A Climbers Diary

Day 6 - 25/02/09             
The Trek Continues - 07.00hrs
Kikelelwa Cave - 3600m

What an absolutely stunning morning. Looking out in front of the camp we are above the clouds hanging over Kenya. To our right and slightly behind us is the Mawenzi Peak, a frightening looking peak of jagged rock that is revered by climbers as a technical climb. Away to our left in the distance is our ultimate goal, Kibo and the main peak of Kili. It rained an incredible amount last night and turned cold first thing. The wash bowls which were emptied last night at tea are now full of water and covered in a thick layer of ice this morning. About 5 inches of water fell between 6pm and midnight last night.

I slept like a log. No problems with breathing (other than the usual Stan flatulence) and was really comfortable on my roll mat on the floor. Stan woke around 4am for a pee then woke me up to tell me about the stars. I see more than most in my job but these were awe inspiring. We could just make out an upside down Plough very low on the horizon but we couldn’t see Polaris. Looking back behind us the Milky Way was the clearest I’ve ever seen it and the Southern Cross was very prominent. It dropped very cold after my little excursion outdoors in my pants but it soon warmed up again once the sun hit the camp.

It’s now 08.30am. Time seems to fly on the mountain and today we are starting an hour later than usual as it’s a short but steep day. The sun is already hot and shining on camp. A good sun screen and hat is a must as yesterday I burned my hands and ankles as I was walking in shorts with no gloves. It will be longs today. We’re off soon so I will have to go and pack my bag for the porters. It’s the same drill every morning. Porter comes with tea around 06.00am. We’re then up and out for washy washy by 06.30 with breakfast for 0700hrs. Kit bags are packed before breakfast and water carriers brought along to be filled for the day. We then  eat and the porters break everything down whilst we are having breakfast then we leave, the porters overtaking us en route to get to the next camp before us and set up again. We are tandeming a group of Germans who camp out at the same place as us but always just seem to beat us out of camp. I’m sure we are going to summit and find towels at he top!!

Day 6 - 25/02/09             
The Summit Approaches - 20.00hrs
Mawenzi Tarn - 4330m
Duration 4 hrs - Height Gain 750m

Had a great walk today with some brilliant scenery apart from when Guy decided to stand topless on a rock at our mid way point to show how tough he was only to have Kate nip up behind him and pull his strides down. Stan got a piccie of him in his aerobics leggings and Speddoesque skiddies. Very attractive indeed! The guides though it was hilarious. They are Naiman and Elsemeh and they reckon our group is great fun and, touch wood, we should all have a crack at the summit.

It didn’t rain today, which was nice, and the views of both Kibo and Mawenzie were breathtaking. The walk was a long 4 hours if that makes any sense and was quite steep in places but not too bad. A bit like a 4 hour walk up the Wrekin. We arrived at lunchtime to be greeted by our first sight of Mawenzi Tarn. I had visions of deep alpine lakes and the glacial tarns of the Lake District and Snowdonia, rocky with clear water, but the reality was a shallow muddy duck pond without the ducks. Oh imagine our joy when we spot out porters filling up the water butts for the next 2 days supply from the pond. Even with sterilizers and puri tabs the water still looks like tea. Take my advice and carry a purifying pump if you are coming this way in the future. Anyway, we have no choice as this is the only water there is so it’s a case of lumping it. Mud it is then! 

Lunch was veggie pasties of some description which were tasty but unidentifiable. Nice they were too and the cook Johnson is excellent and the food very filling. After lunch it was siesta time for an hour or so. Stan managed to get off first, and with minimal rustling I managed to get off shortly afterwards. It was a peaceful sleep for an hour or so after a fine mornings exercise and we were both enjoying the joys of slumber when Mossy, freshly wakened in the tent next door started shouting Richards name. After three or four attempts he woke both of us only to ask whether “Stangroom was awake”.  One would have thought that after the first or even second call without a response the question need not be asked. A nice bloke is our Mossy but a Detective he is not.

After wakey wakey (everything is said twice in Africa)it was walky walky as we set off on one of our acclimatisation walks, a 2 hour trek up a steep section of the Mawenzi Peak behind us. It was serious stuff with the clouds swirling around us and the steep drops on either side of the ridge we were walking along. One lowlight of the this part of the expedition was that Dave had started to look a bit peaky (pardon the pun)for a day or so. As we climbed Mawenzi he suddenly had a good chunder and the guides, good as gold, were on to him as quick as a flash giving him assistance. Being a good mate I closed in straight away with the camera managing an awesome action shot of the second chunder in full flow.  Once again if you are reading this and think it is callous or unsympathetic you’ll have to accept that this is how we all are. I have no doubt that if, or more probably when, something like this happens to me the same fate will await. We all live by the sword and die by the sword on these trips and if you don’t like the banter stay out of the kitchen. Wind ups are always the order of the day but if anything serious occurs we are all for one without hesitation .

After walky walky and sicky sicky it was back to the camp for a bit of frisby frisby before tea. Nick, our all American sports hero, brought his frisby along . One of the Germans (their group leader we think) saw the action and asked if she could join in. Would you believe that she proved to be very good (too good in fact)  and the scene was reminiscent of the football match of The Somme, Christmas Day, 1913. Tomorrow it’s game on again in our little race. More food, a bit more rustling and pottering for me, and then it’s time for bed.

NB It’s raining again outside but it’s also very windy inside.

 
Mawenzi Tarn Post Script 23.46hrs.

It’s payback time! All my rustling over the last couple of nights has been paid back in spades by Stan and his search for toilet paper as he needed the loo but couldn’t find any roll. He woke me to borrow mine and any more whinges about rustling and that’s it. Game over.

The stars are looking incredible tonight and I ventured out to see them (and to have a pee….Diamox) being impressed by their clarity as specs of silver on a black velvet drape. I turned to look around me only to be greeted by a sight reminiscent of Carry On Camping. Stan was in the toilet tent with his head torch on silhouetted against the black African night and the ominous shape of the mountain behind him. It’s a Beauty and the Beast type memory that will stick with me but not one of the most pleasant visions on the mountain that’s for sure.

One thing to note since my last entry is that getting ready for bed this evening was quite possibly the most difficult thing I have done on this trip to date. It was hard yesterday and all of the quick  movements of dressing / undressing in the cold and pulling the bag up around your head make you lose your breath very easily indeed. Slowly slowly or pole pole is definitely the order of the day.

The camp is silent now except for the odd cough from climbers and porters alike, a thing that I have noticed more often the higher we get. Touch wood it hasn’t affected me yet and I’m feeling fit as a fiddle with no symptoms at all. As it is now only 24 hours away from our summit attempt let’s hope it stays that way. Here’s to good weather, good rest and good luck between now and then!