Mount.Kilimanjaro - one hell of a climb!
Five years of planning, dreaming, researching this incredible adventure, this amazing challenge I set myself all that time ago. all the set backs due to ill health, reactions to my cancer prevention drugs which saw me stop taking them three years early, and yes knowing the possible consequences of that...but I have always said it's quality of life over quantity, the cascade of problems and new illnesses all appearing after starting chemo and radiation therapy. My hard slog to get fighting fit after nine months of invasive treatments, a collapsed lung and a near deadly bout of pneumonia.
Pushing and driving myself forward when at first after my release from hospital with the pneumonia saw me having to stop rest and catch my breath at least 4/5 times on my way to the bathroom....this all caused from climbing up thirteen steps! Putting in 5/6 months of training to get fit for the challenge I set of completing the London Moonwalk. The amazing unwavering support of my best buddy Suzie throughout all of this, coming out training with me, being part of our Team L'Oreal for the London Moonwalk......always just supporting, never once saying...."do you think you've bitten off too much." Crossing that finish line after power walking 26.2 miles in ten hours...just over a year after finishing my radiation therapy holding hands - my one wish....to cross the finish holding hands. Filling up, feeling overwhelmed and smiling so big I thought my jaw was going to break, giggling at Suzie who was crying ( I do call her cry baby Mewis...she cries at everything!! )
All that hard work made easier having great friends and company while out working so hard to get my stamina back up, turned it from a chore to a fun outing. I thank you with all my heart Suzie for being my friend...you are the best gal to have as a friend in the whole world. Very pleased and honoured to call you mine!
And all my hard work, my fighting to get fit everyday - hell fighting to stay alive everyday paid off, because here I am on the cusp of completing the challenge that has driven me forward for so long. I am about to embark on my ascent to the summit of Mount.Kilimanjaro......the Roof of Africa....the world's tallest free standing mountain, the highest a human can climb without the aid of oxygen...we are talking extreme high altitude...and I am ready, I am ready to conquer my mountain! so to bed we go knowing when we get up at 4am...it's game on!! Summit day here we come!
What a difference a few hours can make! Peter knocked us awake at 4 am for breakfast, I say knocked us awake when in actual fact I'd not managed a minutes sleep. I had the most dreadful night, I felt like crying but it would take to much effort and I don't think I could cope with my brain and eyes rattling around from the sobbing motion.
So,so ill! the pain I'd been having for the majority of the climb in my chest was so very painful, every breath really hurt. And because we had camped at 4600m my altitude sickness was in full flow, I felt nauseous, my head was still pounding to the rhythm of my heart beat, I was lightheaded, disorientated, my chest felt like it was in a vice. I was feeling utterly dreadful, so fatigued. Through the night as my symptoms kept increasing I was honestly and truly convinced I'd be going down the mountain and not for an ascent climb to the summit.
Emotionally I was a wreck trying not to cry through my puffy almost swollen shut eyes ( no idea what has caused this ). I was completely convinced me and my mountain had come to an end.
Ali and I were sharing a tent and she said Tracy its time to wake up, I told her I was awake but couldn't sit myself up because of the pain in my chest ( I'd not been able to even turn off my back through the night for the pain ). Bless her she came over and gently helped me into a sitting position. I sat there for a while trying to settle my symptoms and pain before managing to get out my sleeping bag and into some clothes before heading out to the mess tent.
There was no way again this morning could I eat anything, I felt so nauseous, I did manage half a cup of black tea.....but that was my limit. I was just sat there trying to get everything to stop spinning. I looked over the table and could see Bec's wasn't fairing any better than me, One of Bec's big symptoms was her nausea and throwing up....bless her, through the slits in my eyes I could see she was green! Not how either of us thought summit day would pan out. I figured I'd trying to reign myself and excitement in....not this, never in a million years imagined this! Ali fortunately wasn't suffering any high altitude sickness symptoms at all and had finally in the last couple of days had finally got her appetite back!
