On my way home

On the way down

Descending down steeply through the rainforest towards Mweka Gate and our exit from the mountain, I am still amazed by this diverse and truly fascinating mountain. Not just in terms of the vegetation, but also the huge variety of people that attempt to summit.  

Mweka Gate (our exit) is a real hubbub of activity. You can buy all sorts of souvenirs, have your boots cleaned (which I happily paid $2 for!) and get your "I have done it" certificate. Extremely touristy, but I guess that is exactly what we were.

At least none of us had the need to travel in the Kili ambulance!

 

Hotel and shower!

When we initially got to the hotel, it seemed like a 2* hotel, but now it felt like a 4*. Oh to get into a shower!!! And the luxury of having a Western toilet to sit on!!! I had to wash my hair twice to try and get the grid out.  And yes, I know it doesn't take much to keep people happy after they descend from Kili.

I feel good knowing that we are a source of income for the Tanzanians, and hope that the whole Kilimanjaro Nature Reserve will be run properly so that it can be preserved for the future. Looking at photos from 30 years ago where the snow covered most of the mountain, and it still snowed most of the time, you realise that the beautiful ice glaciers that we saw will not be there much longer. 

On this mountain, friendships are born but sadly also broken. In our case it was four almost strangers being thrown together, but it was lovely being with positive like-minded people, "sticking" together.

Most people taking Kili on are adventurous and determined. But some arrive psychologically unprepared for just how difficult it is to summit and mentally don't cope with the challenge. Pushing through the pain makes the victory so much sweeter and something you should treasure for the rest of your life. My friend Cath taught me to write down my short and long term goals, as this serves as a reminder to ourselves and will help to make the goal/dream a reality.

I am excited to see my family again tomorrow but also sad to leave the magic of the mountain behind.

Lala Salama! Sleep well!

Summit!

Today was tough. Very very very tough.

We left Barafu camp at midnight. My water bladder's sucking tube was already frozen (despite the fact that I blew all the water out last night!) so you can imagine how cold it was.  We quickly had to go back to camp to get an alternative bottle holder. Thank goodness that I noticed it early as it can be disastrous not having water on summit night.

We soon joined a long queue of potential summitters and could see a line of headlights going up.  It was full moon and the moon was guiding us. If I thought our previous "pole pole" pace of one step per second was slow, today's was even slower at one foot per second (no adult supervision needed to try this at home). It is quite a shock to your body to realise that even if you want it to go faster, it just can't! Have I yet mentioned how tough today was?

Dr D first to Raymond's and then my rescue! 

Raymond soon started showing signs of mountain sickness: headache and nausea, and we made short stops every half an hour. Delmence immediately pulled out her medical "chest" and dosed Raymond. We continued on at a very slow pace.

About halfway up I started getting a headache. "Dr D" once again pulled out her kit and gave me eight pills to swallow. (Yuck). After taking so long, my hands were totally frozen from taking them out of the gloves.

Fortunately Bruce and Delmence didn't suffer much from mountain sickness. But all around us there were some VERY sick people, some who had to turn around.  

At about 6am the sun came up and it was breathtaking to see the sun coming up whilst being on the highest mountain in Africa.

It took us an arduous and difficult seven hours to do one km upwards and we reached Stella point, and then another hour to Uhuru Peak (5895m). Getting there I just wanted to cry, but am not sure if this was out of joy or pure exhaustion. All of us felt very emotional reaching the highest point in Africa!

When I got to the top I suddenly felt zoned out. Posing for a very quick photo, I just wanted to go down as quickly as possible. The other three said they knew something was wrong when I wasn't writing the blog straight afterwards or walking around looking for (and getting excited over) a cellphone signall!  After descending about 300m I felt absolutely fine again, albeit tired.

We reached Barafu camp, had a quick rest and lunch (thank goodness I regained my appetite), and then walked down to Mbweka camp where we are spending our last night. This has been a veeeery long day with about 15 hours walking, parts of which were very strenuous. Our bodies are aching and we cannot wait for a hot shower tomorrow! Hooray!!! All four of us are so thrilled with this achievement. I believe that things that don't come easy are more appreciated. All in all this has been an unforgettable experience.

