From the roof of Africa with love (part 2) - Uhuru is not just a lager (by Darina)

Friday 24th September 2010, around 7:30am

Nothing like to be sitting around half past seven in the morning on the lower top of Kilimanjaro, taking in the beauty of the sun’s warmth on your face. One thing I am noticing is that there is no snow. We can see glaciers but there is no snow otherwise and that was one of the things we were prepared for. I am very grateful that the weather was so kind to us.

I could probably sit here forever but we need to continue to Uhuru and then rush back to lower altitude. After a short panic episode (me going over the rocks to send an email and then not being able to put my third trousers layer back on therefore me just standing there alone, breathing heavily, being not able to move and not able to think what to do… for about ten minutes!) we set off.

The path is much more pleasant than the nightmare from Jamaica Rocks and is rolling up and down slightly. Still it’s a long way to go, especially when you’re only living on a bar of Cadbury milk chocolate and water (the pipe still frozen so still using the back up water from the bottle). The sun is pleasant but makes me feel sleepy again. At one point I just want to sit down and sleep but Robbie, who’s our guide from Gilman’s Point, keeps saying we’re close. So I keep shuffling and shuffling. People passing us from the other direction, coming back from the peak, keep saying “Well done, keep going” and “Almost there” and similar nonsense as we’re still NOT almost there. It feels like another marathon and we need to make several stops to refresh and de-layer before we finally get to climb the last very slight hill that leads us to another wooden sign!

The first thing that comes to my mind is that this is not what I thought it would look like. It’s a wooden post standing at the end of the road, it’s not like a peak of a mountain at all. But then I realise we’ve arrived, we’re here, we’ve made it and everything else is gone! The tiredness, the hunger, the frozen pipe, the numb toes, lack of sleep, all problems and little troubles vanish because we’re standing on the roof of Africa and what’s more important, we are all ok and enjoying this moment immensely! I feel great. It’s like I am a new person. My breathing is fine, the air is wonderfully fresh. I feel energised and all the tiredness is gone. We all hug, we take pictures, we laugh… It’s an amazing moment.

There is a long way back ahead of us now. It’s hard to believe it’s only half eight in the morning, we were walking for more than eight hours and there are another three hours back to the Kibo Huts for lunch and then three/four hours to our last camp expecting us. It’s not as much fun but the excitement of our achievement is pushing us to move on. The route back is the same up to the Gilman’s Point and through the rocks and stones above the Jamaica Rocks. Then we divert towards a very steep downhill slope of scree. We can either walk it in zigzags or slide which sounds like fun and looks like a fast way how to get down. It’s unbelievably exhausting too I find out very soon. My knees are complaining already, they don’t like the downhill trek at all. I end up falling on to my bum several times too but who cares, there is a lunch awaiting us at the bottom of the hill!

When we finally get to the camp, I just lie down in the tent and lie and lie. We’re covered in fresh dust from the scree adventure. Trying to get rid of it seems like an impossible task as it’s very windy and the dust is just flying around. The camp is very quiet, everybody is resting. Later I learn that some people – Ryan, Jason, Denise – made it to the Gilman’s Point and then decided to go back. I feel a big admiration for them as Ryan and Denise were climbing on an empty stomach and Jason was having big problems with his toes.

The atmosphere at the lunch is much more positive than our breakfast “last night”. I feel happy but also very sleepy and am sure that tonight I will be sleeping like a log even if the tent is suspended in the air somewhere. We get a little bit more time to rest after lunch before we’re rushed to walk to the next camp, the Horombo Camp which is in 3700m. The route is easy, slightly downhill on a pleasant track. We make it to the camp just after the sun set. Our last dinner together is cheerful but the tiredness is taking its toll and we all go to the tents to sleep fairly early. As expected I sleep like a baby for the first time in a week!

From the roof of Africa with love (part 1) - Up to the Gilman's Point (by Darina)

Thursday, 23rd September 11pm

“Hello”. It’s eleven pm and one of the guides is waking us up. No need to wake ME up as I was up anyway. It’s a big relief. I don’t want to think about the implications of the lack of sleep now as I actually feel energised and ready to go. It’s a hard work to get out of the sleeping bag, I am breathing like I’ve just finished a marathon. I start to dress, very slowly. Four layers on my legs – thermal, base layer leggings, thin trekking trousers, thick trekking trousers and waterproof overtrousers – and five layers on my upper body – long-sleeve base layer, long-sleeve technical T-shirt, two fleeces and waterproof jacket. Thin socks and thick socks. My head is covered in balaclava, fleece headband and winter hat, all glamorously topped up with a head torch. Undergloves and warm ski gloves are protecting my hands. Party, anyone?

Just before getting out of the tent for the breakfast I have a little problem with my Camelbak. It looks like one of the shoulder straps is ripped off. I panic as I can’t imagine how to survive the night without it, then I start to think about how I could sew it. Fortunately my brain is not totally frozen yet and after closer investigation I figure out that the strap is only untied. Easily fixed. Just to be sure I add a few pins to hold it all together. Time to go for a breakfast!

