked l**** zaceria was lost and leading us to no where in the dark as we slip and slid, sink and scramble over rocks and through snow, we suddenly saw other kilimanjaro fools trekking their way to the top. This was stella point, minus pints of stella. Here was where the routes meet up. We had lost stephan and the following porter.
We were zombies, when you stopped you just started to freeze. The sun was coming up, and all these people were happily walking sprightily up a relartivily well worn pathway to stella point which continued up to the summit. Not a chance in hell had these people just been what we had been through. Far too energetic and enthusiactic. I later found out this is because the other routes are longer, say 8days so people have more time to acclimatise and go through slightly different terrain. However our summit day climb is the hardest one you can do.
We disscussed whether to wait for stephan but aa we knew he weren't too well and was with a porter we thought mauybe he want going to make it so we conrinued. From this point its like a 45minute walking queue up to the summit, everyone around us so lively, while the 3 of us zombie our way up, as we keep looking back over our shoulders to appreciate the sunrise. You can't acrually see the summirt until you are very very close, so you just find yourself walking forever weaving in and out of people on a poly poly ascent.
This was where me and judy forced bruce to give his backpack to zaceria as he was in a bad state and we wanted him to make it. It took us a couple mins to convince him as previous discussions of being a p**** had been mentioned, and that later on he would be reminded of being a p**** while the two females trooped up no bother!
Then there it is, that famous sign with people milling round to get there photo took. We reached the summit at 7.10am. Mustered up the strength for a couple pics next to the sign. Took pics of the surrounding area, the snow covered mountain, the crater, the sunrise, the ants making there way up. It was starting to get hot with the sun beating on us.
This was when it hit me, I just hadn't thought. I now have to climb back down this mountain and it is going to take forever. So we ran down past everyone to stella point and passed stephan on the way who was making his way slowly up.
We saw judy and roy battling on on the path above us to our right, as we were making our way back the way we came, with a crater lurking below us with a footstep wrong to plummet to our death. We later found out that everyone else had walked round the other side of the mountain. So the path to begin with was a new path, where we waded through waist deep snow to rejoin our previous tracks. Bruce swimming his way through the snow at the back.
A few others had trodden on our path on their way up so it was slightly easy bvutr we still scrambled our way over rocks back to guilmans point. Where we took the opportuniuty with it being warm and daylkight to grab a pick. I couldn't smile as all my lips had cracked, bleeding and hurting so I was being a whimp.
Once we left guilmans point and headed down after 20meters or so we stopped to strip down as we were sweltrering, it was hot but there was a mist. We had a break sitting on the rocks then set off. This was where judy and bruce were away with their sticks with me slipping and sliding around as we zig zagged through the rocks. Once past the rocks we were walking in a straight line down marked by a faint stream and pebbles. Every two steps I was just sliding onto my bum. The other 3 way in the distance making fast progress. They waited, I rejoined then lagged behind again. So zaceria grabbed my arm and just ran down the hill with me slipping and sliding and falling and screaming and laughing and believe I went insane as mountain madness took control.
It took a while to catch up with judy and bruce, there were miles ahead. I had stopped a couple times to catch my breath.
Finally over took them while passing by the odd person walking up. We went so far, still the air not cleared so I couldn't see an end to the running, aching knees, slipping, laughing and a bag with 3litres of water whacking off my back.
At a rock not far from kibo hut we sat, I have zac my packlunch and some water while we sat chatting waiting for jude and brucie. Which surprisingly didn't take long. These two had in there heads that they wanted to get to the hut as they were both so ill. So after zac ate we set off running and oh yes we made it back to the camp. The relief was unreal, as I felt horrendous, I hadn't eaten or drank anything since midnight, it was roughly 10.30am. So I was severely dehydrated and in desperate need of some grub.
In the hut we discovered rox and shermin. They had climbed roughly upto 5400m, but due to altitude sickness came back down and had gone to kip at 7.30am ish. Judy and bruce went straight to kip while I had an electrolytes drink as I wanted my headache gone even though I felt incredible sick. Tea was brought out and I opened up a fresh tin of dried milk, only to discover to rox and shermins amusement that it exploded on me due to the pressure as it had been brought up the mountain. We did laugh for a while, such simple things ey, good job dried milk power is the least of my worries. Going from memory I musta eaten something and after a wee while chatting climbed into me bag to rest. I didn't sleep but just rested for an hour or so, stephan made it back during this time. We then had food, I have to say bt this point I was feeling so much better, and we were told judy and roy weren't too far back, bu that we eat and pack and see them at the next lodge.
Judy walked through the door and burst inrto tears with relief as they had been out walking for 14hours and were overwhelmed, exhausted. Everyone saying its the hardest thing they have evee done in their life. I gave judy myt vest tops as she had no dry clothes, and at some point between 2 and 3 I think we left and walked 3hours down to the rat hotel. As we were leaving the lads I had met on the first night were taking our room ready for their summit climb.
I walked slowly down with rox as we chatted and lagged behind, outta the snow and onto the open flattish land.
Back at rat hotel again we were given the room above the restaurant where everybody took an upper bunk. I got asked by some girls for my honest opinion and I gave them my tips which were, try to drink even if you are cold, add layers on the way up. Wear a head torch if you have one but only turn on after the moon dissapears. Wear really warm socks! And have something to cover your face from the wind. Have sunglasses. And take hand warmers if you have them.
The irish couple were once again in rat hotel, so was good to catch up with them.
Tea that night musta been 7.30ish, judy and roy arrived before it, but everyone just went to bed without tea except me, rox and stephan. So we had food for 8 but only 3 of us so we got the guides and cooks to sit down for food with us, the usual 3 courses. I asked for horror stories of the mountain, but ended up getting funny stories instead, which gave me the mountain madness giggles as they were just unfunny statements, such as I know someone who when they are drunk they laugh like a goat. I just wasn't getting it which amused rox and we were off on one.
Stephan and rox went to bed and I sat up chatting to the guys drinking tea until entenze starting chatting me up so I decided to call it a night. Read a book until my wind up torch died and joined everyone else in attempted sleep around 8.30pm ish.xx
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