KILIMANJARO DAY 5

July 22

it is bone-chillingly cold.

i am in my tent, in my sleeping bag, in the pitch-black darkness. i'm wrestling for space, competing with my water bottles, camera, phone, ipod, contacts, everything that i don't want to freeze. i haven't really slept since we got into camp a few hours ago, because the altitude is so high (15,295 ft) that my heart pounds, and my arms, legs, and even face is tingling from the Diamox (the altitude meds). i begin to hear rustling outside my tent, and i know that my guide is about to come and tell me it's time to go. i check my watch. it's 11:30pm.

the porter brings me cookies and hot cocoa, but any appetite i had is gone. i shove a few cookies in my mouth and manage to swallow them by taking a gulp of the cocoa. i do this a few times.

i check and recheck all of my things...i am wearing 4 pairs of pants, plus leggings. 2 pair of socks, some amazing insulate snow boots that are comfortable but really heavy. i also have on 4 shirts, a thick fleece, and not one but TWO winter jackets, 2 hats, 2 pair of gloves, and a face mask. i have water, my poles, some pocket handwarmers- which do not work at ALL- a little trail mix, and way inside my clothing, i have my camera stashed away, as close to my body as possible, so it doesn't freeze. i put my head torch on, unzip my tent, and duck outside.

Immediately i lose my breath. it is that cold. i look up, and i see darkness...and then the moon, and then from behind clouds, i begin to make out hundreds of stars, and i'm amazed how bright they are. my guide is already ahead (GO FIGURE!) so i take a deep breath and start walking. for about 20 minutes it's a steady gradual incline, and if i look ahead of me, i see people on the same path, their little headlamps lighting the way. all of a sudden, it gets very steep. i'm walking on shale, little pieces of lava rock, and it's unstable. i take 3 steps and slide back 2. i start to doubt myself. naturally, this makes me angry...but then i get even more determined. i tell myself there's no way i spent 4 days on this mountain to wait till this point and turn around, and besides, if i did, i'd STILL have to walk all the way back down, knowing that i gave up. so i keep going. the path zig zags back and forth, and so do we. it is misting and little freezing cold drops are on whatever bare skin is showing. my face mask is full of snot, which begins to freeze, but i keep going. my guide says i may reach Stella Point (the second highest peak) by sunrise.

i keep walking, my boots heavy, and my breathing hard. i have to take lots of breaks, but everytime i stop moving i only allow myself 10 seconds, then i start again. i saw what happened when people rested too long...they didn't get back up and keep going. sometimes i passed people, sometimes they passed me, but it's not like anyone was beating anyone...we were all in it together, people were crying, throwing up, reaching their breaking point, all in the darkness. after a few hours i was hypnotized by the sound of my shuffling feet in the shale. i kept on putting one foot in front of the other, and i wouldn't let myself stop. it was hard to keep drinking water, but i somehow managed, a tiny sip or two at a time.

i am beyond exhausted.

there is frozen snot on my face. my contacts are freezing in my eyes. i am shaky, and my SOUL is cold. it is still dark, but i look up from the ground, and somehow, there it is... i reach Stella Point.

when i see the sign, i'm so surprised i almost walk right past it. i'm ahead of schedule. i'm still moving forward. these thoughts come to me slowly...and then i realize that i'm going to make it to the top. i knew that Stella Point was over 18,000 feet, and at that moment i got a burst of energy. i kept going. suddenly it got really tough. i couldn't breathe at all, i was dizzy and felt a little buzzed. i started trying to throw up. i got scared, and i kept asking my guide if i was OK. i read a lot about extreme altitude sickness, and knew what the warning symptoms were, and i was starting to get them. i slowed down, but kept going. the sky began to change. all of a sudden, i came almost to the top, and it was getting light...i could see the sign in the distance. i stared at that sign and just kept walking towards it. the last 20 minutes, i started to cough. i was sort of falling asleep on my feet. the guide came and walked right beside me, with his shoulder right behind mine, nudging me on.

and then...

