Day 6 Kilimanjaro Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak then down to Mweka Camp

Saturday February 12^th.

4,600 m to 5,895 m to 3,100 m

In the brochure they say they start at midnight because it's easier to walk on the frozen scree (loose gravel, pebbles and sand) and to get you there to see the sunrise. In reality, I think it's because if you could see where they you had to go, you wouldn't do it!

We went pole pole, and still passed lots of people, including a group who were quietly singing Halleluyah (spelling) songs, twits. For the last two and a half hours as we reached 5000 metres and beyond, I was really struggling and asking myself “Why am I doing this??” I tried counting 25 steps, stop and breathe for 15 breaths and repeat. It was really really hard. At one point we were stuck behind a really slow group for a long time and Emmanuel wanted to get around them. So he made a quick scramble over more loose gravel to get past them and I followed. It took me about ten minutes to get my breathing back under control after that little bit of excursion, but I couldn't stop or they'd pass up again.

I had no idea where I was going or what was around me. It was pitched black and all I could see for 5 ½ hours was Emmanuel's boots! I never thought about giving up. I didn't get altitude sickness, I just couldn't breathe. I knew I'd make it, but when would we get to the top?

Finally we reached the lower summit. The whole summit is sort of saddle shaped and we arrived at the lower back end. To reach Uhuru summit we still had another 45 minute hike that was still fairly steep, but not as much loose scree.

We arrived at the Uhuru signpost at 5:30am. Don't ask me how, because I was exhausted and felt we were walking really slowly, but we were the second group to arrive!! We got there ½ hour faster than the estimated time they give you. It was really cold and windy and probably about minus 25 to 30 degrees. The water in my bottles in my backpack had ice in them and the water was so cold it hurt to drink. And it was still pitch black.

I took two photos of the signpost and then had someone take a photo of the two of us. What the camera wouldn't work, I think it froze up! That guy left because he was freezing, so I changed batteries but it still wouldn't flash. So, I pulled out my other camera and we had to take pictures of each other, but we got them!

Then Emmanuel led the way back down. They don't like you to stay up there in case you really get sick or worse. But as I was following him, I noticed something to my right that looked like a big curtain. The horizon was just beginning to get light and I could make up that it was a huge glacier. I decided that I had paid a lot of money, climbed a lot of metres and walked a lot of kilometres to get here, and I wasn't going down until I saw the summit I was standing on! So I didn't follow Emmanuel. I watched the sun come up, the glacier get revealed, took lots of photos and froze. Then I decided to go back and get a photo by the signpost with the sun. So I hiked back there. Just when I gave my camera to a guy to take a photo of me and the post, Emmanuel was standing beside me – I don't know where he came from.

Then we left, after about 75 minutes at the summit. It's not over yet. Now we have to walk back down to base camp! Now in the light I could see what I missed in the dark. It was beautiful up there, but the slope down was very steep and slippery with the gravel. We walked for 2 ½ hours. It was really hard on the legs and ankles but much easier on the breathing. Arrived at camp by 9:30. I had two hours to nap, then have lunch and then continue to hike downhill! The tent was really warm inside because the sun was out, so I took most of my clothes off and passed out. I woke up freezing because the sun and gone back in.

We started out again at 12:00 for the hike down to reach Mweka Camp. It was all very steep downhill over very rough terrain, most of it through a mostly dry river bed. After an hour my thighs were burning and I was not having fun. My legs were like spaghetti and I slipped and fell a couple of times. I had to really concentrate on watching every footstep and where I placed my boot.

Finally arrived at 4:00. So from midnight to 4:00pm I had hiked up and down 13 hours! Really hard day, and not a whole lot of fun.

Napped, actually passed out for two hours before woke me for dinner. After dinner Emmanuel came by for the briefing for the last day. I showed him some photos on my camera of Victoria Falls (which he had never heard of!) and Devil's Pool (Oh, I wouldn't like that, I don't swim!”), the gorillas and Susan the girl I sponsored.

7:40 off to sleep.