Kilimanjaro Expedition – Day 5

1. Barafu Camp. An early breakfast.

I didn’t sleep much in the afternoon of day 4, as was Azizi’s recommendation. I couldn’t. Around 11 pm (still day 4) I ate something classified as an early breakfast. Azizi measured the oxygen saturation in my blood with the oximeter. 69%! Very low. The normal value is 93%. But I, apparently, felt fine.

12:00 a.m.
We are at Barafu Camp at altitude 4,673. The adventure begins. Actually the adventure of the adventure. Tonight we plan to climb the Uhuru peak – 5,895 meters above sea level, the highest peak in Africa and then descend to Mweka Camp at 3,100 meters above sea level. How long do we have until Uhuru? 5 km in 7 hours. Considering the above, it is obvious that a challenge awaits us, a sustained and very difficult climb. There is another important intermediate point on the route: Stella Point, after 4.3 km and 6 hours, located at 5,600 m altitude on the edge of the crater, is also the point where the steep slope ends. The descent would take another 9 hours. A very demanding day, that’s clear. For the night of the ascent to the summit, you must consider thick gloves or overgloves, a warm hat, sunglasses with high UV, tights, pants and overpants, 4 layers of clothing on the top, warm and waterproof boots. Why does it go up at night? The marketing explanation says that you catch a spectacular sunrise on the summit or on the edge of the crater. Yes OK. There are also other reasons. The duration of the route must be considered, including the descent to the 3,000 level, as the challenge for the body to stay for so many hours at such a high altitude is serious. Weather stability is greater in the first part of the day.
The Barafu – Uhuru sector and back will be frozen, which will raise less dust in the nostrils in conditions where breathing is already more demanding due to the reduction in the amount of oxygen in the air at altitude. You cross an area of ​​ground gravel. Most of the guides leave at midnight with their tourists, but there are also groups that leave, for example, at 3 a.m. Thus, starting at midnight, a long Indian line is formed of people climbing pole by pole with their headlamps lit towards Uhuru Peak.

2. Night ascent to Uhuru Peak. The Arctic Zone.

The direction of ascent is northwest. I am very tired, but I really want to take a picture from the top. I was actually rehearsing in my mind the small live speech that I intended to broadcast on Facebook from 5,895 m altitude. We were moving very slowly. Almost everyone keeps the same rhythm. Do not forget about repeated hydration. The path first climbs a stony area on a higher threshold where there is another camp – Kosovo Camp. Altitude 4,835 masl.

To the left of the serpentine path is the steep edge we were climbing along. I need a break. Even more. I feel certain physiological needs, but I am blocked. The temperature is negative, there are so many layers of clothing, plus gloves, it is not comfortable at all. Even pressing the phone button for pictures is more difficult, leaving aside the fact that I didn’t have anything to film in the dark. I want the break. I have no strength and energy. The water. Another mouthful. Some dried fruit. I don’t recognize myself. I realize that instead of using the trekking poles to move forward more easily, I actually lean on them with all my weight. I urge myself to mobilize because I am so close to conquering the peak, but I feel like stopping every 5 meters. It is no longer pole pole. It’s slow slow and on the spot, our Moldovan saying.

It is obvious that I am not well. A psychological battle is going on in me. I can / I can’t, there is so little left / there is so much / if my condition worsens, who will get me out of here? / I saw an emergency heliport at Barafu / am I an emergency? / look how many continue / it’s better to go back now that I’m still lucid and conscious / or to insist that there are still 2.5 km and 3.5 hours / or / or / if….

3. Decision and return to Barafu Camp

3:30 a.m.
Somewhere above 5,300 m altitude, I decided to return, considering that it is anyway a personal record far above any previous experience and at home my family is waiting for me and it is more important to get home safely. If I had continued, I would have effectively struggled for at least 5 hours more than the 6 that I still had to go to the camp this evening – Mweka Camp.
Very important for me, both at the time of the decision and on the way back, and now that I am putting down my impressions after 2 months since the ascent, I considered that I achieved a personal victory. I made a parallel with an athlete or a competitor who achieves by far the best performance of his life by ranking in 2nd place and this cannot be a disappointment that he did not come out first but a great joy for a mega 2nd place. This mental setting kept me positive and I feel even now reconciled that I made the decision to return without conquering Uhuru peak.
We start the descent next to dozens of tourists who were climbing. In several rows it was necessary to give them priority on the climb. I was walking more and more remotely, it wasn’t me. I realized that I didn’t even look good at all because Azizi asked me questions like do you know my name?, who are you?, to realize if I was conscious and thank God I was sane. On the left, as we descended, that is to the east, the landscape was dominated by the Mawenzi Peak – 5,149 meters above sea level.