The next thing I knew Chacha was getting me up out of my chair, he had me stood while he zipped up my jacket, put my thermal hat on and pulled it right down to cover my eyebrows and put my head torch into position. All this was going on and I was trying to concentrate and not move my head much so the spinning didn't get any worse. I leaned down to grab my backpack but it wasn't there, I started looking for it but Chacha stopped me and said it's okay Tracy, I have you pack. And there he was putting it on himself. I didn't understand why, but was so out of it I didn't ask why. It turned out George our assistant guide was going to carry Bec's pack for her. We were too ill to manage our own.
Everything is in such slow motion, it's the most bizarre thing really, looking around everyone seems to be moving extra slow - these altitude symptoms are a lot to take in for sure. It definitely takes an age longer to do the simplest of tasks and in some cases it was impossible to do them. I have to say if I never suffer high altitude sickness again in my life I can live with that ha!
Bec's was still feeling sick with a pounding headache, she was feeling dreadful as well as looking ill. Dom also was suffering with a bad head. Ali was the only one of us that didn't have any symptoms of altitude sickness at all. We other three weren't fairing well at all.
I had a full on discussion with Chacha about my symptoms and more importantly the pain in my chest. We chatted about whether it was still okay for me to go for the summit or if I in fact needed to be staying in camp or heading down the mountain. Chacha said he knew even though I was like I was, that I could and would reach the summit. I was concerned about holding the others back because I knew I was going to find it so hard, It pained me every breath I took and I knew this was going to cause me to have to stop to catch my breath. Chacha said it's okay, we will all be walking very pole pole....it's a tough climb, but no rushing. He said for the umpteenth time - you are a strong woman and then said it is impossible for you not to make it!
So after our discussion we were on our way, it was summit or bust time. We set off out of the really tough rocky camp in the dark but torch light, I was told to go behind Chacha as we to our normal routine walked single file. It was difficult to see where we were going, mine made worse by the fact my eyes were still swollen practically shut at this time. We'd actually set off a little later than originally planned, so wouldn't be walking more than an hour in the dark before our Kilimanjaro sunrise!
I really can't explain well enough for you how rocky Barafu camp is, it's a full on tough climb just getting out of the camp and obviously circumnavigating it in the dark was hard, thank goodness our wonderful guides Chacha and George were there to lead us! we had to climb up onto some of the boulders, it was almost like a very rocky plateau, very uneven to say the least. I'm sure you can imagine what that was like when lightheaded, disorientated and having balance issues.
We very slowly made our way out of the camp and on to the actual ascent climb. It was starting to get light and it would soon be the new dawn, our new dawn of February 6th 2015. My eyes were starting to open more, albeit slowly, but I was starting to be able to see more of the terrain I was walking on. The incline was starting to increase.....yep definitely game on now......
I was keeping pace with Chacha but it was hard going, everything was a massive effort, I was really struggling with my breathing, my chest and specifically my right lung were very painful and I was very worried as to how I was going to cope the steeper the incline became and the higher we climbed. We were on for a 6-7 hour climb to the summit, so a very tough slog ahead.
Dom and Ali were carrying their own day packs and as I said Chacha and George were carrying Bec's and my packs. Chacha's younger brother ( we didn't know it was his brother until later ) was climbing with us, and it was his first time to the summit too.....what a fabulous crew we had!
The sun started to rise and we took a bit of time out to watch and take in the most beautiful sunrise I so far experienced in my life! It was obviously made so special because of where I was stood watching the new dawn....such a breath-taking, spectacular, emotionally charged, overwhelming sunrise...utterly magical! I remember leaning heavily on my poles with Chacha rubbing my arm saying how well I was doing.
He knew where I had my adventure camera and he took it out of my pocket and started to take some shots. It was very obvious that neither Bec's or I were up to taking photos and that we'd be devastated if we came off the mountain with no summit day photographic memories. He then passed my camera to George, who had taken Bec's from her and that was it - George was graciously going to make sure we got our memories. I said to him, George later on route please take some shots of the clouds below us, I love that we are higher than the clouds. His response so typical of cool George - Hakuna matata Tracy......no worries!
Anyone who knows me will understand exactly how ill I was, because I never not take photos of something or somewhere I am!