Friday, July 22, 6:50am

i made it. i fucking did it!

i unzipped my two jackets fast and took off one glove so i could get to my camera & we got a few pictures. yes, that's a furry hat with ears that i bought just for the summit. i stayed up there for about 10 minutes before the guide made me start the long descent. within 15 minutes, i was coughing up blood, so he made us hurry. it was really horrible...we were pretty much sliding and skiing though shale all the way down. i lost a toenail. my ankles were raw. we reached the camp 3 hours later (it's much faster on the way down!) but we only had an hour to collect our stuff and keep walking down to the next camp. that took 7 hours, and by the time i got there, i was too sore and tired to be mad, but i did feel VERY accomplished as i limped into that camp. by that time, the elevation was so much lower, only 10,000 feet at this point, so i was able to eat...and SLEEP!!

Excerpt from my journal- Friday, July 22- I did it.

THE END

KILIMANJARO- Day 4

Thursday, July 21-
this stage of my climb is often broken into two parts- on one day, a hike from Barranco to Karanga, then on the next day, a hike from Karanga to Barafu Camp. naturally, we opted to do it in just one day. it would prove to be the hardest day yet.

my climb through the valley- look closely, that's camp in the background.

we woke right before the sun came up, and it was freezing. packing up my sleeping bag, body pad, and backpack was really tough...i was sleepy with cold fingers. not a great combo. after hiking through the valley below the campsite, the very first thing i saw was the Great Baranco Wall. it's almost totally vertical, and you have to scramble up using just your hands. i loved it though, it was so different from the rest of the hike so far! it took a little under two hours to make it to the top, and it's a good thing i'm comfortable with heights, because on the wall, you just can't help but to look down as you're climbing.

my view from the Barranco Wall, just as i reach it's top.

it was a long, long hike to Karanga. after doing the Barranco wall, i got my poles out and used them the rest of the way. the scenery changed yet again. still mostly barren, but the most interesting cactus-like trees. at times, i was walking alongside the stream, which was really beautiful in the shimmering sun. eventually you just settle into a rhythm and find a pace, ignoring whatever hurts, the sun in your eyes, the guide that won't talk to you... instead concentrating on how far you've come, the scenery, the trader joe's trail mix in your back pack, and how great it will be to get into your tent at the end of your day. at long last, i reached Karanga, where anyone in their right mind would have pitched the tent and called it a night.

but no.

we did stop and have a snack there, long enough for me to become jealous of all the hikers that were staying there that night, and then i kept walking. many times, i'd think i was almost there, only to get to the next ridge and see the NEXT trail.










when you hike for so long and get so tired, your mind does some really interesting things. with no distractions like twitter, facebook, the radio, TV, other work, your brain starts filtering through stuff and what you think about is different than what you normally think about (if you normally think of anything, lol) i think it was sort of like meditation, just not the peaceful lying on the yoga mat kind. i started to realize how i handle things, and what i really think about certain things/people. i won't elaborate here, i'll save it for my book. KIDDING! or am i?? at ANY rate, i found myself exhausted, and i was still a good 2-3 hours out of camp...and it was so cold i wore every layer of clothing that i had in my day pack. with my fingers and toes numb, and in the end, my mind, too, i stumbled into camp on shaky legs.

finally

this is it...i'm at the last camp before the summit. the idea is to get a few hours' rest before they wake you up at 11pm to begin the assault on the summit. after a light dinner- i have NO appetite now, at this altitude-i climb into my tent. between the freezing cold temperatures and my heart racing from the altitude PLUS the excitement of possibly reaching the summit of the highest point in Africa, and the highest free standing mountain in the world, i can't imagine falling asleep. instead, i get all of my things organized. all of my clothes are ready- hell, i was wearing most of them already. i got my serious sub-zero boots out. fresh batteries in the head torch. extra socks. had to put anything i didn't want to freeze in my sleeping bag with me. contact solution, camera, phone, EVERYTHING. after that, i crawled into my sleeping bag to wait.

excerpt from my journal- "i have my second severe headache. i'm sure it's altitude and all the dust i ate on the way up today...but jeez, it f'n hurts. i got all my stuff ready for tonight's departure. i am so excited. i am so hopeful. i think i have a really good chance of making it. i'm going to do it."

THE END

next blog... summit attempt.

