Posts
I woke up at 5:30am so I went ahead and took another shower and went down to breakfast. John got up when I got out of the shower and was rushing around thinking he was running late until I told him it was barely 6 and we weren't leaving until 9. He stayed in the room for a bit and finished organizing his stuff.
The dining room was mostly empty except for a table of two guys who were obviously in town to climb Kili. I was listening to their conversation being worried about altitude sickness. I decided to mind my own business and not tell them anything.
John arrived at breakfast and then Jeanne and Jeff joined us. It was nice to spend some time with Jeanne since we hadn't been together much on the mountain. She's a teacher and has known Lori since college. It sounds like they adventure together quite a bit with a third friend of theirs. It takes us about an hour to get a cup of coffee after asking six different people. It starts to be kind of funny. They bring cups but no coffee. We search around but no coffee. Finally we get a prized cup but it is quickly gone. Nathan joins us and we wonder how long it will take him to get a cup. Its hard to believe the climb is over but we are all excited for the safari.
I sit in the lobby surrounded by luggage trying to catch up on my journal from summit day. There is so much to remember. Will I get it all down? I don't want to forget and I know if I don't get it written down soon the details will start to fad. The team kids me for all my writing - every chance I get I am sitting with my little journal. I wonder how others will remember all the details. Maybe they won't. I will share my journal but the experience won't be the same for every person.
Eric comes to send us off, again, without much fanfare. We later learn he was up drinking late in the bar so maybe he's running a little low on juice. We are to be in cars of 6 and we won't rotate. This probably makes sense so that drivers don't miss people or luggage but I am sad because I want to pop around from car to car talking to different people in the group. There are still people I don't feel like I've had enough time with.
We load in to the "Car of Contagion" with our Bushbuck Safari tire covers on the two spares in the back (we will need them later). By this time Doug's cold has spread to Nan, Monique and Sierra. John, Sean and I are also in the car and I am wondering how long it will be before we are sick. I am taking loads of Coptis Chinesis and Emergency and it seems to be warding it off but who knows after 3 more days in a car. I am paranoid. Sanitize, sanitize.
We head off down the road to Tarangerie - we should arrive at the lodge around 2 for a late lunch. Our guide is Usia (pronounced U C Uh). He is very knowledgeable and I ask a lot of questions because John is in the back. He's the one who really likes to talk to the guides/rangers and ask questions. I am sitting up front next to Usia to avoid car sickness. We drive back along the road that we took from the airport and also to the Machame road. The landscape is dry. Corn and sunflowers are growing but they look pretty parched. We pass a military training installation and bombing range. He says all of the area from here to the Tarangerie is owned by the government but can be used by anyone. You have to apply for a permit but they can take the land back later if they need it. So no real private property rights in this area. I think more than half the country is a game preserve/park of some sort. The Masai use this area during the rainy season. This dry time of the year most have taken their cattle up to higher more fertile ground. They have left the older people and some women and children down in this dry area. The land is dotted with their huts - called mayatta. Mayatta are made of sticks covered with cow dung used as a plaster. There is a small hole at the top to let the smoke from cooking out. This construction allows these to be put together and taken apart easily so that the sticks can be moved to build in another location. The Masai are nomads.
Usia tells me in is circumcision time for the Masai. This only happens once every 7 years, if you miss it or chicken out you have to wait another 7 years. You have to be circumcised before you can get married. All the women watch and there is no anesthesia. They are watching to see if a boy flinches, cries or shows any fear. They use the same knife to do them all and don't sanitize it. They cut the skin around to the bottom where the vein is and the they time something around the skin - string or something- tightly to make the skin die and fall off. Kind of like we do the umbilical cord. Anyway, the boys paint their faces and wander around in the wilderness for about 3-6 months until they are healed.
Masai cannot marry unless they have a cow. The number of cows you have determines how many wives you can have. Cows mean wealth.
Usia also tells me about the Masai's eating habits. They mostly eat meat - goat and sometimes beef and they drink blood from the cows. They poke a hole in their neck and drain blood to drink without killing the cow. They don't really eat any vegetables and not much grains. Their gene profile must be modified to handle this sort of diet otherwise I don't see how they could survive with such an unbalanced diet. This makes me understand why Romley asked me on the mountain if I drank blood and also his question about whether or not I had any cows or goats. I guess in his mind we must be rich to afford such a trip and that means we must have lots of cows and goats.
The landscape becomes more barren as we approach Tarangerie. We stop at the Park entrance somewhere around 12:30. There is a bathroom and we all get out and mill around while the guides go to pay the park fees. We have no idea that this takes 30 minutes or longer. Everything is a slow process here. We hear that the TseTse Fly is here and decide we should put on our insect repelent. Later Usia tells me that the smell actually attracts the fly. I guess Deet is only good for mosquitos.
Patience again - finally, we load back in to the trucks and we are off to the lodge doing a game drive as we go. As soon as we enter the park we start seeing our first wildlife - elephants, Masai giraffes (my favorite), and zebras galore. The landscape is dotted with acacia, Boabob and agave. The Baobob Tree is the tree from my favorite book - The Little Prince. I have never seen one before. We see lots of birds along the way as well and I ask about them. We see Magpie Shrike, weaver's nests clustered in the trees, superb starling (beautiful deep blue bird with a red breast), a lilac breasted roller,ground hornbill, absinian (spelling), blacksmith plover, ringed plover, grey headed kingfisher, black-winged stilt, orange bellied parrot and a masai chicken (guinea fowl). I am fascinated by the birds. We find out later that some of the guides make fun of people who ask about the birds. Usia has several great guide books and one has birds in it so I use them to read to the car about what we are seeing. We are trying to rush to get to the lunch buffet before it closes but then we see a mother lion and her cubs on the right side of the road resting under a tree with their kill nearby. We stop for a few minutes to look and take photos. Its exciting to see our first lions. As we leave, driving down the hill and around the bend Usia spots an Eagle Owl up in the tree. We stop again but its hard to get a good picture. We see lots more wildlife in our rush to get to the lodge but we finally quit stopping because we have another game drive at 4.
At the lodge locals are dressed in colorful outfits greeting us at the door. They hand us a warm wet wash cloth to wipe the dust from our face and hands - this is the most common theme of Africa - wiping dust off yourself. We get our room assignments and quickly drop off bags. The buffet is closing in 30 minutes we are told. We are dining outside by the pool. The buffet food is covered with nets to keep the bugs away. We have another delicious meal and a beer. John decides to go to the room and take a nap - I try to catch up on the journal again. Next thing you know it is 4.
We load up again and head out. It seems like there's been no time to rest. We see 2 dik dik - tiny deer like animals that mate for life. They are precious. We see ostrich, male and female. The males are turning pink because it is mating season. We see more zebras, elephants, another family of lions, a steinbok (slightly larger than a dik dik), a jackal, impala everywhere, wildebeast and some buffalo off in the distance. As the sun is setting he takes us around so that we can get a good shot of the sun setting through the acacia tree - the classic African sunset. It is beautiful. Its after 7 when we get back.
Now its back to the room to wash up and get ready for dinner at 8. We clean up and head down to the bar for a drink and some relaxation, we hope, before dinner. We form a big circle as more and more of the group come down and join us. I order the local mosquito repellent drink - something with gin and honey and something I can't remember. It has ice cubes in it which I forget are made with water. Suz points that out and I run outside to dispose of my ice. Bad idea - stick with beer and wine from the bottle! At 8 we head in to the dining room. We have two large tables and one smaller one. We end up at the smaller one with Nathan, Daniel, Monique, Sierra and Tina. More good food. At the end they bring us some sort of chocolate torte cake in the shape of Kilimanjaro and they sing us a song. Its a lot of fun. We are tired after dinner and we turn in.
As we enter our room we are engulfed with the toxic smell of mosquito spray. I am so paranoid about pesticides with John's PD. It freaks me out that we will be sleeping with this fresh fumigation floating all around us. The nets have been pulled around the bed. We climb in and turn out the lights. In an instant we are swallowed by complete darkness. This is something rarely experienced in our world of constant light and activity back home. There is no real darkness. This is a dark that is impenetrable. I can't see my hand in front of my face. Then I say to John, "Listen". He says, "What?" and I say, "Nothing. Its completely silent. There is no sound at all." We are in the middle of nowhere in total darkness and total silence. I savor the moment. I may never have another moment like this in my entire life. Imagine that.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The long way down - aka - Stairway to Hell
We woke at 5 am, an hour before wake up. We had gotten a good nights rest thanks to our level of complete exhaustion and the fact that I was still so dehydrated that I didn't have to get up and pee at all during the night. We were packed and ready just as some of the group were rising. I was ready to get down the mountain to a shower. 7 days of caked on dust was starting to take its toll. My teeth, though I had been brushing them, felt like they had a thin layer of fuzz on them. Nasty. I hated to think how I smelled. The good news is that we all pretty much smelled the same so I don't think we noticed. We smelled like the porters. Its kind of a musky scent, if you know what I mean. Earthy.