My eyes are still swollen and only starting to open up.....
Then off we went to continue our long climb to the summit!
Looking back down to Barafu camp.
We could now take our torches off, the day was awakening and we could see without the aid of them. My eyes were still opening more and more, it was just taking time. I couldn't tell you how many times we stopped on the ascent, it was lots and lots for sure. On one of them there were really large boulders near by, I had myself draped over one on my front so desperately trying to ease the pain in my chest. Every single breath was hard work, painful and gasped. Chacha came over and was saying over and over...Tracy you are a really strong woman, I know you are finding hard because you're ill, but you can do it....all the while rubbing my back, he just knew it was hurting badly. I was drinking my fluids down every stop and a little in between.
Off we set again, the incline was so very steep and we steadily pole pole zig zagged our way towards the summit. Normally as soon as I get walking I would be peeling a layer off and putting it into my backpack, I'm always warm so it doesn't take much to get me hot, but summit day I didn't peel anything off apart from my thermal hat, it was on and off the whole day! But the rest of my stuff stayed on...very strange for me.
As we were walking I was actually falling asleep, it's bizarre, really, I was actually walking and carried on walking but eyes were closed and I was gone. Then you'd stumble a little or kick a rock and you'd jolt awake. As the hours kept ticking away, we stopped for a break and Dom asked Chacha why he was so sleepy and tired. Chacha said it's the altitude sickness that's causing it. Bec's said she'd been walking and falling asleep and then I said the same. Yet another symptom to contend with!
The altitude sickness was a complete flipping nightmare, the last time I'd felt that ill was when I was having my invasive treatments for my cancer. I was coming very close to saturation point with Mount.Kilimanjaro....I kept wondering how different it would be to climb it and not suffer the symptoms.
Barafu camp below.....
Above the clouds!
By now we had started to encounter climbers on their descent, they'd set off for the summit at midnight and were now making their way back to Barafu camp. It was fascinating watching them go down the incredibly steep and slippy route back down the mountain, so many were staggering all over the place with altitude sickness. I said a couple of times that I couldn't go on, I was really suffering with my chest, I was literally gasping for breath and of course each one really hurt. But the oxygen is so thin at this elevation, you're not getting much from it to fuel your muscles anyway.
I could feel how fast my heart was beating as it desperately tried to pump oxygenated blood to my muscles. Lack of food over the last couple of days wasn't helping me at all. I asked Bec's how she was doing and so wasn't fairing much better than me. Ali was brilliant, encouraging us and championing us to keep climbing no matter how slow. We were definitely one team on this majestic mountain!
I was so very tired, no sleep the night before was killing me, I was sure a quick power nap would see me right for the rest of the ascent. We stopped for a break, Bec's was sat on a rock, her head leaning on her hands on her poles trying to cope with her nausea and pounding head, Dom was also sat on a rock rubbing his head which was also pounding. Ali was sat down and I went and sat on a rock just in front of her. She put her pack on her knee and said for me to lean back.
As soon as I did I went out, I relaxed and fell asleep, I still had my sunglasses on and guess my mouth must have started dropping open....unless I was snoring ha ha. The next thing I know is George is shouting me to wake up! I sat up and looked over Georges way, big mistake as it set my brain rattling around in my skull and my eyes rolling too, gosh it's so hard to get them to stop once they start believe me. When I say George shouted, he raised his voice a tad, George is way too cool to shout!
He told me I had to stay awake, that it was too dangerous to sleep this high on the mountain. High altitude sickness is a killer, an ave of fifteen people die annually on Mount.Kilimanjaro......make no mistake, this challenge was extreme for sure!
The effects of high altitude sickness on three of us, this shows how far from a walk in the park Mount. Kilimanjaro was. Everything is in slow motion or so it feels. Such a continuously steep climb really took it's tole on us all. by now we were all just wanting to hit the summit, this was not fun, this was pure determination to reach the top, my tank had been running on empty since we set off from base camp that morning. Not really much more to give, but as I looked around at the others I could see I was not alone with that.
Trying to catch my breath and ease the pain in my chest. Dom was more than happy to stop and take a breather too.