Tomorrow: our last day on the mountain as well as the results of our not-so scientific experiments.

Why we did it:

Since I knew that this mountain exists, I wanted to conquer it. This year things just fell into place, and my dream has come true!

Bruce and Delmence are experienced travellers and have climbed mountains in Bolivia, Himalayas, Chile and a few other places and Kili is something they wanted to do for ten years.

Raymond had Leukemia in 2006, and lying in his hospital bed, he visualised himself walking up Kilimanjaro. The Leukemia came back in 2008 and when it went into remission again, he just knew that he had to make it happen.

That is positive hope for you!

All four of us had dreams and we're able to turn it into a reality. The School of Hope is a school that helps children on their way to reaching their dreams so if you would like to become 50/500 Club members or make any sort of donation to them, go to Thembalitsha's link or use the banking details listed on the blog. You can claim the tax back!

Lala Salama! Good night!

Day 6: Almost there!

Baranca Wall

Rock "hugging"

Standing at the bottom of the daunting Baranca Wall, I cannot help but wonder how many people and bags have fallen off the ledge. Starting our scramble up, it was actually lots of fun!!! A bit of rock climbing and rock "hugging" at places, but I didn't feel unsafe at any stage.

This is probably a very difficult day for the porters who are balancing heavy and uncomfortable items on their heads. We tend to think that just because they are used to the altitude, going up is easy for them, but believe me, it is not. Tanzania is such a poor country that people don't have a huge choice of jobs, so at least Kili is providing work for people who would otherwise have been working in the Tanzanite mines, or else be jobless.

When we got to the top of the Baranca Wall, the most beautiful scene awaited us - it looked as if we were floating on the clouds! Going down again, then up more rocks, then scrambling down rocks and once again up a hill we reached Karanga where we had lunch - the most crumdidiliumptious (as the BFG says) corn fritters and toasted cheese sarmies. We went up and down a few more valleys and then reached Barafu.

Some people have already turned back home from Baranca Camp as they were too sick to continue. Thankfully, apart from a few light headaches, we are all feeling strong.

Flying high

Tonight it will be Uhuru Peak!

Today was a long and tiresome eight hours walk. We will have an early lunch and try to get a few hours sleep.  Sleep is something that doesn't come easy on the mountain due to getting used to the altitude, and I think the thin mattresses don't help at all! After having a quick nap, we will start at midnight towards... Uhuru peak 5895m.

Food, luggage and the Lion King

Food:

We have been getting the MOST amazing food whilst on the mountain. Fried banana, pancakes with to die for vegetable soups, chicken curry, spaghetti bolognaise... Delicious and nourishing. Delmence is making plans on taking the cook home with her. Raymond has a huge appetite but says that "apparently" he never eats that much at home. On the other hand, I don't have as big an appetite as the others and have to force myself to eat as carbo loading is extremely important. Fortunately the food is delicious so that helps.

Luggage:

I have again today realised that the fact that I could start my climb despite having lost my luggage, is nothing short of a miracle! And to understand what a feat this is, you have to know the amount of intensive planning and shopping that goes into deciding on every single item, from clothes to gear.

And not only did I manage to get everything I need, but got some of it in abundance. Have to admit I do not make much of a fashion statement wearing blue and green and pink together (although the pink sock will never again look the same).  Think on my return people will assume the photos have been taken on the same day as I am wearing the same clothes on all of them! I got a headlamp, socks, snacks, wipes, tissues (an essential item!!!), beanie, scarf, cap, tog bag (albeit an overweight wheel variety) etc.  I was even able to get so much that I could share snacks, tissues, black bags,etc with others who needed.

Fortunately I had with me on the plane my: hiking shoes, rain gear, inner and outer gloves, gor-tex jacket and pants and sleeping bag. I looked somewhat silly lugging my sleeping bag around at Joburg airport (although it came in handy as a pillow when my flight was delayed!) but I will forever be grateful that I had those items with me.