April was in a LOT of pain this morning so the decision had been made to take her down on a stretcher. This contraption was a rather frightening looking vehicle. We were about to descend 6,000 feet over very difficult terrain. It would take us about 6 hours. We were told the porters would get April down in under 2 hours. The prospect of her journey was utterly unimaginable. The stretcher was made of metal and had one large wheel under the center of it. There were something like 4 porters/guides on each corner. They were going to "run" down the mountain. I am not sure this pace was really necessary but that's how they do it. Later in the day after making it down April said they if there is someone with a broken bone or some other painful thing that they should just ask to be shot at the top. It was a completely crazy ride down to the bottom. The porters were running in to bushes and shoving people to the ground all the way. It was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride to the power of 10. I only wish she'd had a video camera running all the way down. We should have thought to put Sierra's action cam on her head to get the film. Oh well.
Eric told us this trail was a real knee tweaker. What an understatement. 6,000 vertical feet of pure hell. You could not design a trail that would be worse for a person's knees. We started off with Aloisein the lead with a a large group and were told to stay together - no spreading out like on other days. Later I realized this was because they wanted us to come through the gate at the bottom together where all our staff would be singing for us. In the beginning Gina, Jeff and I were at the front. Jeff was telling me about his two girls. Its funny how all these days climbing there is so much focus that we often didn't talk much about our families back home. One of his girls works as a ranger, I think, in Alaska, in an area he took her as a little girl when he was doing a book on Alaska. He really fostered a love of nature in her and she's is a wilderness girl. His other daughter is an actress/theater lover - just like my daughter, Mary Mac. We talked a little bit about that until the pace was getting too much for me and I dropped back with John and Daniel. Daniel talked a lot about the work their foundation is doing and how we might work together when we get back. We have some formed some great bonds on this trip. We finally make it through the last rocky part of the Heather and drop in to the rainforest at Mweka camp. We have to sign the book again. It starts to rain a little bit. Tina and I cover our packs and put on our rain jackets. As we leave this camp I walk along with Tina, Monique and Sierra. We talked about John's biking program and helping him finish getting it going when we get back to Denver. I think the critcal thing is getting people on a bike first. If they can't ride at the pace of Jay's program that's not as important as the fact that they are riding, eventually, they may be able to get there. Sierra tells me that Jay's protocol will exclude 90% of the people with PD. So we talk about how to do something that is more inclusive but will help more people eventually reach a higher level and maybe be able to do the 80-90 rpms. I think it is possible to be too rigid and exclusionary with things and alienate people from things that would really help them. John and I will talk about it when we get back.
I really start to struggle with the slippery, muddy, uneven steps. I am concerned about throwing out my SI joint and that makes my steps more tentative. We joke about being on the Battan Death March. John starts calling it the Stairway to Hell. He is way ahead but they keep having to stop to wait for me. I am going too slow and that makes it hard for Sierra so she pops ahead for a bit. I try to pick up my pace.
Finally, we are off the steps and just on the slippery, muddy road - this is better but still not good. Our gators are getting caked with mud. Paula drops back with me and Stephanie and Ben catch up from the group behind. Ben goes on and its now just Paula, Stephanie and me. Stephanie starts walking down backwards and says it is really helping. Paula and I hobble along with our painful knees. We round a corner and the group is waiting for us at a bridge. We wade in to the stream and wash our boots and gators off a little bit and continue on. We are almost there - they have told us that several times now - so I no longer believe them.
Finally, we make it to the gate at the bottom and all our support crew is there singing to us. The funny dancing guy (orange jacket at Shira Camp) is out in front jamming. He is pulling the girls out one at a time to dance with him. We each get a lei of orange and yellow flowers. Suz is jamming away with him and I scramble for my camera but miss the opportunity. Tine dances with him and get her on video. Then its my turn. I think John got it on camera. I wonder how long my knees will last with the moves this guy is having me do. It is fun and we are laughing but my legs are killing me.
The singing winds down and they take us over to the "holding area" where there are chairs and the food buffet is set up. The porters, guides and kitchen crew are standing around watching us. Our boundary bags have been washed and they are set aside in the lush green grass. There are chairs sprinkled around. We sit and enjoy a beer. Two guys are washing our boots and gators. I take mine off and hand them over, only to find out that I have handed them over to a scammer who has slipped in to our little coral. He brings them back and wants $2. I light in to him - telling him I am not going to pay him, its his problem if he wants to run a scam on me, I am not going to pay him and he better not mess with me because I have just climbed the mountain and I am in no mood to mess around. It think I shock everyone with the vehemence of my protest. This is a side of me they haven't seen on the mountain. It only comes out when I pushed too far. This is the side I was holding back on the night at Pepe's when Tina asked John if I was praying. Oh well, after seven days the guard starts coming down. We will all see aspects of each other on the safari that we held back on the climb. We have another delicious meal and a Kili beer while we are waiting for Nan, Doug, Lori and Neil. They send a truck up the last bit of trail to pick them up. They arrive and we are all together again.
We have to sign out in the hut and I see August is signing some certificates. We will get a summit certificate at some point later tonight. We are then scurried out to the cars and mayhem ensures as everyone tries to find a truck. John and I hop in with Nan, Doug, Sarah and our driver Usia. Turns out he'll be our driver/guide throughout the safari and he is great! I tell him there's money it for him if he gets us their first - I want a shower BAD. Little do I know that he's been instructed by Eric not to arrive before Eric's truck. We leap frog around a few cars that are ahead of us but trail behind one that we never pass. He pretends a few times that he is going to pass it but never does. Turns out it is Eric. I think it was a couple of hours back to the Arusha hotel. Sarah is an astrophysicist and is studying at Harvard. John is fascinated by this and asks her a million questions on the way back. It makes the time pass quickly listening to them banter about science and the stars and life beyond the earth. I think she's looking for life on other planets using light waves - sounds pretty cool to me.
At last we are in the drive at the Arusha Hotel. Eric is standing there giving out room keys. We grab our key and point the porter to our safari and boundary bags. Our room is on the second floor all the way at the end. I am not sure if my legs will go up stairs but I force them. My calves are burning. It not good to have the kind of exertion we had and then sit in a car for 2 hours without moving. We get to the end of the corridor and open the door to find TWIN BEDS! How is it possible that one only a handful of couples gets the twin beds. I complain but decide I want a shower more than I want to hassle with trying to change rooms.
I dig through my bag for shampoo and climb in the shower. I start washing my hair and the grey dust pours out on the shower floor. Its gross. I was it again and again - 4 times. Finally the water looks like its running clear. I start on the rest of my body. There is no wash cloth so I use the hand towel because scrubbing is necessary to get off the layers of dirt. I scrub and scrub and the white hand towel gets grayer and grayer. John's got an interview at 5:30 so he jumps in the shower too and we try to maneuver around each other. He had pile driven his toes on the way down the mountain and is in excruciating pain. I accidently tap his toe and he just about comes out of his skin. This tiny shower isn't big enough for two dirty people trying to scrub themselves clean. I decide I am clean enough and leave the shower to John. I wrap my hair in a towel and start sorting through my bags. I want to get sorted and repacked before heading down for dinner. I don't realize at this point that I am supposed to be in the interview as well. John finishes up and rushes down to the interview. I continue my packing frenzy getting a call to come down for the interview just as I am finishing.
We are doing a group interview with PD folks, sans Glen, who is still packing, and Sierra and Monique who are really responsible for getting the PD folks included in the trip. They really have an amazing philosophy of healthcare. I wish more doctors would consider their model. it was a nice interview. I hope we will get access to it because I want to put together a PD documentary from some of this footage and various photographs. The documentary that is being done is focused on MS but I think we should be able to get access to the footage on the PD group if we pay for it. I will work that out when I get home. Then I think we can do follow up interviews with Glen, Nan, John and Nathan. After our interview we had to wait while they did a group interview with the MSers. This was a big group so it took quite a bit longer. Eric wasn't aware of this and he was hungry and starting to get frustrated. Not sure if there was really any better way to do it though. It was just a tight schedule all the way around. We finally got ready to head out to the restaurant - The Baobob Tree Restaurant. It was going to be a buffet so less of an issue than Pepe's. We got there and they did not have a large table set up for us. We were going to have to sit at separate tables. Eric was upset but at this point we all just wanted to eat and we didn't really care. There wasn't much fanfare again. I thought there might be champagne and a toast or something. I wish I had thought to order some bottles and make a toast - fatigue really impacts brain power. John and I sat with Nathan and Daniel. We had really enjoyed being with them on the trail off and on this past week so it was a fitting way for us to celebrate. We ordered a bottle of wine and enjoyed the buffet. After diner I wandered around to some of other tables to talk for a minute or two. We didn't have time for much of a safari briefing. Eric handed out the itineraries and said a few brief words and it was over. We loaded back in to the bus and back to the hotel. Off to safari in the morning!