We carried on making our way slowly up and up towards our destination, it was a desperately hard slog and one each and everyone of us were struggling with it. The air is so thin, it feels like even though you're breathing that you aren't! Chacha told us we were really close to the summit now, around ten more minutes.
I was by now struggling, my breathing was shallow and I was starting to gasp. I was so very fatigued, head was pounding and the blood rushing in my ears, it sounded almost like thunder. I dread to think what my heart rate was, it felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. If I'd not been so out of it - I'm sure I would have been worried about it. Chacha's younger brother was walking with me and trying to encourage me up to the summit. Bec's and Ali had made it up the last stretch which was about 15 ft. I could see the summit Stella point in front of me. I was bent over almost doubled over trying to force so much needed oxygen into my very tired, painful and overworked lungs
Chacha walked down to me as I had stopped again, I was literally stopping to gasp for air every couple of steps. He came and started rubbing my back, boy it was aching so much. He had me stand straight and then gave me some of his water. While he was holding his bottle for me to sip from he said I had to drink to give my body some desperately needed oxygen. He then put it away and said I want you to do nothing but follow me and bend your legs I'm going to help you this last little bit. Don't use the energy you've just got. He took my hand and led me up the last fifteen feet, I was really struggling to breath and as we got to the top and he hugged me I thought I was going to pass out.
Ali was there and we had a big hug, I couldn't talk I was trying really hard to calm my breathing....it wasn't working! I staggered over to the official summit board with help from Chacha's brother and sat down on rock. Bec's was sat on one as well and had been since getting up to the summit. I was gasping and looked at Bec's - saying I can't breath! - she said you will in a minute, I couldn't when I got here but I'm a bit better now. My breathing finally settled enough for me to take in my surroundings.
Hanging onto the pole trying to stop the internal spinning!
Now the hugging and congratulations started in earnest now we had all caught our breath a little.We all hugged and laughed with each other. We regardless of how ill we felt were all smiling. Believe me the first natural one of the day. It had taken us a excruciating seven hours to make it here. We had most certainly earned our smiles.
Chacha said for us to take our photos at the summit because we couldn't afford to be here long, especially with three of us suffering as we were.
We had photos taken with everyone from the summit climb group, then I had photos taken with a message I'd done and laminated back in the UK. Here's my message I wanted to share with you all.
George had taken some shots of we three girls at the summit before we had to set off back down to Barafu camp.
Look at us, so relaxed and pleased at reaching the summit.
Chacha told us we needed to make our way back down the mountain to reduce our altitude symptoms. We set off down the steep descent towards camp, we were told it would be around four hours back to Barafu camp. This was by far the longest and toughest day climbing on the mountain and we'd thought the ravine to Karanga camp was bad!
We were slipping and sliding down the scree at a pretty fast pace. The momentum of the steep descent caused me to be moving too quickly, so I would dig my poles in as hard as I could and the same with my feet until I stopped slipping. Because of the symptoms I was suffering I couldn't really focus on what was happening to me or around me. All the motion was making my lightheadedness and balance much worse. I couldn't keep myself on my feet, my balance as I said for the last couple of days was shot to pieces, so that and the steep slippy descent saw me falling over and over again, I continuously fell to my right, every single time. I would start staggering to my right and wouldn't stop until I either hit a boulder, rock face or the floor, nothing was stopping that from happening!
I fell around ten times on our way back to camp - a very sore, achy body to look forward to tomorrow!
We weren't too far off the summit when we came to some rocks we had to climb through. Dom just lost it and fell over, stood up but went straight back down. He attempted to get back up but only made it to his knees. George and Chacha's brother had to evacuate him down the mountain. They had hold of him on both sides and literally ran him down the mountain.....there is no doubt our amazing crew saved his life that day.He was that out of it, he didn't really recall what had happened to him.
That left Chacha and we three girls to get down to camp. He was urging us on at the fastest pace we could manage because Bec's and I were still suffering badly with our altitude sickness, our hope was it would settle a bit when we got back to camp and rested.
