Finally a signal! So its time to finally finish the blog.
Day 5
Barranco to Karanga camp 28th October 2011
The day started with a punishing climb up Barranco cliff , 250m not a nice way to start the day huffing and puffing up the steep track. We must concentrate in breathing through our noses as this warms the cold air before it reaches our lungs, the only trouble is the condensation makes our noses run continuously! The cloud kept billowing in reducing our visibility and further decreasing the temperature. Today is all about acclimatisation and the 8 km walk is over in 3.5 hrs.
Karanga is our resupply camp and the last water we will collect on our climb. All the water for our next 2 camps Barafu and Crater must be treated and shipped by porters from here, very tough.
Day 6
Karanga 4033m
Bad nights sleep as tent on slope (kept sliding down the bottom of the cot) this and the effect of the Diamox making us pee 4 or more times a night meant I felt very tired when woken by Matthew with tea at 6.30am. Up through the Alpine desert before reaching the base of a rather forbidding climb up to a high ridge and into Barafu camp which is the final location from which we will attempt the summit.
Barafu camp 4673m
Bit of a headache on arrival. Did a further 250m acclimatisation walk up higher, tough day so glad to sleep a little in the afternoon.
Joseph went through our kit for the climb tomorrow. 4 layers plus thermals, trousers and waterproofs. With the exception of the waterproofs all kit worn to bed, it started to snow.
Day 7
Barafu to Stella Point 5799m then Uhuru peak 5895m
Fantastic sunrise over Mawenzi, the day starts fine but cold and off we trek at 6.15am.I am worried about having another nosebleed which forces me to breathe through my mouth and effects my lungs, but my luck holds.
Up and up we climb slow but with purpose. Even the porters who have shot past us like mountain goats on days past slowly labour upwards. I keep hoping for Jackson to call a break, but no just more of the same,
I cant take too much more of this. Then I see the porters like ants start to climb vertically the final path to Stella Point. Upwards like a couple of geriatrics's we continue almost reduced to a shuffle just one foot in front of the other. Nicki is in a bad way I constantly talk to he between gasps, "almost there not long now" and suddenly we are at Stella Point looking down to the crater far below. Matthew, Jackson the cook had laid the table out with plates etc with soup and pastries but Nick was shaking uncontrollably with exhaustion and wasn't hungry. I quickly got her down jacket out and on to her. This stabilised her core temperature but her oxygen/ blood reading was down to 63% and into the danger zone.
Joseph made a quick decision, Nicki could try for a summit but staying overnight in Crater camp was out of the question.. I could stay up but what was the point it was all about sharing the experience with Nick. The elation I felt on reaching Stella Point was short lived when we started for the summit. It my have been just over 100m but it was a real struggle. Then finally 3/4 of an hour later we reached the summit, the highest point in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world at 1.00pm!
There is only one other person and her guide at the summit so loads of photos and I scream yes as emotion kicks in, but then quickly run out of breath. Photos done the decent becomes a laborious scree sliding event, both of us on the edge of exhaustion legs buckling underneath us. Finally 2 3/4 hrs later we arrive back in camp. We had done it!Lots of high fives with the porters and Azuri Sana's all round!
Day 8
Barafu 4673m to main gate 1800m
We had made the decision to get off off the mountain a day early as we had not stayed at Crater camp.
This required a challenging 26 km walk down to the main gate but meant we would have an extra night of luxury in a proper bed!
At the gate I gave my boots to the cook for future use,after all I felt they belonged to this mountain. We then we picked up our certificates signed by Joseph and the Minister of Parks before gulping down a well earnt glass of fizz before heading off to Duluti Lodge near Arusha.
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| Not sure where I am herre but need Melissa to help me file further pic's including summit! |
Nigel