April was in a LOT of pain this morning so the decision had been made to take her down on a stretcher. This contraption was a rather frightening looking vehicle. We were about to descend 6,000 feet over very difficult terrain. It would take us about 6 hours. We were told the porters would get April down in under 2 hours. The prospect of her journey was utterly unimaginable. The stretcher was made of metal and had one large wheel under the center of it. There were something like 4 porters/guides on each corner. They were going to "run" down the mountain. I am not sure this pace was really necessary but that's how they do it. Later in the day after making it down April said they if there is someone with a broken bone or some other painful thing that they should just ask to be shot at the top. It was a completely crazy ride down to the bottom. The porters were running in to bushes and shoving people to the ground all the way. It was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride to the power of 10. I only wish she'd had a video camera running all the way down. We should have thought to put Sierra's action cam on her head to get the film. Oh well.
Eric told us this trail was a real knee tweaker. What an understatement. 6,000 vertical feet of pure hell. You could not design a trail that would be worse for a person's knees. We started off with Aloisein the lead with a a large group and were told to stay together - no spreading out like on other days. Later I realized this was because they wanted us to come through the gate at the bottom together where all our staff would be singing for us. In the beginning Gina, Jeff and I were at the front. Jeff was telling me about his two girls. Its funny how all these days climbing there is so much focus that we often didn't talk much about our families back home. One of his girls works as a ranger, I think, in Alaska, in an area he took her as a little girl when he was doing a book on Alaska. He really fostered a love of nature in her and she's is a wilderness girl. His other daughter is an actress/theater lover - just like my daughter, Mary Mac. We talked a little bit about that until the pace was getting too much for me and I dropped back with John and Daniel. Daniel talked a lot about the work their foundation is doing and how we might work together when we get back. We have some formed some great bonds on this trip. We finally make it through the last rocky part of the Heather and drop in to the rainforest at Mweka camp. We have to sign the book again. It starts to rain a little bit. Tina and I cover our packs and put on our rain jackets. As we leave this camp I walk along with Tina, Monique and Sierra. We talked about John's biking program and helping him finish getting it going when we get back to Denver. I think the critcal thing is getting people on a bike first. If they can't ride at the pace of Jay's program that's not as important as the fact that they are riding, eventually, they may be able to get there. Sierra tells me that Jay's protocol will exclude 90% of the people with PD. So we talk about how to do something that is more inclusive but will help more people eventually reach a higher level and maybe be able to do the 80-90 rpms. I think it is possible to be too rigid and exclusionary with things and alienate people from things that would really help them. John and I will talk about it when we get back.
I really start to struggle with the slippery, muddy, uneven steps. I am concerned about throwing out my SI joint and that makes my steps more tentative. We joke about being on the Battan Death March. John starts calling it the Stairway to Hell. He is way ahead but they keep having to stop to wait for me. I am going too slow and that makes it hard for Sierra so she pops ahead for a bit. I try to pick up my pace.
Finally, we are off the steps and just on the slippery, muddy road - this is better but still not good. Our gators are getting caked with mud. Paula drops back with me and Stephanie and Ben catch up from the group behind. Ben goes on and its now just Paula, Stephanie and me. Stephanie starts walking down backwards and says it is really helping. Paula and I hobble along with our painful knees. We round a corner and the group is waiting for us at a bridge. We wade in to the stream and wash our boots and gators off a little bit and continue on. We are almost there - they have told us that several times now - so I no longer believe them.
Finally, we make it to the gate at the bottom and all our support crew is there singing to us. The funny dancing guy (orange jacket at Shira Camp) is out in front jamming. He is pulling the girls out one at a time to dance with him. We each get a lei of orange and yellow flowers. Suz is jamming away with him and I scramble for my camera but miss the opportunity. Tine dances with him and get her on video. Then its my turn. I think John got it on camera. I wonder how long my knees will last with the moves this guy is having me do. It is fun and we are laughing but my legs are killing me.
The singing winds down and they take us over to the "holding area" where there are chairs and the food buffet is set up. The porters, guides and kitchen crew are standing around watching us. Our boundary bags have been washed and they are set aside in the lush green grass. There are chairs sprinkled around. We sit and enjoy a beer. Two guys are washing our boots and gators. I take mine off and hand them over, only to find out that I have handed them over to a scammer who has slipped in to our little coral. He brings them back and wants $2. I light in to him - telling him I am not going to pay him, its his problem if he wants to run a scam on me, I am not going to pay him and he better not mess with me because I have just climbed the mountain and I am in no mood to mess around. It think I shock everyone with the vehemence of my protest. This is a side of me they haven't seen on the mountain. It only comes out when I pushed too far. This is the side I was holding back on the night at Pepe's when Tina asked John if I was praying. Oh well, after seven days the guard starts coming down. We will all see aspects of each other on the safari that we held back on the climb. We have another delicious meal and a Kili beer while we are waiting for Nan, Doug, Lori and Neil. They send a truck up the last bit of trail to pick them up. They arrive and we are all together again.
We have to sign out in the hut and I see August is signing some certificates. We will get a summit certificate at some point later tonight. We are then scurried out to the cars and mayhem ensures as everyone tries to find a truck. John and I hop in with Nan, Doug, Sarah and our driver Usia. Turns out he'll be our driver/guide throughout the safari and he is great! I tell him there's money it for him if he gets us their first - I want a shower BAD. Little do I know that he's been instructed by Eric not to arrive before Eric's truck. We leap frog around a few cars that are ahead of us but trail behind one that we never pass. He pretends a few times that he is going to pass it but never does. Turns out it is Eric. I think it was a couple of hours back to the Arusha hotel. Sarah is an astrophysicist and is studying at Harvard. John is fascinated by this and asks her a million questions on the way back. It makes the time pass quickly listening to them banter about science and the stars and life beyond the earth. I think she's looking for life on other planets using light waves - sounds pretty cool to me.
At last we are in the drive at the Arusha Hotel. Eric is standing there giving out room keys. We grab our key and point the porter to our safari and boundary bags. Our room is on the second floor all the way at the end. I am not sure if my legs will go up stairs but I force them. My calves are burning. It not good to have the kind of exertion we had and then sit in a car for 2 hours without moving. We get to the end of the corridor and open the door to find TWIN BEDS! How is it possible that one only a handful of couples gets the twin beds. I complain but decide I want a shower more than I want to hassle with trying to change rooms.
I dig through my bag for shampoo and climb in the shower. I start washing my hair and the grey dust pours out on the shower floor. Its gross. I was it again and again - 4 times. Finally the water looks like its running clear. I start on the rest of my body. There is no wash cloth so I use the hand towel because scrubbing is necessary to get off the layers of dirt. I scrub and scrub and the white hand towel gets grayer and grayer. John's got an interview at 5:30 so he jumps in the shower too and we try to maneuver around each other. He had pile driven his toes on the way down the mountain and is in excruciating pain. I accidently tap his toe and he just about comes out of his skin. This tiny shower isn't big enough for two dirty people trying to scrub themselves clean. I decide I am clean enough and leave the shower to John. I wrap my hair in a towel and start sorting through my bags. I want to get sorted and repacked before heading down for dinner. I don't realize at this point that I am supposed to be in the interview as well. John finishes up and rushes down to the interview. I continue my packing frenzy getting a call to come down for the interview just as I am finishing.
We are doing a group interview with PD folks, sans Glen, who is still packing, and Sierra and Monique who are really responsible for getting the PD folks included in the trip. They really have an amazing philosophy of healthcare. I wish more doctors would consider their model. it was a nice interview. I hope we will get access to it because I want to put together a PD documentary from some of this footage and various photographs. The documentary that is being done is focused on MS but I think we should be able to get access to the footage on the PD group if we pay for it. I will work that out when I get home. Then I think we can do follow up interviews with Glen, Nan, John and Nathan. After our interview we had to wait while they did a group interview with the MSers. This was a big group so it took quite a bit longer. Eric wasn't aware of this and he was hungry and starting to get frustrated. Not sure if there was really any better way to do it though. It was just a tight schedule all the way around. We finally got ready to head out to the restaurant - The Baobob Tree Restaurant. It was going to be a buffet so less of an issue than Pepe's. We got there and they did not have a large table set up for us. We were going to have to sit at separate tables. Eric was upset but at this point we all just wanted to eat and we didn't really care. There wasn't much fanfare again. I thought there might be champagne and a toast or something. I wish I had thought to order some bottles and make a toast - fatigue really impacts brain power. John and I sat with Nathan and Daniel. We had really enjoyed being with them on the trail off and on this past week so it was a fitting way for us to celebrate. We ordered a bottle of wine and enjoyed the buffet. After diner I wandered around to some of other tables to talk for a minute or two. We didn't have time for much of a safari briefing. Eric handed out the itineraries and said a few brief words and it was over. We loaded back in to the bus and back to the hotel. Off to safari in the morning!