Of course I miss my books (((sigh))) but I can always read them later. I also don't have Simon Wheeler's cap that would have gone up to the top with me. Simon is my fried Amanda's brother who died in a car accident at the age of 33 (along with their sister). He was busy training for Kili at that stage and I am now finishing a journey that he could not. Fortunately I still have his photo so he will still be summitting.

Lion King:

I am convinced Simba was born in Tanzania. Simba in Swahili means Lion, Rafiki means Friend, and the locals sings the most beautiful song "Hakuna Matata" (not the Lion King version). 
Lala Salama! (Sleep well!)

Day 5 Lava tower, baby steps

Lava tower, baby steps…

We went up to 4600 meters above sea level to Lava Tower today. We took it extremely slow: taking only one step per second!!! And yes, that is at a pace of: 1001... 1002... 1003...

Lava Tower at 4,600m

We have by now spent a day in the rain forest, a day in the moorland, a day on the Shira plateau, and today we walked through a somewhat "moon landscape" area with grey-ish sand and small rocks scattered around. But unlike the moon astronauts, we did not fly through the air but were instead gasping for breath.

One can actually feel the air become thinner and thinner as you go up, and it also gets colder and colder. You think you are taking deep breaths, but not much oxygen gets to your lungs. The moment you go down in altitude, you can immediately feel it because you breath easier again. Which is the reason why, like today, we walk all the way up to 4600m, then down to 3900 to sleep at a lower altitude. From tomorrow it will just be up, up, up.

All four of us expected the worst, but we all felt absolutely fine! We were hugely relieved as the way your body handles today is a good indication of the way your body will react for the rest of the trip. All in all we had a very easy day!!! We realise that we are lucky as there are many others around us complaining of headaches, being nauseous etc. One of our "neighbours" was so sick this morning at Shira 2 that he didn't even want to come out of his tent.

Barranco camp

We arrived at Barranco Camp and this is by far the most beautiful camp we have been at. It is set between the mountains, floating above the clouds, and if it wasn't for all the tents, you might think you are close to heaven. 

I think now is also the time when we start missing our families. I am so grateful to be here and to have this amazing experience, and wish I can bottle it and share it with others and especially Jan, the kids and my mom, who made this trip possible for me. I feel that even if something happens and I don't summit, I will be leaving here, having had a most amazing experience. 

Day 4 Shira

Spectacular but brr…

We watched the sunset throwing the most amazing colours over Kili peak last night at Shira 1. Truly spectacular! And as soon as the sun set, the weather turned from warm to FREEZING. It is very difficult to type on the small Blackberry keys without risking frostbite, gangrene and all that (!). So out of pure self preservation the messages might just become shorter each day…

When we woke up this morning, the tents were frozen over and we were greeted with a spectacular white icy scene. If we weren't so cold, I might even have said that it was like a fairy tale.

Our walk today was the last easy one. We did 7km, gained 370m in height, and again took it very "pole pole". It was nice reaching our camp early afternoon and we had time to relax. We also took the time to inspect the toilets (which has become a very interesting part of our journey) and found these to be in good condition.

Clever Americans!?

You can spot the British and American climbers a mile off. They usually pay $200 extra for someone to carry a "porta potty" for them all the way up, have massively thick mattresses (compared to our 20mm mattresses) and are always pristinely dressed. At this stage I would gladly pay $200 to have a toilet to sit on! I have also realised that one of the reasons they tell you to ensure your quads are strong, is not just for climbing hills. But also for all the squatting you need to do. I will never again take for granted the luxury of a Western toilet!

I am truly fascinated by the radical way the vegetation changes every day. Today, whilst walking over Shira plateau, it was scattered with big boulders, everlasting flowers and blobs of greenery. We have been truly blessed with lovely weather and no rain so far, which is fortunate as my range of clothes is limited. Today was again a very enjoyable and beautiful day.