KILIMANJARO- Day 3

Excerpt from my journal- Wed. July 20th- Today it was about 4-5 hours to Lava Tower, which was CRAZY hard. I had to stop twice- once because i couldn't breathe, and another time i thought my heart would explode if i climbed another inch. after that, we had about 3 more hours to hike all the way to Barranco camp. i got a smashing headache, and i guess i didn't realize how hard downhill was going to be.

i'm not robbing you, it just got REALLY cold!

day 3 was really long, but necessary for acclimatization. even though we climbed to 15,180 feet (hence the smashing headache) we hiked back down to sleep at Barranco camp, which was only at 13,077 feet. when i found that out, i was kind of mad, actually...and now in retrospect, i realize that says something about me. i learned so much about myself from doing this, but i suppose i learned even more from being all alone.

For the most part, the hike to Lava Tower was pretty barren. discreet peeing behind rocks was difficult at best. eventually i got to the point where i just didn't care. however, even though i had no inhibitions about peeing anywhere i could, it also got to be quite cold the higher up i went, so now i'm crouching AND shivering... not a good combo.

THAT'S what i should have gotten a picture of. 

Lava Tower

Lunch was eaten at Lava Tower, and since the altitude was killing my appetite, i shared my food with some of the strangest birds...they said they were ravens, but they had to have been 2-3 feet tall, and really robust, for lack of a better word. we didn't stay for long, i suspect the guide knew how tired i was already, and wanted to get me up and on my feet before i fell asleep. we began on a path that would take us down into the Barranco valley, where the scenery was once again, totally different. the pictures don't show perspective well, but everything was just so big! the valley, the stream, the plants, enormous.

  

the downward hike felt like it was taking so long...this was the first part of my climb that my guide was walking really far ahead of me at times. i'd manage to catch up to him, then he'd stop to pee and tell me "keep going" with a grunt. then he'd have a break and walk behind me. at this point i really felt lonely and tired, so i needed/wanted the company. naturally i got more angry, but apparently i know how to turn that anger into motivation, so on i went. and on. and on. and onnnnnnnnnnnn.

fianlly i reached the camp. the view was insane, as was the freezing temperature. with the exception of a *brief* trip to a pit latrine while it was still light out and my nightly mealtime in the cooking tent, i stayed in my tent, zipped up and in my sleeping bag with a hot water bottle inside to help warm me up.

THE END

in my next blog, Day 4, or as i like to call it, the beginning of the hardest 48 hours of my life.

KILIMANJARO- Day 2

after waking up around sunrise for breakfast (probably my favorite meal of the day on the mountain) we packed up our gear, and started on our way. we'd be hiking to Shira camp, and while it was a harder day, it was also rumored to be shorter. this is also the first day my poles came out. i had never used anything to climb or hike with before, and at first felt really awkward with them...but as the day wore on, i really appreciated using them for support.

this is also when i got my first indication that perhaps my guide and i were not really on the same page. during all my research, i read and heard about how a guide is full of information, ready to talk to you about the mountain, Tanzanian history, politics, his background, whatever. they were NOT talking about my guide. he had not been rude (yet, at this point) but he spent most of his time walking ahead of me and talking to other guides and porters in Swahili. that's cool, i understand that we didn't really have that much in common, but because of that, i was really looking forward to conversation of some kind. i began to look forward to seeing other hikers on the path...only to discover that they were from other countries that didn't speak english either. hell, i had ever learned a little Swahili! but every time i got mad...i kept climbing. and climbing. all the way up the Shira Plateau, which was really tough. since the elevation changes so much, you really see completely different vegetation every day. we were climbing in the clouds, like thick white clouds, and i loved that feeling. i was at 12,595 feet, higher than airplanes when they let you use your electronic devices again. ; )

so we finally reach camp, but we are not there to stay, much to my dismay.
instead we are doing an acclimatization hike to Shira Caves. i had read the advice to "climb high, sleep low", but i was so beat i wanted to stay in my tent. they insisted i climb.

so i did. reluctantly. and in about 45 minutes, i reached the caves...which i proceeded to go into and sit down. for a good 15 minutes.

then it was time to hike back down. by the time i got back, there were more people at the camp.

i really wanted to roam around, take pics, and say hi to people that would talk to me, but instead, this is what happened, right up until it was time to have my "bath in a bowl" and eat dinner:

(taken from my journal) Tuesday, July 19- it's so beautiful- i'm up in the clouds at 12,600 feet! but it's f'n hard, like "wtf am doing" hard, but then i convince myself (again) that i'm going to do it.