Summit Night and Day
We have dinner at 5:30 with the final instructions on tonight's climb. Eric says there will be three groups. We are surprised that he doesn't assign people to groups rather letting them select for themselves. This leaves us with only Sarah in our group as everyone else selects group B or C. At first we are a little sad at our small group -there are people we have climbed with most of the week that we were hoping would be in our group for the summit. In the end, it is only important that we are together as we struggle to the top. Eric checks everyone's oxygen saturation - I think there are some people who should go ahead and take the Diomox but he doesn't tell them to so they don't. I wonder later if this affected some of the group's ability to make it to the top. Would they have made it with the Diomox - I think maybe so. I've still been taking the 1/4 of the 250mg and I feel great with oxygen above 90. I think the Diamox has got to have something to do with that.
We head off to bed with little hope of falling asleep at this early hour. But first we have to make sure all our gear is ready for the climb. This will be the first time climbing at night and with all our heavy jackets, balaclava, extra hats and gloves. We go through it all a couple of times just to make sure we have everything and know where it is. We close our eyes and try to rest whispering to each other off and on about the climb. John gets up to go to the bathroom after a while. He hears rumblings in one of the tents - we speculate about who it is. Later we hear that Daniel heard it too and he thought is was us. We drift back and forth into and out of a half sleep. Finally we hear some rustling around. Group C will leave at 10:30, an hour 15 minutes before our scheduled time. They are up and getting ready but we can't continue to rest with the bustle and excitement. We get up and start getting ready. By the time we are ready to head to the breakfast tent Group C is getting ready to launch and Group B has just finished breakfast and is heading to their tents for final prep. I grab my camera and head out to take a few pics of the group as they leave camp. The excitement is palpable. Off they go, ready for the final assault.
I force myself to eat some porridge and a piece of toast. My stomach still isn't great and I am worried about having to go #2 on the way up the mountain. Eric told us at last night's meeting that he shit in his pants on the way to the summit once. You can imagine how comforting that was! Finally, its our turn - just John, Sarah and me, along with our trusted guide, August, at the front and Aloise at the back. We had been with August every day and I knew that he would get us there. I was ready. We walked outside. I was taking a bottle of water to the tent because Eric said we only needed two. August stopped me and took the bottle and put it in his pack. Then he lifted my pack and said, "too heavy". He looked inside and took one of my two waters to lighten my load. I hoped someone was doing this for the others but I doubted it.
We loaded our packs on our backs making all the necessary adjustments to get them on over the additional bulk of the thick coats. It was actually a surprisingly warm night. However, we knew as we climbed higher the temperatures would drop and the wind would start to blow. It wouldn't be this nice all nice and it was still cold. We started up the mountain. We could see the headlamps of the other two groups ahead of us on the trail. The guides from the three groups call out to each other. Its strange how close they look when you are looking straight up - but they aren't really close. Group C had already been going for almost an hour and half when we left camp.
Not sure how long but not long after we leave camp we find Brandis sitting on a rock trying to drink water. She doesn't look well. She's had the toughest time with altitude of anyone on the trip. She hasn't been able to hold down food or liquids for three days. I wonder how she managed to have the strength to get up and try. That takes a lot of courage. Later in the day we will hear her saga. What a tale. She really wanted to go but her body just would not let her. I think she will go back and try again and make it.
We plod along at a very good pace. August and Aloise sing softly as we ascend. This is actually very helpful. I know they will reach a point where singing won't be possible - not enough air. I want to get a recording of them singing or at least find a recording of it after I get back home.
Before too long we pass group C at one of their breaks. Lori asks us to think of a team name because she doesn't like the letter names. We say the "cheetahs". The group seems to be doing well at this point. They've been at it for a maybe a couple of hours. I am not sure what the altitude is at this point but its the highest any of us has every been in our lives - so that's already a big accomplishment. At this point Jeff, our wonderful photographer, joins us. He will try to leapfrog around, if its possible, to get pictures. Right now its just too dark. So now we are four in our group with our two guides. We continue up the mountain and my stomach starts getting angry. We pass group B. They all seem to be doing well too. I ask if we can stop to go to the bathroom. Not sure if I can do it but my stomach is telling me I have to. I have major issues with going #2 if anybody is around but we'll see - this seems to be at a critical stage. We all head over to the rocks. John and Sarah finish and head back to the guide. Jeff finishes but stands not far away looking up at the beautiful stars. My body won't cooperate with his close proximity. Oh well, I am just going to have to tough it out all the way up the mountain wrestling the tiger in my stomach all the way. What fun!
We figure out before too long that taking breaks is a challenge. The temperatures are getting colder. It takes to long to take off packs and get water out and then you start getting really cold. If you take your gloves off to open the water then its hard to get your hands warm again. They won't let you use a camelback because the tubes freeze up. There must be a better way. I will have to think about that - later. Somewhere between 16,500 and 17,000 I hit an emotional wall. Not sure why but I started wondering if I was really going to make it to the top. We stopped for water and honey stingers. I think the food help but I was really starting to get emotional about this climb. My stomach was also in knots and I was really doubting I was going to make it without going in my pants. Every 20 minutes or so a wave would hit me and I would say, "oh please, dear God, please don't let me poop in my pants." I wondered if it was appropriate to pray something like that but it seemed to work every time so he must be listening.
As we press forward my doubts loom larger. I decide to call on the spirits of my dead parents to help me up the mountain and I ask each of them to take one of my arms and carry me up. My eyes fill with some badly needed tears - the air is too dry - as I feel them each by my side lifting my weight so that I feel lighter. I feel a sense of relief. I remember this prayer my mother used to say all the time, "I can do all things through him who comforts me". I think its from Matthew but I don't know. Anyway, I decide to recite that little prayer in my head with each step. It takes my mind off the difficulty ahead and amazingly makes it much easier to go on. I am not that religious in a formal sort of way. I am blown away at how much this simple prayer, along with the visualization of my parents, is able to lighten my burden and get me up this mountain. Each step gets a little closer and little bit better. We are getting close to Stella Point now.
We reach Stella Point at 5 am. This is where we are supposed to have hot drinks. I think we should have opted for cocoa but we only asked for hot water. We sit down on a ledge while August gets the hot drinks. I am overcome with emotion and say to John, "Did you ever think nine years ago when you were diagnosed with PD that we would be here on top of this mountain?" He says no and we both cry at the enormity of the accomplishment and the hope it represents. We aren't even there yet but we feel as though we'll make it now.
Sarah's foot warmers are wearing off and she decides to put a new pair in her boots a this point. In retrospect it seems a little bit nuts to take your boots off at this point but she only had 5 hour foot warmers and she really needed the warmth. One of her MS symptoms is cramping feet so keeping them warm was going to be critical. We don't drink as much fluid here as we should since we are taking some extra time. We should have been chugging the liquids.
Live and learn.
We get back started toward the summit. It is still pretty dark but the sun will rise in a little over an hour. We want to make it to the top for that. This last 1,500 vertical feet take about an hour to an hour and a half depending on your pace. We left Stella around 5:15am. As you make the turn you can faintly see what you think is the peak in the distance. This is deceiving as there are about 3 false peaks ahead before Uhuru. Most of the time I am never looking up to see what's ahead. My eyes are steadily focused on August's Viking boots and each plodding step. I walk directly in his foot steps mirroring his gate and pace exactly. He keeps a perfect rythym just as he always has throughout the last 6 days. But as we rise higher I notice that his usually steady pacing was wobbling a bit. At one point he lifts his foot and then puts it right back down. I wonder if the altitude is affecting him too. It must be. But he recovers and goes on. Finally, Sarah begs for a water break. I don't want to stop because I don't want to get cold - the wind is blowing terribly and the moisture from my breathing and my nose is freezing around the edges of my nostrils. I just want to get there but I know that we need water. We stop for a minute for her to drink but I don't drink at this stop. We keep getting to these false peaks and John is cracking jokes - sort of - about it. It seems we will never get there. Finally I can't go on anymore without a drink and I have to stop. Sarah and Jeff go ahead the 300 yards or so to the summit. I drank a little - the water was really getting frozen in the bottle. Feeling a little bit quenched we head forward to the summit. I am shocked at the overwhelming emotion I feel as we arrive with the sun just edging up to the horizon ready to burst forth. I begin to sob uncontrollably. I can't stop myself. This really isn't good for breathing. Jeff already has his tripod set up and Sarah is sitting at the edge waiting for the sunrise. John and I are standing arm in arm looking out at the sun rising. Mu eyes are filled with tears. Jeff takes a photo. I hope it will come out. I think it would really capture the essence of what I am feeling.
We want to get our picture at the summit sign and get the hell down off the mountain. I am just to cold and emotional to truly savor the moment and linger. I put down my pack and dig for the ETA flag. John gets out the PFP flag. We head over to the Uhuru Peak sign. Its a little crowded but not bad. After a minute or two we get our shot. Sarah doesn't want to get up yet because the sun hasn't broken the horizon yet but she comes over for the photo - Me, John, Sarah and August are holding up the ETA flag. It is emotional again. Then John and I hold up the PFP flag. We wrap them back up and put them in John's pack so that we can had off the ETA flag to the first person we see on the way down. We turn to see the sun breaking the horizon. It bursts forth across the horizon in glorious brilliance but there is no warmth with this light. I start to shiver and think it is time to start moving again. I realize I haven't taken any pictures with my camera so I take a quick photo of John with the sunrise in his background and one with the peak sign in the background. He quickly takes the same two photos of me. I think we've been here for about 10-15 minutes. It hard to say but I can't stay longer. Sarah wants to stay and Jeff will stay to photograph the next round of the team. Aloise is instructed to stay with them and come back when they are ready. I don't think he is crazy about hanging around at the top too long. Who would be?
