It was cold as we started our way up to the summit at midnight. It was awesome to see a series of headlamps on the trail up ahead of us. It was all the more inspiring to see the headlamps below us. It was definitely going to be a long night but it was going to be a step at a time. Meanwhile , we did see a few disheartened souls turn back due to sickness.
Filbert offered to have someone take my backpack given my breath was very shallow. But I hung on as long as I could but finally had to cave in. It did become a bit easier without the backpack. But my breath still came in shallow breaths and the line of headlamps above me kept reaching higher and higher. We had a couple of stops for hot honeyed tea which kinda hit the spot.
It was a relief to see the first day of sunlight at Stella point. It was around 6am. Two more hours to uhuru peak - the summit. At that point it was just sheer will and determination and following the footsteps of our guide at a slow steady pole pole pace that got us to the top.
I felt like I was going to burst into tears at the top. Instead I took a deep breath, took the proverbial pic by the sign, a few token pics of the glacier before it melts.
And the started the long, steep , dusty , downhill along a loose stone and gravel path. 3 long hours that felt like eternity , a few people being carried down , the hot, sweaty, exhausted me who couldn't wait to throw her shoes away continued to make my downward with a lighter heart.
Got down to base camp exhausted , exhilarated, and sick to the bones. Though the day wasn't quite over yet - after a couple of hours of rest , we were on our way to high camp which was 1600m below the base camp. Thankfully it wasn't too hard of a walk. My toes at the point were hurting from rubbing against the front of the boots on the constant downhill. But I was done complaining for the day.
I felt whole again at dinner time and it finally sunk it that I us summited Kili.
Filbert offered to have someone take my backpack given my breath was very shallow. But I hung on as long as I could but finally had to cave in. It did become a bit easier without the backpack. But my breath still came in shallow breaths and the line of headlamps above me kept reaching higher and higher. We had a couple of stops for hot honeyed tea which kinda hit the spot.
It was a relief to see the first day of sunlight at Stella point. It was around 6am. Two more hours to uhuru peak - the summit. At that point it was just sheer will and determination and following the footsteps of our guide at a slow steady pole pole pace that got us to the top.
I felt like I was going to burst into tears at the top. Instead I took a deep breath, took the proverbial pic by the sign, a few token pics of the glacier before it melts.
And the started the long, steep , dusty , downhill along a loose stone and gravel path. 3 long hours that felt like eternity , a few people being carried down , the hot, sweaty, exhausted me who couldn't wait to throw her shoes away continued to make my downward with a lighter heart.
Got down to base camp exhausted , exhilarated, and sick to the bones. Though the day wasn't quite over yet - after a couple of hours of rest , we were on our way to high camp which was 1600m below the base camp. Thankfully it wasn't too hard of a walk. My toes at the point were hurting from rubbing against the front of the boots on the constant downhill. But I was done complaining for the day.
I felt whole again at dinner time and it finally sunk it that I us summited Kili.
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