THE END

the next Kili blog covers day 3, and altitude sickness kicks in...

KILIMANJARO- Day one

before i get started, i want to apologize for the time it took for this to go up. i was really sick...rereading the post where i was taking inventory of what the mountain did to me,  i had NO idea i would pick up something from the water that would make me more sick than i think i ever have been in my life. i am MUCH better, but i am still feeling some after-effects. at any rate, i reinforced what a wonderful thing it is to have access to clean water and doctors...

and now to get on with it. first, i'm sure you want to know WTF i was thinking, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro by myself.

i already had a trip planned to Kenya with an organization i volunteer for, and someone on the build had asked other team members if anyone was interested in doing the climb afterwards. i said i might be, and then i researched it a bit more seriously and got pretty excited about  it. unfortunately, that guy had to drop out of the trip for personal reasons, but i already had my mind made up, so i booked it solo. i'm SURE, in retrospect, that doing it alone gave me a totally different experience...and i think it was also way more challenging this way- at least mentally.

on sunday, july 17th, i was picked up from the guesthouse in Nairobi and taken downtown, where i was put (rather unwillingly) on a shuttle bus to Tanzania. i was the only person on the bus that spoke english, save for the questionable character across from me that smelled of a dirty bar mat, oozing the stench of years of drinking cheap booze. i pretended to sleep (or be deaf) for the majority of the drive...which ended up taking about 7 hours. crossing the border actually deserves it's own blog, but i won't do that to you. ; ) let's just say that it was really straight out of a movie, with me feeling like a refugee trying not to anger the guys armed with automatic weapons everywhere. i had to get off the bus, go through a process to exit kenya, then WALK across the border and then clear customs on the other side. the bus, once it was cleared, picked me up in tanzania, and we continued into Arusha.

once we got there, i was taken to a guesthouse and got a room for the night. the people from the tour company came by and we had a meeting. i met my guide, who at the time, seemed friendly enough. we spoke for about an hour on what i should expect (which really was nothing i hadn't read or heard already) then i ate dinner, repacked all my bags, and went to bed.

DAY ONE

(excerpt from my journal) - i am nervous, a little scared, worried about the cold and the elevation...but excited and pretty determined.

as we drove the hour or so to the park, we stopped in a little village to get some last minute things. here's the cook stocking up on meat for our dinners. i'm taking the pic from the truck. all the butcher shops look like this there.

me, Eme, the cook, and Wenason, my "guide"

we drove up to the gate, and had to unload all of our things and distribute the weight among the porters. you must have with you: a guide, a cook, and however many porters required so that they can carry your camping and cooking equipment. i will come back to the porters in another blog. so we get registered with the park (so they know how many people are on the mountain at all times) and then, just like that, we are ready to go. at this point, i'm just excited. 

me...before.

i had chosen the Machame Route...steep, a little more challenging, we'd sleep in tents, and it would take 6-7 days. i did lots of research for this trip, but by far, the most helpful resource was a book called KILIMANJARO by Henry Stedman. there's a website to go along with the book HERE. it really gave me all the info i needed, and i'd recommend it to anyone that is even thinking about climbing. i loved the maps, and how everything was timed out, so that an 8 hour hiking day was not a "surprise".

so, there i was, on my way up. the first level i hiked through was the rainforest. i saw lots of birds, mice, even some monkeys...but no rain. it was SO beautiful. a little tough in some places, and i certainly learned very quickly why you're not supposed to wear cotton, and why making your day pack as light as possible is a very good idea.

i walked about 7 miles the first day, up to 9,911 feet! there were lots of steep inclines & rocks, and the last hour or so was really tough. when i got to camp, the porters were there and had set up our tents- one for me, one for the guide, and the porters slept in the kitchen/cooking tent.

my tent.

when you arrive at camp, they have hot tea or cocoa for you, and some popcorn. it gets tougher to eat as you get higher in altitude, but the first day wasn't too bad. dinner was a couple hours later, a simple meal with lots of carbs, and then i was in my tent and out like a light, really grateful for my amazing sleeping bag.

the end

next blog coming soon- day two, and my hike to Shira Caves!