I turn around and August has already picked up my pack and hooked it on to his own. He will carry it down for me. I think he's not sure what to make of my sobbing off and on. Up to this point I have been totally unemotional in my climbing. He probably thinks I am crazy. Oh well. He says we will feel much better after dropping down just 500 meters. We start to walk down quickly. Honestly, I just want to run but I can't. To our right is the beautiful glacier. Its majestic and I wish I could take a picture but I can't. I just want to get moving down. We quicken out pace. Somewhere about halfway back to Stella Point we see Sean. He is leading Team B - which has broken in to two groups. We congratulate him, get the flag and pass it off. We are thrilled for him. Next we see Nathan, Daniel, Tina, Stephanie, Suz, Gina and Paula. We congratulate each of them and are thrilled they are going to make it too. Tina says that she thinks Inez will make it but she was getting to cold at that pace and had to go on in the first group. We are so excited for them and we are starting to feel better. John tells them about the "3 false summits" ahead. I tell them they are almost there. Then we see Monique and Sierra. We can tell they aren't feeling very well but they are going to make it. We hug them and cheer them on.
Going on a bit we see Susie Weber trudging along like the walking dead. John sees the guide and tells him to take good care of her. I start crying again knowing that she is going to make it. She brushes us away - doesn't want her concentration or pace broken. She is determined. You can see it on her face. Her lips are bluish - lack of oxygen, I guess.
We make it to Stella Point and there is plenty of light now. We see some of our team just below the point but can't make them out. At first I think its April and Jeanne but then I realize its not. It in Inez and Connie. We cheer them on and continued our trek down. In just a few minutes we ran into Lori and Nan. Lori told us that April and Jeanne and her Dad turned back. She also said that Doug had turned back because he was having trouble breathing - I think that's what she said. His cold had really not gotten any better and that was surely a factor. It said at the bottom of the mountain in the rules not to go above 3,000 meters if you had a cold. He made it way above that. Lori said her father probably could have made the summit but she was worried about whether or not he would have the stamina to make it down the long decent past high camp. So he turned back. Nan had clear determination on her face and I knew that she would make it. I was so proud of her. She really has a lot of internal strength. Amazing. She was carrying a hand-made banner of encouragement that was beautiful. She was determined to carry it to the top and have a photograph taken. Jeff had been waiting at the top for over an hour at this point. He had decided to go back down. We heard that when he got close to Stella Point and heard that there were still team members coming he turned around and climbed back up to get their photos. What an incredible guy. I can't say that I would have had the stamina to do that. He said there was one point while he was up there waiting that he was the only person at the top of Africa. It was amazing in the silence and enormity of it. I wish I could have experienced that but it was enough just to get to the top.
Meanwhile, John and August and I continued down the mountain as fast as we could. In the daylight the trail seems daunting. I think this may actually be why they start you out in the dark. Otherwise, you might see it and say, "no way am I going to make it up THAT" About an hour from the bottom the trail down branches off from the main trail up and there is a lot of deep, loose scree. After a few tries I figured out that the best way to navigate it was to pretend like I was skiing and just glide down like I was on the ski slope. This worked great and I actually started liking the scree descent. Anyway, it was much better than the packed dirt, steep descent into Barranco that I had hated a coupled of days ago. I was very dehydrated and reaching the point of exhaustion. In the last 30 minutes or so we saw porters carrying stuff up the trail. I asked August what they were doing. He said the Lomosho Trail climbs to the Crater at 18,000 and spends the night, going the last 1,500 vertical feet the next morning. He said its a very expensive trip because the porters who carry to the crater get $50/US a day. This is way more than they get for our entire trip. I imagine how crazy it must be carrying up the tents and food to Stella Point. Nuts - there is no way I could do it. We looked up behind us several times and could see some of the folks from Group B coming down. They looked so close but I guess they really aren't that close. I kept thinking the were right on top of us but it was probably an hour or more before they came in to camp behind us. It is really deceiving how close people look when you are looking straight up.
We finally make it back to high camp to ZERO FANFARE. I was really expecting some singing at this point but there was none. There were some porters sitting around on rocks waiting for us to get our stuff out of the tents I imagine. Ramso was there with some juice but there wasn't even any applause. This was a little bit disappointing but I was too tired so I didn't really care. I went to the tent chairs and just sat down and took my boots off. I started drinking fluids and realized out dehydrated I was. I only drank about a liter on the trek up and down. We made it up in 6hr25 min and down in just under 3. It was about 9 o'clock but it felt like it was late in the afternoon. There were seven who didn't summit and some of them were sleeping in the tents. After a few minutes April came over and told us about her ascent. She had to turn back at 16,500 but she was genuinely thrilled to have made it so high. She and Jeanne were together and Jeanne had bad nausea from the altitude. She said they looked at each other and nodded that it was time to turn back. April's shots had started to wear off and she was starting to feel a lot of pain. Jeanne was resting in the tent. Mickey, Neil and Doug came over and sat down with us. Mickey had just had trouble breathing and one point and had to turn back. I wondered if she had taken the Diamox if she was one of the one's that could have made it. I think so. I am not really sure how Eric decides to tell people to take it or not. I took it and am sure it helped. Maybe I would have been alright without it but I wanted to make sure I could tell the different if I was having blood pressure issues. Doug was visibly disappointed. Its too bad he caught a cold on the trip over. I wasn't sure if it was the cold or his knee that ultimately did him in.
We continued to sit around in a circle outside our tent waiting for others to come in. Kristy was having some severe problems with her asthma and Mickey went to help her. We decided that it would be better for her to sit up in the dining tent than to lay down in her warm tent with no ventilation. They gave her oxygen off and on but were waiting for Eric to come down to make the call on what to do. I personally thought they should have gotten her down the mountain ASAP. I know how scary asthma is because my son, Jack , has it. The Docs made it in - feeling rotten but headed in to the tent to help Kristy. Sierra had caught Doug's cold and her lungs were killing her all the way up the mountain. She was feeling awful but her sheer determination got her there. Monique is severely dehydrated - much worse than I am and she doesn't have any treated water ready. I give them some of what I have left with electrolytes until theirs is ready. She is laying down in the hot tent and I think that's not a good idea.
Susie Weber makes her way down in to camp and a few of us run over to congratulate her. She was just amazing. I really wished someone had been singing to her as she came in to camp. She deserved a choir of thousands. In another 30-45 minutes nana arrived and we went over to hug and congratulate her. She was a real trooper. At this point the camp was all a bustle trying to get packed up. We were set for lunch at 2 but moved it to 1:30, thankfully. Eric said we had 2-4 hours going down to the next camp depending on pace. I was rested as much as possible but not enough - but I really wanted to get down there as fast as possible. I asked August if we could try to go fast. We loaded up and started out with Romley at the front while August finished some other things in camp. The group included John, Gina, Nathan, Daniel, Sean, Jeff and a few others. Gina was at the front full of what seemed like boundless energy. Nathan's meds had gotten a little out of whack on the overnight saga up the mountain and he was experiencing quite a bit of dyskinesia. It quickly became apparent that he was going to struggle to hold himself back from the force of gravity. Romley dropped back and took his pack and his arm to try and help him. Another guide came to the front with us. We made our way down over the rocks through Barafu camp and off to the side trail leading down the Mweka trail. Not sure of the name of the camp we were going to - its not on the map that I have. Eric had decided that we should stay at this camp at 12,000 feet instead of trying to decide all the way to Mweka. It was a good decision. After seeing the trail the next day there is no way we would have all made it without trouble after the summit day we'd had. August showed up and moved to the front of the group - we splintered off and it was Gina, Jeff and me walking down with August at a pretty good pace. Then Jeff dropped back taking some pictures and it was just Gina and me. We continued on but my legs were starting to need to slow down. The downhill can really be a big issue for me. We are getting close to camp and it won't matter if I don't have a guide with me. I let Gina and August go on ahead and I slow waiting for John and Sean to catch me. We walk along together for a bit but my pace slows even more. They go on ahead. The sun is starting to drop lower in the sky and I can see a cloud has descended on the camp ahead. I walk along alone enjoying the solitude and thinking about the amazing day. It is the first time I have been alone in over a week. I savor it. Another guide comes along who has just taken a client across the Western Breach. He stops to talk to me for a minute and ask about our summit. I tell him we made the summit in 6 hrs 25 minutes. He says, "You are very strong." That makes be feel proud. I come to the bottom of the trail and John is sitting there waiting for me. It feels good to see him there. A heavy fog is settled over the camp. We have to go sign in at the ranger hut. They sell beers here and we decide we'll come back for one or two. Eric and Brandis were there and he congratulated us on the day. We made our way over to the tents and found the only one that was level. The guides ran over and told us it was taken. August was saving it for Nan - which was a good idea - she was going to need some rest. We picked another tent and it turned out to be right next to Eric's. I realized at this point that I had never known on any other day where his or Ben's tents were. I think maybe he told us but I never really noticed.