Luggage here but let’s not take any further chances

Reaching Shira 2, I got some excellent news: my luggage has arrived at the hotel!!! The bad news is that it will take a porter, coming up with a shorter route, 2 days to get to us, so he will only reach us on summit day. Deciding that it is quite pointless for them to send my bag up for one day's use, and also then taking the risk of missing the porter along the way, I told them to rather leave the luggage at the hotel. Oh, the thought of clean clothes awaiting me...

Tomorrow is going to be tough, walking 10km, but going up to 4600m above sea level, so early bed tonight! Even though all four of us are feeling very good at the moment, we will only see tomorrow if and how our bodies have acclimatised and how we will cope with the altitude.

Day 3 3650 m

Facilities at Big Tree terrible

All four of us were fairly relieved leaving "Big Tree" camp. We were somewhat unsettled yesterday evening, and the toilets at this camp were in terrible condition. Bruce also had a bout of "projectiling" during the night, and both Delmence and I had headaches and felt nauseous. The three of us started taking Diamox to help us acclimatise but Raymond decided to be experimental and not take any. Let's see how this is going to pan out!

Into the moorland…

Our hike took us through the rainforest again and after an hour we reached the moorland. It was really odd to see how radically the scenery changes, looking as if a line is drawn between the two areas' fauna. Even the soil changed from "volcanic red dust" to volcanic black dust". This horrible fine dust creeps in everywhere and by the end of the day I looked as if I could be classified as a different race!

For me the moorland was even more beautiful than the rainforest. Quite unbelievable, but the fauna is very similar to the Western Cape, with proteas, heide and fynbos!
We again took today "pole pole" which means "slowly slowly". So even though we were now 3610 m above sea level, our bodies coped very well and we didn't feel as out of breath as yesterday.

And out again – seeing Kili peak for first time!

Leaving the moorland, we came over the last hill and could for the first time see Kili peak! Up to now it was under cloud and out of sight. I even started to wonder whether this mountain actually exists!
We now entered the Shira plateau, and could instantly feel the weather becoming cold. Again it was surreal to see the fauna change dramatically from moorland to... flatness. This is the coldest campsite as it is so exposed and the tents often freeze overnight. This has been a relatively easy and very enjoyable day. Tomorrow should be our last easy day so I am really looking forward to walking from Shira 1 to Shira 2 tomorrow!

Day 2: 19 September

Still no luggage!

My luggage still did not arrive.  My choices were limited, basically boiling down to “do I stay or do I go?".  I made friends with the Naidoo group at the airport the previous evening and they mentioned that they have extra gear with them and would help to kit me out - if worst comes to worst. Which it now has...

Guardian Angel needs a kick up the backside!

So making the decision that I am not going to stay behind and let my group go ahead without me, I scurried around getting most of the things I need. These guys had extra headlamps, warm clothes and LOTS of snacks!  My guardian Angel obviously was making up for screwing up badly on my trip so far as I now had most of what I needed.

I am still hoping that my bag will reach me on the mountain sooner rather than later, we set of to the Leroshi gate.  As we set off very late due to sorting out my luggage, we reached the gate after all the other groups. Here you have to register and they weigh all the bags as the porters are only allowed to carry 20 kg - including food etc. 

Getting under way at last

Bruce, Delmence, Raymond and I only started our walk late afternoon so we reached camp in the dark. Not a good thing if you need to set up tent between tree roots! Walking through the rainforest was an absolutely amazing experience. The beauty of the forest, birds singing and lots of chittering monkeys. Even though the walk was not strenuous, it was a pretty exhausting day.

Feeling filthy, full of red dust, I went to bed, wondering if I shouldn't have rather opted for a week in Mauritius?

Day 1: 18 September 2010

Last night Janka was very teary and asked to go along to the airport this morning. Dropping me off, it was a question of hugs and kisses to Janka and Jan, followed by more hugs and kisses. With Janka telling me how brave I am and that I am the best mom in the world, I made my way to check in.

