Hope you are all well. It's been nice out this week - really feels like spring is in the air at last. Seems to have been a really long winter this time, I think maybe because of all the snow? Anyway I saw some beautiful wild daffodils today - made me smile, love that spring is finally getting here! - so the crocus's and daffodils are shooting up and we all feel much brighter and happier to see a swath of colours appearing in gardens and parks around us, especially after the months of grey winter we've endured.
It's been an average 7c this week, and when the sun's been shining I've had the jacket off and been walking in just a T shirt. It's been a really pleasant change.
Onto the climb!
Mountain day three - Feb 3rd. Shira camp 1 to Shira camp 2 - 1000ft increase in elevation.
Today was going to be one of our easiest days climb as in it was us continuing across the plateau to Shira camp 2. Believe it or not even though the terrain was flatter it took us four hours to climb a thousand feet. It was a really amazing day out on the mountain, we had lots of chatting and laughing along the trail.....it's much easier to converse when not climbing ridiculously steep inclines, must because we weren't struggling for breath! Chacha and George are great guys, great guides and great fun to be around. The whole crew all contribute to making this climb so special.
We started our day as always after breakfast with our songs - the crew really enjoy this part of the day, you can tell by the enthusiasm while singing and dancing. We were singing along, we had learned most of the words to the Jambo song now. It's hard to put into words how much it energizes you to sing this song with the boys. It definitely warms you up after the chill of night under canvas on the mountain. It was getting colder on a night, obviously as we were climbing higher. We simply had the best gang of lads, always smiling, encouraging, laughing and congratulating....what more could we want or ask for? All the guys together in photo below.
We were now in the alpine forest, this was our third eco-system in as many days. It's hard to believe such diversity over the three days, it was really nice in the alpine forest. It's like nothing I've experienced before, hard to believe it's all on the same mountain.
We have so far walked in the Lemosho glades ( Forest ), the moorland and now our third day in the alpine forest.
The plan was after reaching camp and chilling for a while to recover we would go for a walk for about ninety minutes, climbing higher to help with our acclimatization, I was on and off feeling some effects from the altitude, albeit fairly mild at the moment, they were definitely there. Light-headed, dull headache, slight balance issues....it's strange because my balance issues are taking me off to the right ( had to be didn't it! - my weakest ankle after fully rupturing my anterior talofibular ligament ) and Bec's had her off to the left! So that's where we would be heading after a rest - up higher on the mountain.
It really was a great walk, it was nice to be able to really absorb our surroundings, to stop have a rest, we weren't in a hurry to reach camp, chat and of course laugh. We were learning more about Chacha and George and they about us. Although it was more sedate regarding steepness it was still tough. I think a lot of this is the tiredness, a symptom of the altitude and lack of calories. Wasn't particularly eating well but my fluid intake was absolutely fine. The pain in my right lung was bothersome today, it never really eased off and maybe that's why I thought it was still a bit of a tough walk. It is paining me when I take a breath in, hoping it goes away. I've been taking some antibiotics Bec's brought with her, hopefully they'll do the trick.
We were nearly at the camp and had to climb a boulder wall ( really wish I'd taken photos of it! ) I followed Chacha up the wall and it was definitely my own fault....I had my walking poles in the wrong hand as I went for the final bit of the climb to the top.....I caught the toes of my left foot just under the ridge and went spectacularly over the top head first, Ali shouted as I went, I managed to flip myself over mid air as I was falling.
Cha cha's eyes were like dinner plates, that was all I could see and the blue sky, I'm now sliding down an incline, Ali's shouting "bloody hell Tracy!"...."I'm okay" I shout back as I'm still sliding to who knows where?!!!! I finally come to a stop, luckily my backpack had taken the brunt of it as I flipped and slid down. Ali's saying ...."Tracy you're shouting I'm okay to me and you were still sliding down the rocks at the time, you didn't even know where you were going!"
I'm up on my feet with a concerned Chacha checking me over, we are grinning and laughing by now. Bec's said "you okay?" I answered yes so she started giggling. She said the only thing she saw because she was behind Ali was the bottom of my hikers and how they turned mid air as I flipped myself over! I've battered myself up a bit but it didn't even hurt to be honest....although it did later on. The initial assessment showed I'd got grazes above and below my elbow on my right arm with bruises with both that were about three inches in length. My left shin had a graze and a bruise coming up the size of my hand and my right leg had an egg come up on my shin and was looking like most of it was going to bruise ( it turned out later that it was bruised from knee to ankle ). I didn't notice until we were signing in at camp but my knee and had a flap of skin loose, it was bleeding a bit. I was joking saying I didn't want to clean it because it had Kilimanjaro dirt in it and I wanted to take it home with me!
When I later went to lay down I realized I'd obviously caught above my left butt cheek and lower back, I was okay unless I touched the bruises. Just glad I managed to maneuver myself and not crash my head into the rocks.
I was scored an 8 for style and a 9 for execution! - so with such high scores it meant I didn't have to go repeat in the hope of upping my score!!!
So after we had chilled we set off on our climb higher up the mountain for our acclimatization, we didn't take our poles with us and scrambled between the rocks. It was a good climb and I was happy because I didn't feel light-headed and my headache was gone. We came to a stop and stayed there about 20 minutes. A couple of the lads from the crew had decided to come with us on our little walk which was really nice.
Today I saw my first senecio tree, I love nature but do have a fascination about trees. I was really pleased to see them, they only grow over 3000m.....crazy!!
We slowly headed back to camp, our walk had done what was needed. Right behind our camp above the line of rocks was the summit of Kilimanjaro, today it was shrouded in the clouds, I hoped it would break tomorrow before we left camp. I really wanted to get a photo, boy we were getting closer!
I experienced my first Kilimanjaro express today - OMG that was grim!!!....The Kilimanjaro express is the runs to which you get no warning whatsoever. No griping pains, no buggy feeling. I didn't have the express but unfortunately for me - walked into one of the toilets in camp when someone had got it! I think I need therapy to get over it....they poor soul had exploded and I mean exploded all over the place. The walls the floor, they must have wanted to cry if they didn't actually!!! I opened the door and then threw myself back out - OMFG the smell, the sight hit me, me stomach immediately rolled and clenched....I nearly knocked myself out on the door jamb trying to get away from it. I wanted to bleach my eyes seriously....the grimmest thing I've ever had the misfortune to see and experience! I don't ever want to see that again!
I find myself with an almost permanent smile on my face, I feel so at peace and tranquil out here on the mountain. It's everything I imagined and so much more. I know as I always did, somewhere in my subconscious that I was meant to do this, this my personal Everest. Who'd have thought I could be more relaxed and at peace than I am at home.
Next time we climb up to the Lava Tower - the most important day regarding acclimatization at 4600m.
Until next time
Tracy
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