I hope this post finds you all well! - I apologise for the delay since my last posting, I've had issues with my laptop and internet.....but all is well again!! So onwards and upwards, we shall travel up the mountain, I hope you are still wanting to come climbing with me!.
I've been re-reading my travel journal to refresh my memory and while doing this I have re-read my message from Molly, her view of me truly overwhelms me and quite rightly I feel humbled and honoured. I don't take any of it for granted, this is my best little pal, my buddy who is coping so very well with her alopecia and she looks upon me with open honest eyes of a child that haven't been jaded by time and age. In her mind I'm showing her through everyday life and actions that even though things can happen to us which we cannot explain, that we don't necessarily understand, that can cause distress and take some getting used to, we can carry on having a fun filled happy life. We can go off and have adventures, that everyday is an adventure with new experiences to have and beautiful things to see.....that our happiness we find in a normal day actually make us feel great and builds our confidence up, which in turn helps keeps us keep strong through the bad days.
I'm going to write her message here exactly as Molly wrote it...I read it many times when I was away in Tanzania, this is most definitely a keepsake for me and of course good for ribbing Molly when is is a bit older!!
Dear Tracy
Good luck I hope you have a fab time. I will for sure miss you. You're brave I think I will not have the curige to do that. That's why you are inspirational to me you are so brave and have a lot of curige in you.
Lots
of
love
your best mate
Molly
xxxxx
xxxx
xxx
xx
x
No more words are needed.
Mountain day five - February 5th. Barranco Camp - 14,928ft to Karanga Valley camp 13,000ft.
After we had reached the camp the night before Chacha had a discussion with us on how we wanted to proceed to the summit. The normal way this is done by all companies is to set off at midnight for the summit and try to hit it for the sunrise. This means you are walking five hours in the dark with head torches on. The other option was to walk two camps in one day.....Barranco Camp to Karanga Valley and then from Karanga Valley to Barafu Camp where we would sleep. We would get up at four am and set off for the summit. This would have us only walking around a hour with the head torches on.
We all agreed even though it would be two tough days on the mountain we would rather go for the second option of completing two camps in one day and setting off for the summit at four am. We all had different reasons for wanting this, the common one was the walking in the dark. I was really not good with my balance and the thought of walking in the dark with just the light of the head torch for all those hours really didn't appeal. Becs was also not having the best of time with her balance.
So we agreed to that and set our sights on walking and completing two camps in the same day. Timewise it wasn't so bad, although the terrain was going to be difficult and very steep at times. But this actually meant nothing in real terms, because the reality was three of us were suffering altitude sickness to some degree and differing symptoms, so it was more a case of cracking on and making ot summit base camp Barafu for a good nights sleep in preparation of our ascent to the top of the "Roof of Africa" - exciting times.....we were finally on for it!
As we set off on the first leg of our journey today to Karanga Camp I was not feeling good at all. In regards to the altitude sickness I was still suffering. Poor Bec's was throwing up amongst other symptoms including balance and of course the dreaded headache. I hadn't slept well at all the night before, mainly due to my thumping headache - they are almost migraine intensity and hit you in continuing waves of pain.....almost imitating your heartbeat, pulsing away with no real let up. I was also really having a rough time with the pain in my chest. Boy it hurt to try take a deep breath, well actually it didn't even have to be that deep!
The plan was to get to Karanga Camp and have lunch there and a bit of recovery time before we were off again to Barafu am for the night. We weren't bothered that we wouldn't be at the summit for the sunrise - as Chacha said anywhere on the mountain we were going to see the sunrise. I was more than happy t experience it anywhere!!
The first part of our walk was really tough, it was actually climbing up the cliff out of the Barranco Valley....it's called the great Barranco wall....very steep and rocky on narrow zig zag paths while suffering altitude sickness and balance issues was quite the challenge I tell you!
We set off on the path to climb the Great Barranco wall to then carry on for around a further two hours to Karanga Valley camp. The going was very tough, it is very steep and difficult with he altitude sickness. At this elevation it takes nothing to get you breathless. But regardless of this we were our usual chirpy selves and as much as we could, we carried on with our joking and laughing.