John wanted a beer and Mickey and I decided to share one. Then we started forming a circle of chairs outside our tent to share beers and talk about the day - Stephanie, Mickey, Brandis, Eric, Ben, Pattie, Daniel, Sean and Nathan - others stopped by off and on. We sat around drinking beers and Stephanie showed us how to use a lighter to open and beer. Most weren't talented enough to figure it out but Brandis finally got it. Pattie had chex mix so we passed around the bag and pretended like we were having a real happy hour. It was the first feeling of relaxation in many days. It was starting to get cold with the fog and the sun dropping low in the sky. I decided I better get my bag unpacked before dark so I started unloading while John continued to entertain. This is pretty typical - John would have a part at our house every night if he could. I laughed to myself that it was the same on the mountain and wondered if and when he was going to get to unloading his stuff. The laughter and chit chat continued outside the tent and I enjoyed listening from the warmth inside.
Finally it was time for dinner and we headed down - getting there late. We had another great dinner with some traditional Swahili food but I forgot to write down what the dishes were. By this time the journal is really starting to suffer from lack of attention. After dinner they bring out two cakes which a porter has obviously had to drag up the mountain. I don't think there is any way they could have baked these cakes on the mountain. They are our celebration cakes. There is a fierce wind blowing outside the tent and porters are rushing around opening up the windows to let the tent breathe. I am wondering if its going to blow away. They slice the cake and serve us each a piece. After the second bite the wind picks up so much that I am sure the tent will blow away. The porters rush to the ends of the tent and open up the doors. A huge wave of billowing dust rushes in to the tent making it hard to breathe. Everybody gets up and rushes out of the tent.
Our summit day comes to an abrupt end. Its time for bed anyway. We have what Eric describes as a knee tweaking trail from hell in the morning.
John still hadn't unpacked and he was a little frustrated rummaging around in the dark to get his sleeping bag and pad set up. Once in the tent we snuggled up to get warm. He leaned over to give me a kiss but his pointy beard was just too painful on my sun- and wind-burned face. So much for the mile high club.
We head off to bed with little hope of falling asleep at this early hour. But first we have to make sure all our gear is ready for the climb. This will be the first time climbing at night and with all our heavy jackets, balaclava, extra hats and gloves. We go through it all a couple of times just to make sure we have everything and know where it is. We close our eyes and try to rest whispering to each other off and on about the climb. John gets up to go to the bathroom after a while. He hears rumblings in one of the tents - we speculate about who it is. Later we hear that Daniel heard it too and he thought is was us. We drift back and forth into and out of a half sleep. Finally we hear some rustling around. Group C will leave at 10:30, an hour 15 minutes before our scheduled time. They are up and getting ready but we can't continue to rest with the bustle and excitement. We get up and start getting ready. By the time we are ready to head to the breakfast tent Group C is getting ready to launch and Group B has just finished breakfast and is heading to their tents for final prep. I grab my camera and head out to take a few pics of the group as they leave camp. The excitement is palpable. Off they go, ready for the final assault.
I force myself to eat some porridge and a piece of toast. My stomach still isn't great and I am worried about having to go #2 on the way up the mountain. Eric told us at last night's meeting that he shit in his pants on the way to the summit once. You can imagine how comforting that was! Finally, its our turn - just John, Sarah and me, along with our trusted guide, August, at the front and Aloise at the back. We had been with August every day and I knew that he would get us there. I was ready. We walked outside. I was taking a bottle of water to the tent because Eric said we only needed two. August stopped me and took the bottle and put it in his pack. Then he lifted my pack and said, "too heavy". He looked inside and took one of my two waters to lighten my load. I hoped someone was doing this for the others but I doubted it.
We loaded our packs on our backs making all the necessary adjustments to get them on over the additional bulk of the thick coats. It was actually a surprisingly warm night. However, we knew as we climbed higher the temperatures would drop and the wind would start to blow. It wouldn't be this nice all nice and it was still cold. We started up the mountain. We could see the headlamps of the other two groups ahead of us on the trail. The guides from the three groups call out to each other. Its strange how close they look when you are looking straight up - but they aren't really close. Group C had already been going for almost an hour and half when we left camp.
Not sure how long but not long after we leave camp we find Brandis sitting on a rock trying to drink water. She doesn't look well. She's had the toughest time with altitude of anyone on the trip. She hasn't been able to hold down food or liquids for three days. I wonder how she managed to have the strength to get up and try. That takes a lot of courage. Later in the day we will hear her saga. What a tale. She really wanted to go but her body just would not let her. I think she will go back and try again and make it.
We plod along at a very good pace. August and Aloise sing softly as we ascend. This is actually very helpful. I know they will reach a point where singing won't be possible - not enough air. I want to get a recording of them singing or at least find a recording of it after I get back home.
Before too long we pass group C at one of their breaks. Lori asks us to think of a team name because she doesn't like the letter names. We say the "cheetahs". The group seems to be doing well at this point. They've been at it for a maybe a couple of hours. I am not sure what the altitude is at this point but its the highest any of us has every been in our lives - so that's already a big accomplishment. At this point Jeff, our wonderful photographer, joins us. He will try to leapfrog around, if its possible, to get pictures. Right now its just too dark. So now we are four in our group with our two guides. We continue up the mountain and my stomach starts getting angry. We pass group B. They all seem to be doing well too. I ask if we can stop to go to the bathroom. Not sure if I can do it but my stomach is telling me I have to. I have major issues with going #2 if anybody is around but we'll see - this seems to be at a critical stage. We all head over to the rocks. John and Sarah finish and head back to the guide. Jeff finishes but stands not far away looking up at the beautiful stars. My body won't cooperate with his close proximity. Oh well, I am just going to have to tough it out all the way up the mountain wrestling the tiger in my stomach all the way. What fun!
We figure out before too long that taking breaks is a challenge. The temperatures are getting colder. It takes to long to take off packs and get water out and then you start getting really cold. If you take your gloves off to open the water then its hard to get your hands warm again. They won't let you use a camelback because the tubes freeze up. There must be a better way. I will have to think about that - later. Somewhere between 16,500 and 17,000 I hit an emotional wall. Not sure why but I started wondering if I was really going to make it to the top. We stopped for water and honey stingers. I think the food help but I was really starting to get emotional about this climb. My stomach was also in knots and I was really doubting I was going to make it without going in my pants. Every 20 minutes or so a wave would hit me and I would say, "oh please, dear God, please don't let me poop in my pants." I wondered if it was appropriate to pray something like that but it seemed to work every time so he must be listening.
As we press forward my doubts loom larger. I decide to call on the spirits of my dead parents to help me up the mountain and I ask each of them to take one of my arms and carry me up. My eyes fill with some badly needed tears - the air is too dry - as I feel them each by my side lifting my weight so that I feel lighter. I feel a sense of relief. I remember this prayer my mother used to say all the time, "I can do all things through him who comforts me". I think its from Matthew but I don't know. Anyway, I decide to recite that little prayer in my head with each step. It takes my mind off the difficulty ahead and amazingly makes it much easier to go on. I am not that religious in a formal sort of way. I am blown away at how much this simple prayer, along with the visualization of my parents, is able to lighten my burden and get me up this mountain. Each step gets a little closer and little bit better. We are getting close to Stella Point now.
We reach Stella Point at 5 am. This is where we are supposed to have hot drinks. I think we should have opted for cocoa but we only asked for hot water. We sit down on a ledge while August gets the hot drinks. I am overcome with emotion and say to John, "Did you ever think nine years ago when you were diagnosed with PD that we would be here on top of this mountain?" He says no and we both cry at the enormity of the accomplishment and the hope it represents. We aren't even there yet but we feel as though we'll make it now.
Sarah's foot warmers are wearing off and she decides to put a new pair in her boots a this point. In retrospect it seems a little bit nuts to take your boots off at this point but she only had 5 hour foot warmers and she really needed the warmth. One of her MS symptoms is cramping feet so keeping them warm was going to be critical. We don't drink as much fluid here as we should since we are taking some extra time. We should have been chugging the liquids.
Live and learn.