The 1Time pilot made a wide turn over the False Bay, and I could almost see our house! Flying up into the sunrise, I am greeted with a most amazing scene. What a way to start my journey.

Arriving in Johannesburg on time.

But then the Kenya airways flight to Nairobi was delayed by 5 hours, which meant that I missed my connecting flight!  Fortunately I could get a later connecting flight which meant only arriving at the hotel at about 1am!!!

The flight delay gave me an opportunity to do something I love: reading and drinking coffee! The Horse Boy is a book about an autistic boy and his somewhat hippy parents. His parents initially to provide all the usual therapies for autism (which is still a relatively unknown mental illness).  When nothing works, they decide to travel to Mongolia to find the reindeer shamaan. They go through a variety of rituals with various shamaan - even being whipped! Crazy, crazy people. And although the things they did go against my own religious beliefs, I admire them for what they went through in order to help their son and realised that as parents we often do crazy things for our children.

Arriving in Nairobi 5 hours late

Arriving at Nairobi airport, the  contrast between SA and the rest of Africa hits you right in the face.  Literally, as there is no working aircon and hardly any seats for hundreds of waiting passsengers. And yes, as you could guess, the connecting flight to Kilimanjaro was also delayed!

Having finished my book on the Nairobi flight already, I had some time to reflect on what exactly I am doing here. I know I am as ready as I can be, and realise that I am really looking forward to this journey

Arriving at Kilimanjaro - no luggage!

All these delays didn't even annoy me - I was just grateful to get to Kilimanjaro. 

Next hiccup!  My luggage didn't arrive... With a slight possibility that the bag will come with the first flight in the morning, I leave for my next journey to the hotel… Quite annoyed that the airline cannot even tell me where my bag is, I can just pray it will be here first thing in the morning.

The guide keeps saying: Be happy! Happiness makes you warm.  And I reply back:  you have it the wrong way round: being warm makes you happy... Let's see if the next day will bring both warmth and happiness.

Packing at last!

At last it is the final week before departure.   There are so many things that I still have to do: sorting out the kids’ programmes for next week, squeezing in extra work that have to finished before I go.  I also still have to organise quite a few things for the trip which are not done yet due to some major procrastinating on my part this last month!  Travel insurance, medical insurance and the fun bit – Last Minute Shopping (LMS).

One of the things on my LMS list was buying books.  Bearing in mind that I am only allowed to take about 12 kg onto the mountain, this has been my biggest headache.  For me it was not a question of: “Am I taking a book with me?” but rather “How many books?” and the biggest problem: “How do I decide on which book/s to take?”  What would I feel like reading when I am on the mountain: Philosophy? Fiction?  Biography? Non-fiction?  Oh the choices are just endless. 

Jan obviously had to chirp from the side that if I had an I-Phone, I could have downloaded I-books and my problem would have been solved.  We have been having the Blackberry vs I-Phone debate for over a year now, and I have to admit that this is the first time ever I wished that I had an I-Phone instead of a Blackberry! 

I went ahead and started piling everything onto the dining room table. Literally weighing up all my options, I realised that if I want to take three books, something else will have to stay.  Ok, gaiters are now definitely out.  Decreasing my shirts from six to three and my trousers from five to three will equate to another book going along to the top of Africa.  We will all be smelly so who cares if I am wearing the same clothes two days in a row!  Ok, cannot leave any more clothes, so one book will have to stay.

But then my brother Dries arrived from Joburg with my rented sleeping bag.  Huge and heavy sleeping bag. ..  Now I don’t only have a weight issue, but also a size issue!!!  This sleeping bag is almost as big as my duffel bag and I am faced with a huge dilemma!  The only solutions I can think of will cost me money, ie buy a new sleeping bag or buy a new duffel bag.  Dries is quick to point out that he would not only buy a new sleeping bag, but also more clothes, extra gloves etc etc.  And the first thing he pointed out is that the books will have to stay.  Hah!  Something you need to know about Dries is that he can be classified as even crazier than me – he does cave diving.  And cave divers have backup equipment for their backups!  So in his eyes I am totally underprepared.  What to do, what to do.