As well as all the aches and new bruises I'd be sporting later from all my falling from been disorientated my toes we really hurting, they were smashing into the front of my hikers, I knew I was in trouble, I hadn't fastened them properly first thing with being so ill. I'd barely fastened them at all really. I as going to pay the price but still didn't have it in me to try and sort them, I really didn't.
We finally after I don't know how many hours were nearing Barafu camp. It felt like weeks had passed since we had set off this morning. But seeing the camp getting closer was a big relief....I just needed to lie down, I was so very tired and still so very sleepy. I'd managed to keep myself awake so had done well with that one!
Peter and a couple of the boys had come to meet us with drinks and lunch if we wanted it......bless them! They were congratulating us, fist bumping and hugging us, even though I still felt absolutely crap it was brilliant, such a wonderfully warm reception from some of the lads in our crew! We sat down on some rocks and had pineapple juice and a cup of tea in my case and coffee for those who wanted it. Chacha asked if we wanted lunch and we all said no not out here thanks. We drank our drinks, Bec's couldn't drink her pineapple juice, said it was too sweet. I drank mine even though I still felt nauseous and even had sugar in my tea - I just needed a sugar rush I think. I've not taken sugar in my drinks since I was around eleven years of age, but on the mountain I was taking more and more the longer we were there. I guess my blood sugar was really low for me to be craving it so much.
So the last section to camp beckoned us - we the conquerors of Mount.Kilimanjaro were nearly back in camp. I couldn't wait to get into my sleeping bag, to try sleep off the symptoms I was suffering and hoping that my chest was better and my breathing not only easier but less painful, so still feeling absolutely dreadful we set off on our trip to camp. It was still a steep descent into camp and then we had to navigate the camp itself to our tents, that in itself would be challenging! The boys went ahead with our day packs and Peter our porter come waiter would be staying with Chacha and we three girls all the way back to camp.
I don't know where or when it went completely wrong - one minute I'm concentrating on making sure my footsteps are secure on the very rocky descent ( especially after all the falls I'd already suffered coming down the mountain ) and the next thing my heads completely gone, everything is spinning out of control, my eyes are rolling and my balance has gone. I slip off the edge of the rock I was about to step down off and hit the boulder wall to my left hard....this set me off to the right and I know even though I can't make out where I am, I know that I'm in trouble, I can't ever stop myself when I start falling off to the right. I manage to plonk myself onto the rock I've just slipped off and as I carry on falling away to my right I grab hold of the edge of the rock ( I know there's a drop to my right, don't know much more than that ) and I'm hanging on for dear life.....my eyes and brain are trying to catch up with the rest of me........
I don't remember this, but Bec's had seen me and had shouted to Chacha - Tracy needs help!, he had turned around seen me and came sprinting back up to me. He grabbed my arm as I was falling over and stopped me in my tracks. He was rubbing my back all the time he was talking to me, I have no recollection of what he said apart from shouting Peter over, he came scrambling down to where we were. They got me stood up, Chacha took my poles off me and they each held an arm and started moving me down towards camp as fast as they could get me to go. I was completely out of it and was still struggling to stop the spinning motion in my brain and eyes. I still don't know how they managed to control themselves and me over the rocks and really tough terrain, but that they did.
As we carried on down I started to get a bit more control and so after a while Chacha deemed me safe enough to be left in Peter's care. As we carried on down I know we passed lots of people. It turned out to be a team from America who were going on a bit of an acclimatisation walk as they were going to be setting off at midnight for the summit.
I remember been asked if I'd made it to the summit to which I said yes and smiled, one of the ladies asked if I was okay ( having a guide leading you down the mountain is a bit of a giveaway ). I vaguely remember telling them of some of the altitude symptoms and telling them I hoped they didn't suffer on their climb. Then Peter lead me away towards my sleeping bag ( boy I so needed to lay down! ) I was so,so tired!
Ali & Bec's said all the drama started after I'd been lead away, the group of American's started up, one woman in particular who it turned out was a doctor from Phoenix. She was telling the girls to get me further down the mountain. Ali told her she didn't know what was going to be happening yet as regards our camp situation. The doctor again said you need to get her down......Ali and Bec's were just looking at her as she kept repeating get her down! then again get her down, she might not make it through the night!! The girls then took their leave to follow me back to camp.