We get back started toward the summit. It is still pretty dark but the sun will rise in a little over an hour. We want to make it to the top for that. This last 1,500 vertical feet take about an hour to an hour and a half depending on your pace. We left Stella around 5:15am. As you make the turn you can faintly see what you think is the peak in the distance. This is deceiving as there are about 3 false peaks ahead before Uhuru. Most of the time I am never looking up to see what's ahead. My eyes are steadily focused on August's Viking boots and each plodding step. I walk directly in his foot steps mirroring his gate and pace exactly. He keeps a perfect rythym just as he always has throughout the last 6 days. But as we rise higher I notice that his usually steady pacing was wobbling a bit. At one point he lifts his foot and then puts it right back down. I wonder if the altitude is affecting him too. It must be. But he recovers and goes on. Finally, Sarah begs for a water break. I don't want to stop because I don't want to get cold - the wind is blowing terribly and the moisture from my breathing and my nose is freezing around the edges of my nostrils. I just want to get there but I know that we need water. We stop for a minute for her to drink but I don't drink at this stop. We keep getting to these false peaks and John is cracking jokes - sort of - about it. It seems we will never get there. Finally I can't go on anymore without a drink and I have to stop. Sarah and Jeff go ahead the 300 yards or so to the summit. I drank a little - the water was really getting frozen in the bottle. Feeling a little bit quenched we head forward to the summit. I am shocked at the overwhelming emotion I feel as we arrive with the sun just edging up to the horizon ready to burst forth. I begin to sob uncontrollably. I can't stop myself. This really isn't good for breathing. Jeff already has his tripod set up and Sarah is sitting at the edge waiting for the sunrise. John and I are standing arm in arm looking out at the sun rising. Mu eyes are filled with tears. Jeff takes a photo. I hope it will come out. I think it would really capture the essence of what I am feeling.
We want to get our picture at the summit sign and get the hell down off the mountain. I am just to cold and emotional to truly savor the moment and linger. I put down my pack and dig for the ETA flag. John gets out the PFP flag. We head over to the Uhuru Peak sign. Its a little crowded but not bad. After a minute or two we get our shot. Sarah doesn't want to get up yet because the sun hasn't broken the horizon yet but she comes over for the photo - Me, John, Sarah and August are holding up the ETA flag. It is emotional again. Then John and I hold up the PFP flag. We wrap them back up and put them in John's pack so that we can had off the ETA flag to the first person we see on the way down. We turn to see the sun breaking the horizon. It bursts forth across the horizon in glorious brilliance but there is no warmth with this light. I start to shiver and think it is time to start moving again. I realize I haven't taken any pictures with my camera so I take a quick photo of John with the sunrise in his background and one with the peak sign in the background. He quickly takes the same two photos of me. I think we've been here for about 10-15 minutes. It hard to say but I can't stay longer. Sarah wants to stay and Jeff will stay to photograph the next round of the team. Aloise is instructed to stay with them and come back when they are ready. I don't think he is crazy about hanging around at the top too long. Who would be?
I turn around and August has already picked up my pack and hooked it on to his own. He will carry it down for me. I think he's not sure what to make of my sobbing off and on. Up to this point I have been totally unemotional in my climbing. He probably thinks I am crazy. Oh well. He says we will feel much better after dropping down just 500 meters. We start to walk down quickly. Honestly, I just want to run but I can't. To our right is the beautiful glacier. Its majestic and I wish I could take a picture but I can't. I just want to get moving down. We quicken out pace. Somewhere about halfway back to Stella Point we see Sean. He is leading Team B - which has broken in to two groups. We congratulate him, get the flag and pass it off. We are thrilled for him. Next we see Nathan, Daniel, Tina, Stephanie, Suz, Gina and Paula. We congratulate each of them and are thrilled they are going to make it too. Tina says that she thinks Inez will make it but she was getting to cold at that pace and had to go on in the first group. We are so excited for them and we are starting to feel better. John tells them about the "3 false summits" ahead. I tell them they are almost there. Then we see Monique and Sierra. We can tell they aren't feeling very well but they are going to make it. We hug them and cheer them on.
Going on a bit we see Susie Weber trudging along like the walking dead. John sees the guide and tells him to take good care of her. I start crying again knowing that she is going to make it. She brushes us away - doesn't want her concentration or pace broken. She is determined. You can see it on her face. Her lips are bluish - lack of oxygen, I guess.
We make it to Stella Point and there is plenty of light now. We see some of our team just below the point but can't make them out. At first I think its April and Jeanne but then I realize its not. It in Inez and Connie. We cheer them on and continued our trek down. In just a few minutes we ran into Lori and Nan. Lori told us that April and Jeanne and her Dad turned back. She also said that Doug had turned back because he was having trouble breathing - I think that's what she said. His cold had really not gotten any better and that was surely a factor. It said at the bottom of the mountain in the rules not to go above 3,000 meters if you had a cold. He made it way above that. Lori said her father probably could have made the summit but she was worried about whether or not he would have the stamina to make it down the long decent past high camp. So he turned back. Nan had clear determination on her face and I knew that she would make it. I was so proud of her. She really has a lot of internal strength. Amazing. She was carrying a hand-made banner of encouragement that was beautiful. She was determined to carry it to the top and have a photograph taken. Jeff had been waiting at the top for over an hour at this point. He had decided to go back down. We heard that when he got close to Stella Point and heard that there were still team members coming he turned around and climbed back up to get their photos. What an incredible guy. I can't say that I would have had the stamina to do that. He said there was one point while he was up there waiting that he was the only person at the top of Africa. It was amazing in the silence and enormity of it. I wish I could have experienced that but it was enough just to get to the top.
Meanwhile, John and August and I continued down the mountain as fast as we could. In the daylight the trail seems daunting. I think this may actually be why they start you out in the dark. Otherwise, you might see it and say, "no way am I going to make it up THAT" About an hour from the bottom the trail down branches off from the main trail up and there is a lot of deep, loose scree. After a few tries I figured out that the best way to navigate it was to pretend like I was skiing and just glide down like I was on the ski slope. This worked great and I actually started liking the scree descent. Anyway, it was much better than the packed dirt, steep descent into Barranco that I had hated a coupled of days ago. I was very dehydrated and reaching the point of exhaustion. In the last 30 minutes or so we saw porters carrying stuff up the trail. I asked August what they were doing. He said the Lomosho Trail climbs to the Crater at 18,000 and spends the night, going the last 1,500 vertical feet the next morning. He said its a very expensive trip because the porters who carry to the crater get $50/US a day. This is way more than they get for our entire trip. I imagine how crazy it must be carrying up the tents and food to Stella Point. Nuts - there is no way I could do it. We looked up behind us several times and could see some of the folks from Group B coming down. They looked so close but I guess they really aren't that close. I kept thinking the were right on top of us but it was probably an hour or more before they came in to camp behind us. It is really deceiving how close people look when you are looking straight up.
We finally make it back to high camp to ZERO FANFARE. I was really expecting some singing at this point but there was none. There were some porters sitting around on rocks waiting for us to get our stuff out of the tents I imagine. Ramso was there with some juice but there wasn't even any applause. This was a little bit disappointing but I was too tired so I didn't really care. I went to the tent chairs and just sat down and took my boots off. I started drinking fluids and realized out dehydrated I was. I only drank about a liter on the trek up and down. We made it up in 6hr25 min and down in just under 3. It was about 9 o'clock but it felt like it was late in the afternoon. There were seven who didn't summit and some of them were sleeping in the tents. After a few minutes April came over and told us about her ascent. She had to turn back at 16,500 but she was genuinely thrilled to have made it so high. She and Jeanne were together and Jeanne had bad nausea from the altitude. She said they looked at each other and nodded that it was time to turn back. April's shots had started to wear off and she was starting to feel a lot of pain. Jeanne was resting in the tent. Mickey, Neil and Doug came over and sat down with us. Mickey had just had trouble breathing and one point and had to turn back. I wondered if she had taken the Diamox if she was one of the one's that could have made it. I think so. I am not really sure how Eric decides to tell people to take it or not. I took it and am sure it helped. Maybe I would have been alright without it but I wanted to make sure I could tell the different if I was having blood pressure issues. Doug was visibly disappointed. Its too bad he caught a cold on the trip over. I wasn't sure if it was the cold or his knee that ultimately did him in.
We continued to sit around in a circle outside our tent waiting for others to come in. Kristy was having some severe problems with her asthma and Mickey went to help her. We decided that it would be better for her to sit up in the dining tent than to lay down in her warm tent with no ventilation. They gave her oxygen off and on but were waiting for Eric to come down to make the call on what to do. I personally thought they should have gotten her down the mountain ASAP. I know how scary asthma is because my son, Jack , has it. The Docs made it in - feeling rotten but headed in to the tent to help Kristy. Sierra had caught Doug's cold and her lungs were killing her all the way up the mountain. She was feeling awful but her sheer determination got her there. Monique is severely dehydrated - much worse than I am and she doesn't have any treated water ready. I give them some of what I have left with electrolytes until theirs is ready. She is laying down in the hot tent and I think that's not a good idea.