Dries and Gerda (his wife) are so convinced that I am going to freeze to death on Kili, that they decide to buy me a new sleeping bag as an early birthday present.  This also allows me to go buy all those extra things!  There goes my policy about only buying whatever I am going to use again.  More last minute shopping to do.  Yippie!!!

Misconceptions

At the Cape Union Mart talk, the speaker discarded a few of my conceptions about equipment and training.

Bruce and I were just discussing that we were convinced that some of the things they tell you to buy for Kili are nonsense and is probably just a money making scheme. Like, why do you need walking sticks and gaiters? And no, a gaiter is not short for alligator but is a protective sleeve-like item that covers part of your boots and bottom of your trousers. The gaiters are supposed to keep rocks and sand out of your shoes and also help to keep your pants dry. So the speaker says: “One thing you really cannot go without is gaiters”. And I am thinking, oh my goodness, another R400 has just been added to my budget. My approach to buying equipment for the trip has been to only buy things that I will use again, and gaiters are truly at the bottom of the list. I am sure the kids will invent some new function for it afterwards though, but it is still to be seen if I am going to buy them. I think I will be experimental and go without these “apparent necessities” and will publish the findings of my not-so-scientific research after the climb!

Will be theeere in an hour

So next thing the speaker says: “and another mistake many of the Gautengers make is to think they can substitute hiking with the gym”. Oh-oh. And he thinks just because we are surrounded by mountains means we will make use of it. Ok – getting slightly stressed now due to my lack of “mountaineering”. And then he continues by saying that if people think climbing Lion’s Head will prepare them for Kili, they have a surprise in store. So by now I am really stressing! Only listening with half an ear now, I am making mental calculations about how many weekends are left. Too little, way too little...

So with only two weekends left, I forced poor Jan (who is very fit but doesn’t particularly enjoy hiking) to climb Helderberg Mountain with me - two weekends in a row. What a beautiful, beautiful mountain me have on our doorstep. Jan felt really guilty about me carrying the backpack, which I refused to give to him as I need the training. He explained to every single person whom we passed that I am training for Kilimanjaro, as his gentlemanliness just couldn’t stand the thought of me carrying the backpack!

Big was his surprise when we got to the top and I pulled out sandwiches and tea. He probably felt even more guilty realising the backpack was heavier than what he thought.  What a lovely picnic we had!

ONE MORE WEEK LEFT!!!

Jonkershoek half marathon

My gym training has been going along smoothly with me alternating between running, cycling and swimming. But I guess in the same way that gym training cannot be a substitute for climbing, running on the treadmill cannot substitute running outside!

So my friend Francois (who has run the Comrades before) got me into running the Jonkershoek half marathon with him last Saturday as he stated it will be good for my Kili preparation. We left home very early, and I was already calling him all sorts of names when my alarm went off so early on a Saturday morning, with Jan and the kids still curled up in a warm bed. When I got outside, the wind was howling around me and it threatened to start raining any minute. Grrrrr – at that stage Francois was not on my Christmas Card List...

The wind did not stop howling on our way to Stellenbosch and I was dreading the half marathon. We got out in the freezing cold and at this stage I thought about waiting for him at the nearest Coffee Shop whilst he gets his “runners high” along with these other mad people! But with him being such an old dragon, he got me to the starting point (he had the car keys...). The only advice he gave me before we set off was to find a big guy, and run behind him so that he can be my wind buffer! Vida coffee will have to wait a little longer.

Not only did I find one big guy, but two huge guys! I could not believe my luck and tried to keep up with their pace as they huddled together. I ran so close to them that I could hear most of their conversation. This made me feel slightly guilty for eavesdropping, but at least it kept my mind off the horrible bit of road we had to run through town and trying to dodge cars. Wondering how on earth Francois could make me run such an un-scenic race and still thinking about my cuppa Vida, I just plodded along behind my Two Buffers.