It's impossible to fully describe how tough the Great Barranco wall is to climb up and out of the valley - but please imagine out porters carrying all the camp gear and our bags out of it. Theses incredible lads go the same route as we did....I will always hold every single one of them and the mountain guides in the highest regard and utmost respect for their abilities in the extreme altitude.
We were Pole Pole ( slowly slowly ) making our way up the wall, when we got to a section where Chacha asked for my walking poles, I did look at him with lots of confusion....I'm thinking we are around 15,000ft on a steep narrow rocky path and my balance isn't brilliant and Chacha wants my poles?? We had in actual fact reached a section where we were going to be rock climbing!! we had to scramble up the rocks and believe me - I didn't ever think my first time doing this would be at 15,000ft with no rope or safety harness while suffering with altitude sickness....well it's one off the bucket list that I never put down ha!
We finally climbed over the ridge of the cliff and was out of the Barranco Valley. I have to say it was so very beautiful in the valley with the very steep cliffs....it was truly majestic and regardless of feeling unwell, I really did appreciate it's beauty at the time.
Now we were out of the valley we would be dropping in elevation as we headed to Karanga Valley camp - our drop would be around 2000ft. I was hoping the drop in elevation would ease my headache and if it didn't get rid of it totally, hopefully it would reduce the intensity. It was a really tough walk to the camp, loose scree boulders and rocks.
In the distance we could see Karanga Valley camp, it didn't seem that far, after out gruelling climb out of Barranco Valley it was a welcome sight for sore eyes and tired legs. Well that was until we got close enough to see that the camp was actually on the other side of a ravine.
The closer we got, the more we realised exactly how steep this ravine was.....OMG it was unbelievably steep! We were then taking in the enormity of what we had to scale down......and more importantly what we would have t climb up in order to make camp.
As we reached the edge and saw what we were going to climb down, it even had my eyes watering at the thought of climbing down the ravine. It was so dangerous climbing down, you were slipping all over the place and trying really hard to not slip off the edge and down the side of the ravine. It really was hard on hips. knees, ankles and toes. I can say in all honesty it was the single hardest things I'd done up to this point on the mountain. I'm not kidding when I say it took ninety minutes or so to climb down and p the other side of the ravine. Bec's agreed with me when I said it was bloody really tough when suffering altitude sickness and one of your symptoms was balance issues!
We finally much to all of our relief made it to the bottom, we took a little time to recover and calm our racing hearts....that was a rough old climb down on very slippy scree which made it so very difficult to stop when momentum was taking over So starts the climb up the other side of the ravine to camp, oh my, my lung and chest were absolutely killing me as we got climbing, I was so breathless, I was literally gasping for breath. I was trying to calm my breathing to reduce my elevated pulse as my heart was frantically trying to pump oxygenated blood around my body. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears.....all the while my head was pounding to this beat my body was pounding out. I kept having to stop to try relieve the pressure a little. I was getting worried about the amount of strain I was putting on my heart and lungs. I really was struggling up out of the ravine.
Chacha and George were amazing as always - they had us slowing more and more as we all struggled with the steepness of the ravine.....we had climbed about two thirds of the way out of it when Chacha took my daypack off me to try help me. Both he and George were gently encouraging me up the ravine and finally I stepped off at the top....I've never felt so happy to have completed part of a challenge. As we made off away from the ravine a guide from another company and a friend of Chacha's congratulated us all on completing the ravine and as I smiled and made my way past him he said to me......you are a very tough lady. It would seem I and my story was circulating the mountain teams.
Finally lunch! - we sat in our mess tent recovering and talking about how hard that first part of our day had been, we were hoping for an easier time when we headed of to camp two . We rested, ate and replenished our fluids before gathering ourselves and gear together to continue our trek on the mountain.
Next time we complete our trek to camp two of day five in preparation of our summit ascent. Karanga Valley camp to Barafu camp coming soon.
Until next time
Tracy