Or should I say hobble. It’s difficult to move in all those layers (can’t imagine what it would be like with the fifth layer on my legs) and when you add the lack of oxygen… It’s dark – despite the full moon – and cold – although not as much as we’re expected and were prepared for. For breakfast we have porridge and fruits, then Diamox and we get some chocolate for the trek. Sonja is already somewhere on the way up there but there is another person missing. Gary. We learn that he left the camp – rather mysteriously and in the middle of the night. The whole situation is a bit strange and surreal but at the minute we don’t have time (or energy) for any speculations. As….

… there is one very interesting hill waiting for us to climb it, so let’s go!

We walk very, very slowly, little shuffling steps, one by one. There are other climbing groups before us. We can see the flickering lights of their torches. The terrain is fairly good, it’s a scree, the stones are very small though and it’s easy to walk, no need for lifting knees too much. And the walking poles are helping to keep a steady pace. I don’t have any issues with breathing at this moment (the pace is very slow), the air is very fresh and sharp. The first few meters of the route is straight uphill but as soon as it starts to be too steep, we start doing the infamous zigzags. That’s where the mental struggle starts. Not straight away but the zigzags are going to accompany us for the next five, six hours. Some of the stretches are short but it’s the long ones that get you. You’re shuffling and shuffling, looking down on the ground, focusing on the walking poles and hoping for a little change in the direction. We should be going up the mountain, not along it!!!

My nose is runny too. It’s annoying as it’s a complicated procedure to get to the tissue which is in the pocket of my jacket but to get there I need to remove my hand from the walking pole, hold the walking pole in the other hand, remove glove, open the zip of the pocket… By the time I finish re-gloving, my nose is runny again… It’s a lost battle but very little problem in the greater scheme of things. As I am actually here, standing on Kilimanjaro….

In the first phase we all walk together, Obote being the main leading guide. Time to time we have a short break to sip water and get some refreshments. During the first one I find out my Camelbak’s pipe is frozen despite the fact it is insulated. Paul has a similar problem but soon finds a solution when he pulls the pipe through his jacket. I can’t do that but fortunately I have a half a litre of water in a plastic bottle which I’ve been dragging with me since our last hotel! I am saved for now.

As we continue I realise I can’t feel my toes. It’s strange and I am a bit surprised as my thick socks are good ones, specially manufactured for this type of situations. Why are they not warming my feet? As it turns out, Paul and Jason has the same problems. I am trying to exercise my toes which helps me with staying awake and after some time (could be minutes, could be hours), I feel them again. Not falling asleep is my other problem. I struggle to stay awake, my eye lids are falling down and I just keep thinking how embarrassing it would be if I actually fall asleep and fall down… I focus on the walking poles and wiggling my toes.

I have no idea how long we’ve been walking. Our group is now divided into two. I am not sure with whom I am walking as all of us our disguised by and hidden in the layers of clothing. We pass the sign marking 5000m. Meaning in another 100m or so we will reach Hans Meyer Cave! Sounds simple but it could be another hour of walking! (Note: Hans Meyer was a German geologist and the first European who got to the Kibo top). Looking up we can see the top, little lights dotting the route that we will walk in next few hours. It seems very close and very far at the same time.

We stop at the Cave for re-charging but we can’t stay long as it takes only a few minutes for us to start feeling very cold. So we continue, zigzag, step by step. I manage to wake up a bit and resolve my falling asleep issue. Zigzag, zigzag. The next important stop is the Jamaica Rocks in 5500m. The track up there is still the same, just scree – it sometimes gets very slippery but that’s probably because we’re not as fresh and focused as we were at the beginning – and dust. Some of the zigzags seem to be taking forever before we reach the bend and that’s when I realise how mental this walk is. It’s when you realise how ridiculous it is to be here at four am, in the pitch dark and cold night, walking like an idiot in a slow motion, covering the distance which is just around 1 kilometer in about a 4-kilometer zigzag detour… But hey, soon we’ll be standing on the top!!

At Jamaica Rocks we can see a little light peeking on the horizon. The morning is coming and the idea of the sun rising soon is filling me with new energy. Which will be much needed as the part of the route between the Rocks and Gilman’s Point is a killer. I actually feel a bit betrayed. After almost six hours of zigzagging and surviving the biggest mental challenge of my life so far, we are forced to start lifting the knees and very carefully find our way through the rocks and stones. The track is suddenly steep and occasionally we need to scramble. I realise for the second time that I cannot feel my toes, this time it’s difficult to exercise them and I just hope they will be sort out when the sun is out. This part is a real test. We can see the Gilman’s Point being just a few meters above us but it feels like miles and miles away. Despite of eating all the meals we had, I am starving and we’re not even there yet. It’s starting to be warm but it’s still cold at the same time. Breathing is difficult. The bloody rocks are everywhere. But then I look around and back towards Mawenzi which is now bathing in the morning sun. Is there anything more beautiful then this?

And then we’re there! We stand next to the wooden sign telling us we’ve reached the Gilman’s Point. I am not sure what I feel. I am trying to catch my breath and then I sit down. It’s a good feeling. We are here. We are at 5681m!!! The sun is up. We get tea and hugs from our guides. We hug each other – me, Paul, Nadia. Nilam and Salma are soon following. Obote shows us where the Uhuru peak is. We just need to walk along the crater and there it is! Just! Doesn’t look horribly far but it’s about another hour and a bit of walking. But for now we can just sit for a few more minutes and enjoy the feeling we made it this far....