At last we left town to be greeted with the most beautiful Jonkershoek area. Not growing up in the Western Cape, many of these places are unfamiliar to me, and I felt a sense of awe because of the beauty that surrounded me. Apologising to Francois in my head for calling him horrible things earlier, the next bit of the race went past in a flash. By now the wind has quietened down and I had even become involved in conversations with The Buffers!

And before I knew it, the end was there! Francois, having finished ten minutes before me, was already waiting at the finish line. Sprinting down the final 200 meters (ok calling it a sprint might be a bit of a stretch), I felt that “high” of accomplishing something you set out to do. Saying goodbye to The Buffers, I left Stellenbosch, thinking how much fun one can have when you have the right attitude.

Sleeping like a baby.

Niel asked me the other day if I am fit yet. My reply was “as a fiddle”. Which made me think: “Who on earth came up with such a silly saying as “fit as a fiddle”. So, starting my intensive research (ie Googling the internet...), I found out that the phrase “fit as a fiddle” was made famous through the movie Singing in the Rain. And then I stumbled on an interesting webpage www.phrases.org.uk. This web page is like a Phrase Thesaurus Bible! The original meaning (in 1616) of “fit as a fiddle” was not intended as “being physically fit” but actually “fit for purpose”.  Rethinking my answer of being fit as a fiddle, I decided that I am most definitely fit for purpose - perhaps not yet for this specific purpose of climbing Kili, but who am I to be pedantic?

So where does the saying “sleeping like a baby” come from? Obviously this comes from someone who never had a baby.  How many times have you heard new parents say: “Oh, we all slept like babies last night”. Hmmm, let me think... - yes you are right - Never. You would more like get a response of Hhuh – did you ask something? Sorry blanked out a bit. You know, our baby was up all night last night so my brain is a bit befuddled now...” It seems that even the phrases website is bowled out on this one as they also don’t know where it comes from.

Checking Delmence’s very thorough “Kili Drug Supply List” I notice that this is one thing she did not list. Sleeping pills! Ok, I know I complained about not liking pills and already being a drug store on the mountain, but I like not being able to sleep even less! Delmence often work night shifts at the hospital, so she is used to sleeping on cold, hard, hospital trolleys. I am assuming that sleeping at high altitude in freezing conditions would be nothing new for her. So I guess I will really be sleeping like a baby on the mountain – yes you have it – little and interrupted!

The power of drugs...

On Tuesday evening Bruce, Delmence and I went to a Kili talk at Cape Union Mart. Both Bruce and Delmence are doctors, which fills me with great relief, knowing that I will be well taken care of in case of emergencies. Even though Bruce is a doctor of the more "hairy" variety, he can still use a needle and administer medicine.  Unfortunately he might just have to get used to some verbal abuse if ever he brings a needle close to me!

So on our way to the talk, Delmence pulls out her list of medicines for us to take with on our Kili trip. Being the thorough doctor that she is, she did her research and made sure that we will be prepared for every eventuality. This ranges from nausea, diarrhoea, cramps, altitude sickness and, well, not to bore you with the detail I might just say the list goes on... Adding up to 188 pills per person, I kid you not!!!

I am one of those people who hate drinking pills. Jan usually breaks them in smaller pieces for me just so that I will swallow them. So here I am, debating with myself: do I want to drink a pill (or eight) per day for nausea, or am I willing to risk being sick? Which brings me to the story of a group of Cape Union Mart staff who went on a Kili trip a few years ago. Two guys, who did not get on before the trip, decided to share a tent (or more likely were told to by their boss  ). Things went ok between them until summit morning. The one guy got sick, threw up outside their tent, right into the other guy’s shoes. When they woke up a few hours later, ready to summit, the vomit was frozen in the shoes, and the guy who was not sick, could not summit.

Oh dear oh dear. I don’t know if the lesson to learn from the above story is to drink more pills, perhaps it is to not leave your shoes (most important possession on this trip) outside!