Visit to East Africa
- Hike to Summit -
Journal:
"September 11, 1998 - The Summit Attempt - After being awakened 30 minutes earlier, we had hot tea and a few crackers. It is now midnight and we pile on our warm clothes. I have a long sleeve, light-weight capalene shirt, a heavy weight capalene shirt with collar, a thick fleece with hood, and a Goretex wind/waterproof jacket over top. For my legs I have long Capilene underwear, fleece pants, Gortex shell pants, and Goretex gaiters. Down gloves, sunglasses, and a headlamp were in my bag next to my camera if needed. We start hiking upward, the full moon providing just enough light to make our headlamps less effective than it. There are three other groups, one ahead, two behind - we can see their headlamps in the dark. The going is very slow, scree everywhere - the loose rock causes one lost step for every two progressive ones. We catch up to the group n front, then rest and they pass us - this happens a number of times until I can no longer keep pace and am forced to slow down - my legs still ache from 7 hours earlier. Good-Living travels on with Pumps and Brislin while Éle stays with me. I have to stop so often amongst the rocks - each time I look up at the moon and the silhouette of the Mawenzi peak, then I become so tired that I just sit and stare at the ground. Éle calls ahead to Good-Living and finds out that Brislin is suffering a little from the altitude and cold and is waiting for me. Pumps is OK and has kept on. Knowing that John is waiting for me has encouraged me on, but I am so tired - it has been 6 hours since we started hiking. Snow is on both sides of me and I follow a thin line of gravel between it until the rock disappears and there is only snow. I hear John above me and, as I approach, he rises and begins heading upward. Éle points out Stella point above us, part of the summit rim, and energy flows through me. Dave is waiting in the shelter of Stella's rocks and smiles when we arrive. Éle says we should go to Uhuru, the highest point, soon and get back down - they are amazed when I started to head toward Uhuru immediately, no rest. Dave and John still out pace me, but I am right behind them. It takes an hour to climb to Uhuru Peak and we are all smiles when we see the sign "Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, 5896m.," we have reached one of the seven summits of the world at 19,340 feet. We take a few pictures in front of the sign and, while Dave helps other trekkers with picture taking, I sit to the side and start to cry - I feel so much that I can't even say why the tears are coming when John asks me, I just respond "I am so happy that I made it here with you," and the tears come harder. Éle insists that we do not stay here, others need the space and we should not stay at this height for long, so we start our descent. As with the ascent, Dave and John are faster than me and they are soon out of sight, Éle with them. Good-Living stays with me and we descend slowly over 4 1/2 hours. The scree is very difficult with my weak legs and I almost fall in the gravel several times."