Peter got me back to my tent and I literally fell through the flap into my sleeping bag where I passed out for a couple of hours. While we climbers were out of it and oblivious to our surroundings Chacha was sorting out an emergency evacuation of one of our crew. He and a couple of the boys had walked back to the ravine at Karanga camp for water, he had taken a tumble into the ravine, at this time it wasn't known if he'd broken his leg....what was known was he was in a bad way. Mountain rules state if someone is evacuated a guide must accompany the injured person. So this meant George was to be going and that we wouldn't see him again.
Chacha insisted on us getting up to drink and eat in the mess tent. He then told us about our poor injured porter and George came and said goodbye to us, hugged us goodbye. He told me I was a very strong woman and fist bumped me before going off to travel down the mountain.
Chacha was encouraging us all to eat because some of us had not eaten all day and those that had, hadn't had much at 4am. I managed a little soup. I was shaking that hard I thought the soup was going to end up all over me, I couldn't stop shaking. Chacha made the decision that Bec's and I were that poorly and had not recovered in the slightest since getting back to camp that we had to evacuate down to a lower elevation and the next camp down. Millenium camp was around ninety minutes away.
He said for us to pack as quickly as possible because it was 6pm and it would soon be dark. We set off down to Millenium camp. The going was really tough for Bec's and I . She had to stop a few times to be sick or wretch on route....me?.....I was still all over the place and falling to the ground ( boy it was hurting a lot now! ). It was steep, uneven and the scree was very loose and slippy. Walking on this kind of surface is not only very difficult but it's very draining. When we set off for Millenium camp we'd already been ascending and descending eleven hours. eleven hours on the toughest and steepest climb to the summit and the most difficult descent down on the steep loose scree....to say we were exhausted is an understatement.
The sun was rapidly going down and we were nowhere near camp, this wasn't good at all, more staggering about in the dark ahead - deep joy! We had to put our torches on, but I didn't know where mine was from this morning so ended up with a small one in my hand while holding my walking pole...not the easiest thing to do. It was pitch black and so very dangerous with my complete lack of balance. After I'd fallen a few times Ali insisted I was to walk behind Chacha as I was making her uneasy and nervous with all my falling.
We carried on plodding and making our way down the mountain towards camp, it felt like we'd been walking for days to be honest. Eventually we saw some lights in front of us, I was yay camp!...Chacha said no not yet Tracy, it was actually some of our crew, bless them they came out to meet us and see us back to camp. Then we thought, whenever they've come to meet us it's not been long into camp. This lifted our spirits up a lot, we are nearly there we thought. I hit the floor again and was groaning, I just wanted to stay there where I lay until I had a sleep....I needed to sleep! I needed to stop feeling so off balance, I needed myself and the world to stop spinning just for a while.
It turned out the boys had come a long way out to see what was keeping us, because it was about an hour after them meeting us for us to hit camp. It took us around three hours not ninety minutes it should have. I refused food and drink when we got to our camp, I didn't have the energy for either, both Bec's and I went straight to our respective tents and was out of it until morning.
So ends the most incredible day on the mountain, a day that saw everything happening,suffering badly with altitude sickness, successful ascent to the summit, an emergency evacuation from almost the summit and a later one to camp for myself. An urgent evacuation to lower camp and elevation to ensure Bec's and I were going to be okay and the altitude symptoms would reduce and leave us feeling much brighter. One of our porters taken off the mountain for medical assistance. 14 hours approx of climbing and descending on the steepest and slippiest terrain.....and we survived it!
The most incredibly hard but amazing day in my life so far, an experience never to be forgotten, a proud achievement worked so hard for in difficult personal circumstances...but even if I could, I wouldn't change a single bit of it, the good and bad made the day what it was.
To quote the legendary Audrey Hepburn - Nothing is impossible the word itself says I'm possible
I came, I climbed and I conquered - Mount Kilimanjaro my challenge set in 2010 conquered February 6th 2015.
Until next time
Tracy
