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DAY 4 – Bridey and I agreed emphatically that this was, and will probably remain, the toughest, most physically strenuous day of our entire lives. Extremely tired, we began the trek up the steepest section of the volcano. John led the way with torch in hand, and Milan, his assistant guide, lit the way from the back. The sheer face of the ashen cliff is so steep that we had to take it in a zigzag motion, with our ski poles for leverage. The army came from behind, half an hour after us. They were deathly quiet, with only the leader offering edifying instructions from the front. Like a row of black army ants, they trudged up behind us. In our mutual hardship, we shared an unspoken bond. Bridey and I took numerous breaks in the dark, collapsing onto our backs every 10 minutes, in order to muster up the strength to continue on. Some of the reasons for climbing at night are as follows: Psychologically, the climb doesn’t seem as far, and as steep, when you can’t see what’s in front of you. The ground is frozen allowing you to climb without the scree falling away beneath you. And lastly, the air is much less thin during the night. |
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William’s Point is a quarter of the way to Gillman’s Point, and Hans Myers Cave is half way. We climbed in temperatures well below zero. The Roof of Africa is the only place in the world along the equator that has snow all year round. In retrospect, our gear was not nearly warm enough. The winter gear had been lent to us, and our gloves were especially inadequate. It’s pitch black, but for a slice of red moon. The four of us are collapsed on our backs. Bridey has her shoes off, with three pairs of socks, and she warms her feet on my stomach, underneath my jerseys and anorak. John advises us to sustain our energy, and to keep talk to the minimum. At this stage in the climb, it’s easy to see why a quarter of all climbers that take the Marangu route don't make it as far as Gillman’s. |
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Gillman’s is the summit, and we accomplish this at 7:00 in the morning. The sun’s warmth thaws our tired, aching muscles. At Gillman’s the snow is etched into the side of the mountain, and a glacier can be seen to our right. The terrain is like something from Mars – chalky beige, ashen formations are carved out from millions of years of weathering from the wind, rain and at one stage, molten lava. I collapse onto my back, and take a much needed drink of water. Having accomplished the summit, Bridey departs back down to Kibo, with Milan. The climb to Uhuru Point, the very top, is another two hours for me. Four hours more in total, but it’ll be a longer day than anticipated, due to a piece of misfortune at the top. At this stage in the journey, I was yearning for more strength in order to appreciate the view in all its fullness. The view literally is breathtaking, but at that stage in the climb, you need all the breath you can summon! Thank heavens for our two cameras, so that we can do some justice to that portion of the climb. We were advised to wrap up our cameras, as the cold can freeze the batteries. When I arrived at Uhuru, I lunged forward to touch the big sign, which reads: ‘Highest Point in Africa’. I placed a South African flag at the base of the sign, and asked John to take various photos of me. We even got a few snaps with me and the army. |
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I arrived at the top at 9:00 in the morning. The army wasn’t there for long, and they descended leaving me all to myself. I asked John for some time alone, whilst I sat at the top and prayed. Those were special moments. The highest man on foot, in Africa. On the way down, I managed to sprain my ankle – an old squash injury back to haunt me – and had to limp all the way down the mountain. At one stage in the steep descent, John and I looked like we were running the three-legged man race. I found Bridey at Kibo, and she bandaged up my ankle. After resting for an hour, we continued our descent to Horombo. The entire day, beginning at 12:30 in the morning and ending at sunset, as we limped into Horombo, had taken us 16-and-a-half hours. DAY 5 – The last stage of our journey took us back the same way we had ascended. It all seemed like a dream, as we returned to base camp, received our certificates, and signed our names in the book. That night, we showered, and slept deeply. The next day we hopped back on the bus, to take us back to Kenya. |
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