KILIMANJARO

Day 4 - The Saddle to Kibo Camp (4,700 m./15,510 ft)

Sick with a cold, lack of sleep and the effects of high altitude another member of our group turned back this morning.  We were now down to 8.  The singing had stopped...

Admiring the ice fields on Kili with Kibo campsite and the trail up to the summit in view.

Today I hit a brick wall near the end of the hike.  I started to get intestinal cramping and shortness of breath.  I was the last one in our group to make it to Kibo camp and my guide had to carry my pack the last half an hour or so.  I felt like I had lead boots on.  It took everything I had to get to camp.  I was frustrated with myself and getting mad at the mountain.  I laid in my tent for a couple of hours not sure if I was going to throw up or get the shits.  I couldn't get up to make it to the "long drop" so I used my trekking poles to dig a hole outside my tent door.  I tried to take a short nap but I was so nauseous I had to keep sticking my head outside the tent feeling like I was going to vomit.

I managed to have a tea and a couple potatoes for dinner and I felt a lot better.  But I was in extreme slow mode.  I got dizzy at the slightest exertion.  Just rolling over in my sleeping bag took my breath away and made my pulse soar.  It was sub-zero temperatures and we had to go to sleep at 7pm to get up at 11pm for the summit push at midnight.  One other member in our group was not sure at this point whether or not they were going to back out.  Others were vomiting, crying and starting to doubt themselves.

Me crossing the lunar desert of the 'Saddle' between Mawenzi and Kibo on the way to Kibo campsite.

The earth is my mattress, a rock my pillow.