Susie Weber makes her way down in to camp and a few of us run over to congratulate her. She was just amazing. I really wished someone had been singing to her as she came in to camp. She deserved a choir of thousands. In another 30-45 minutes nana arrived and we went over to hug and congratulate her. She was a real trooper. At this point the camp was all a bustle trying to get packed up. We were set for lunch at 2 but moved it to 1:30, thankfully. Eric said we had 2-4 hours going down to the next camp depending on pace. I was rested as much as possible but not enough - but I really wanted to get down there as fast as possible. I asked August if we could try to go fast. We loaded up and started out with Romley at the front while August finished some other things in camp. The group included John, Gina, Nathan, Daniel, Sean, Jeff and a few others. Gina was at the front full of what seemed like boundless energy. Nathan's meds had gotten a little out of whack on the overnight saga up the mountain and he was experiencing quite a bit of dyskinesia. It quickly became apparent that he was going to struggle to hold himself back from the force of gravity. Romley dropped back and took his pack and his arm to try and help him. Another guide came to the front with us. We made our way down over the rocks through Barafu camp and off to the side trail leading down the Mweka trail. Not sure of the name of the camp we were going to - its not on the map that I have. Eric had decided that we should stay at this camp at 12,000 feet instead of trying to decide all the way to Mweka. It was a good decision. After seeing the trail the next day there is no way we would have all made it without trouble after the summit day we'd had. August showed up and moved to the front of the group - we splintered off and it was Gina, Jeff and me walking down with August at a pretty good pace. Then Jeff dropped back taking some pictures and it was just Gina and me. We continued on but my legs were starting to need to slow down. The downhill can really be a big issue for me. We are getting close to camp and it won't matter if I don't have a guide with me. I let Gina and August go on ahead and I slow waiting for John and Sean to catch me. We walk along together for a bit but my pace slows even more. They go on ahead. The sun is starting to drop lower in the sky and I can see a cloud has descended on the camp ahead. I walk along alone enjoying the solitude and thinking about the amazing day. It is the first time I have been alone in over a week. I savor it. Another guide comes along who has just taken a client across the Western Breach. He stops to talk to me for a minute and ask about our summit. I tell him we made the summit in 6 hrs 25 minutes. He says, "You are very strong." That makes be feel proud. I come to the bottom of the trail and John is sitting there waiting for me. It feels good to see him there. A heavy fog is settled over the camp. We have to go sign in at the ranger hut. They sell beers here and we decide we'll come back for one or two. Eric and Brandis were there and he congratulated us on the day. We made our way over to the tents and found the only one that was level. The guides ran over and told us it was taken. August was saving it for Nan - which was a good idea - she was going to need some rest. We picked another tent and it turned out to be right next to Eric's. I realized at this point that I had never known on any other day where his or Ben's tents were. I think maybe he told us but I never really noticed.
John wanted a beer and Mickey and I decided to share one. Then we started forming a circle of chairs outside our tent to share beers and talk about the day - Stephanie, Mickey, Brandis, Eric, Ben, Pattie, Daniel, Sean and Nathan - others stopped by off and on. We sat around drinking beers and Stephanie showed us how to use a lighter to open and beer. Most weren't talented enough to figure it out but Brandis finally got it. Pattie had chex mix so we passed around the bag and pretended like we were having a real happy hour. It was the first feeling of relaxation in many days. It was starting to get cold with the fog and the sun dropping low in the sky. I decided I better get my bag unpacked before dark so I started unloading while John continued to entertain. This is pretty typical - John would have a part at our house every night if he could. I laughed to myself that it was the same on the mountain and wondered if and when he was going to get to unloading his stuff. The laughter and chit chat continued outside the tent and I enjoyed listening from the warmth inside.
Finally it was time for dinner and we headed down - getting there late. We had another great dinner with some traditional Swahili food but I forgot to write down what the dishes were. By this time the journal is really starting to suffer from lack of attention. After dinner they bring out two cakes which a porter has obviously had to drag up the mountain. I don't think there is any way they could have baked these cakes on the mountain. They are our celebration cakes. There is a fierce wind blowing outside the tent and porters are rushing around opening up the windows to let the tent breathe. I am wondering if its going to blow away. They slice the cake and serve us each a piece. After the second bite the wind picks up so much that I am sure the tent will blow away. The porters rush to the ends of the tent and open up the doors. A huge wave of billowing dust rushes in to the tent making it hard to breathe. Everybody gets up and rushes out of the tent.
Our summit day comes to an abrupt end. Its time for bed anyway. We have what Eric describes as a knee tweaking trail from hell in the morning.
John still hadn't unpacked and he was a little frustrated rummaging around in the dark to get his sleeping bag and pad set up. Once in the tent we snuggled up to get warm. He leaned over to give me a kiss but his pointy beard was just too painful on my sun- and wind-burned face. So much for the mile high club.
July 17 - Karanga to High Camp via lunch at Barafu
We took off in the first group this morning with Paula, Sierra, Monique, Nan, Doug, Stephanie and Gina. Its nice to be walking with Stephanie as it has been a few days since we've walked together. After the first break Nan and Doug drop back to go at a more gradual pace. At the second break they catch up with us and Nan is really having some bad pain in her neck from the pack. We can all tell that it is really hurting. Stephanie is working on her PHD in Physical Therapy and she starts working on Nan. It really seems to help. She decides to stay with Nan to make sure her neck is okay. It is really wonderful to see this kind of caring between team members who were complete strangers just days ago.
The gradual incline gives way to a rocky climb up to a plateau. We think this is going to be Barafu camp and lunch but its just another "false" summit. There are some folks camped at this point but we later figure out why - Barafu is really over crowded and there are no good places to put tents that are flat. We finally make it up the next set of rocks to Barafu and August directs us to the tent where we have to sign in. We walk by the public toilets on the way to the sign in and it doesn't smell very good. We make our way around the sign in hut and see out blue dining tent hanging on the edge at the far side of the camp. There is no room for them to set up our bathroom tents so anybody who can't wait is stuck with the public toilets. I decide to wait. I am feeling great at this point. Nathan's shoulders are bothering him so I give both him and Inez a quick shoulder rub while we wait for lunch to be ready. Paula is looking like she doesn't feel well and I think either the altitude or the pace or both are getting to her. I think she needs some rest. Lunch is ready and we head in to the tent which is getting too warm from the sun. I eat some soup and a few chips quickly and decide that is probably enough at this point - don't want to upset the stomach. I look over and Paula looks like she's about to throw up. Monique is chowing down on her favorite Pringles - we joke about it because she never eats chips at home. We head out to high camp as soon as we can, anxious to get there and start "resting". I am also anxious for one of our potty tents now that I have eaten and once again the demons in my stomach are calling out.
Its a scramble up to high camp over some rocks. We pass the Germans that we'd seen several days earlier. They are on their way back from the summit and they look pretty good. We congratulate them and they tell us it is really, really cold at the top. Some of their lips are a funny bluish red color. I wonder what that's all about. We get up to high camp joking about who is going to get to the bathroom first.
The porters are setting up tents and one almost blows away. We speculate about who goes without a tent if one blows away. That would be terrible at this camp. There are no bowls of water to wash up at this camp. There is no water source close by and all of the water had to be carried up here today so there is none to waste on washing. We get our tent set up and try to relax for a bid while we wait for the others to arrive. We are getting anxious - tonight we will start for the summit. I wonder how we can possibly sleep at all tonight before we leave.
The gradual incline gives way to a rocky climb up to a plateau. We think this is going to be Barafu camp and lunch but its just another "false" summit. There are some folks camped at this point but we later figure out why - Barafu is really over crowded and there are no good places to put tents that are flat. We finally make it up the next set of rocks to Barafu and August directs us to the tent where we have to sign in. We walk by the public toilets on the way to the sign in and it doesn't smell very good. We make our way around the sign in hut and see out blue dining tent hanging on the edge at the far side of the camp. There is no room for them to set up our bathroom tents so anybody who can't wait is stuck with the public toilets. I decide to wait. I am feeling great at this point. Nathan's shoulders are bothering him so I give both him and Inez a quick shoulder rub while we wait for lunch to be ready. Paula is looking like she doesn't feel well and I think either the altitude or the pace or both are getting to her. I think she needs some rest. Lunch is ready and we head in to the tent which is getting too warm from the sun. I eat some soup and a few chips quickly and decide that is probably enough at this point - don't want to upset the stomach. I look over and Paula looks like she's about to throw up. Monique is chowing down on her favorite Pringles - we joke about it because she never eats chips at home. We head out to high camp as soon as we can, anxious to get there and start "resting". I am also anxious for one of our potty tents now that I have eaten and once again the demons in my stomach are calling out.
Its a scramble up to high camp over some rocks. We pass the Germans that we'd seen several days earlier. They are on their way back from the summit and they look pretty good. We congratulate them and they tell us it is really, really cold at the top. Some of their lips are a funny bluish red color. I wonder what that's all about. We get up to high camp joking about who is going to get to the bathroom first.
The porters are setting up tents and one almost blows away. We speculate about who goes without a tent if one blows away. That would be terrible at this camp. There are no bowls of water to wash up at this camp. There is no water source close by and all of the water had to be carried up here today so there is none to waste on washing. We get our tent set up and try to relax for a bid while we wait for the others to arrive. We are getting anxious - tonight we will start for the summit. I wonder how we can possibly sleep at all tonight before we leave.
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