Clean at Last!

We made it!!

We just returned to Moshi after completing a 6 day trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world! 5895m to be exact.

We set off with high spirits and clean clothes. The first day was easy peasy climbing through beautiful rainforest, that kind of resembled a forest in Vancouver (except for the palm trees) and ended at 3000m above sea level. Our team consisted of 6 porters, 1 guide, 1 assistant guide, waiter, a cook and an assistant cook. They were all wonderful at keeping us as comfortable as possible considering the circumstances. The food was great- we had amazing breakfasts every day consisting of porridge, tea and milo, omelettes, toast and peanut butter, and Darl got weiners. Lunches were also great- bagged for the hike and usually peanut butter, crap loads of margarine, and green pepper. Yes, this may sound gross but actually quite satisfying when you have a mountain appetite! Some of the other meals were delicious home made soups, coconut rice pilaf, pasta and veggies, and crepes with jam for dessert. Ooh and we also got tea time every afternoon with popcorn, peanuts and cookies! The best part was all the fresh fruit! To stay hydrated so we could ensure our success with the summit, we had to drink 4 L of fluids every day.

Day 2 we ascended above the clouds to Sheera base camp. Here we had views of Kili and Mt Meru and we were at an altitude of 3600m. By the end of the day, we left the rainforest and began walking in a whole new world. We were then in "Moor Land"- where the trees were covered in a moss-like substance and they looked like they were shedding. The vegetation was unlike anything we had ever seen before. Day 3 we reached 4600m before descending to 3950m so we could begin to get used to the air up high. I started to feel pretty dizzy on the way up and decided to begin altitude meds. Darl was still feeling great though. The scenery changed once again to rocks. There were sharp, thin rocks that looked like litter heaps everywhere and the sun and wind were extremely harsh. By day 4 I was feeling pretty crappy, after a cold night with no sleep. But we had to suck it up because that night we would begin our serious leg of the journey up to the summit.

At 11:30pm we were up, had drank our tea shivering in the tent, put on all the clothes we owned, and headed up towering Kili with our trusty guides Mr. Temo and Mr. Moshi. Each step felt increasingly more difficult as our fatigue and lack of oxygen took effect. I was particularly hurting early on, and Darl had to help me up even simple rocks as I bitched and whined that I didn't care about the top anymore. I had nausea, felt like I might crap my pants, and the cold was still cutting through my millions of layers. Darl, the eternal optimist, continued to feel great as we stumbled through the dark, only the moonlight to show us the way.

With about 45 minutes and 200m elevation to go, things went all wrong for poor Darl. All of a sudden, after 4 days of Darl feeling solid and strong, without any ill effects from the height, he became extremely disoriented. He popped a diamox (altitude med) with hopes that it would treat how he was feeling and we carried on. At this point, all of my self-pitying went away and all my attention was on my honey. When Darl's eyes started rolling into the back of his head, we knew things were getting serious and his time was up. After some persuading, he agreed to head down before things got any worse and Mr. Moshi helped him, rather aggressively, back to base camp. Darl felt like a dog on a leash, half conscious, as Moshi pulled him along. We said our I love you's and I continued up with Mr. Temo. I reached the Uhuru Peak, 5895m, at 5:45am. It was pitch black, -20 degrees plus wind chill, and I was ready to go to bed! I got a quick picture beside the sign and we bolted back down, watching the sunrise as we went. It wasn't nearly the climax I hoped for without my partner beside me :(

The next two days we motored down the trails back to the park gate and raced to our hotel to get a much deserved shower after 6 days of extreme filth!

I think I am sick of extreme activity for the next little while... All I can look forward to now is some baking at home and watching tv! Yay, homeward bound in less than a month!!