4. Barafu Camp. Recovery break.

5:00 a.m.
I returned to Barafu Camp. The morning has not yet dawned, but the sunrise can be seen. The tent has ice crystals on it. I’m not well. Azizi takes out the oximeter and now it shows 62%. Extremely low, if you think that at 70% – 80% you are intubated if you are hospitalized. Azizi advises me to sleep a little and then eat.

9:00 a.m.
That’s it, it’s time to go down as fast and as much as possible. I still feel bad, but I remain conscious. The ideal is to reach Mweka Camp on my own feet, but there is also a second option to spend the night at an intermediate camp, at High Camp, at 4,000 m instead of 3,000 m. It is 4 km and 2 hours to High Camp (or Millenium Camp), 7.5 km and 4 hours to Mweka Camp. We will see! And yes, we are still in the Alpine Zone. Goodbye, Kilimanjaro! In the distance we see Mawenzi on the left, Meru on the right. Wonderful!

5. Descent through the alpine desert to Millenium (High) Camp

9:15 a.m.
Near the bifurcation point of the ascent and descent routes is the heliport. Towards the front, that is to say towards the south, is our route, on which we descend. We’re going slowly, I’ve got some more strength. There is stone everywhere and it is arid.

From time to time we look back towards Kilimanjaro. What a clear sky! And the patch of snow on the top…. Magnificent!
More and more frequent breaks and the landscape with lava boulders followed. It’s getting harder and harder for me. I walk disjointed. Like a zombie. I feel like I can not take it anymore. Azizi still can’t decide if I will be able to continue after Millenium (High) Camp, which confuses the porters a little because they still don’t know in which camp to set up the tents. An hour of torment followed. Even though the route was easy, I could hardly move and felt that we would have to spend the night at Millenium instead of Mweka and have a longer route the next day until the exit from the park.

Anyway, we had to finish the expedition the next day, because that same evening I was going to take off for home.

6. Millenium (High) Camp. Recovery break.

10:45 a.m.
High Camp or Millennium Camp. Altitude 3,950 m. I take the picture at the indicator leaning on its frame. I can not do this anymore! I realized that I didn’t look good because I saw how quickly some Tanzanians who were playing a game on a bench vacated the place. At Millenium there was a longer break, I ate some kernels, peanuts, dried fruits. They did me good. I met the white-collared raven again and the first signs of somewhat larger vegetation.

7. Descent through Moorland to Mweka Camp

11:30 a.m.
Surprise! I recovered. Yes, I really recovered. We decide to go further to Mweka Camp. I don’t understand how I recovered so suddenly. I continued at a normal pace, as if I had nothing. Incredible! The only explanation I have is that my body has the oxygen it wanted again.
We are crossing the Moorland, because that is the name of the climate level we entered, although it is dry dry. We see the vegetation described on day 2: shrubs. Some flowers are particularly beautiful. The descent direction was almost constantly towards the south.
The fact that you suddenly see vegetation, even passing the height of your head, gives me a different tone. A good one. I feel like new. On the route we meet a vehicle with one wheel, a kind of mobile metal basket. Azizi tells me that it is used to transport tourists who can no longer move on their own feet. Aha! See you on the way. And we go down, and we go down.

8. Mweka Hut Camp

1:15 p.m.
We arrived at Mweka Hut Camp at 3,100 meters above sea level. In the picture I still look exhausted, but in fact I feel good. It is the difference between mental and physical for sure.
This evening, after dinner, it was time to pay the tips for the team that served me. There was a difference compared to the expectations of the Tanzanians due to the fact that the organizer informed me that there would be 4 people who would accompany me – a guide, a cook, 2 porters – and in reality there were 6. In addition, they expected more consistent tips invoking the practices of other foreign tourists, but I went with the amounts recommended by the organizer. So that no one is left with a bitter taste, although it is not mandatory to pay the tips, I think it is worth rewarding the work of these people, who make some efforts to ensure their livelihood in this way. May they be healthy and appreciated!
What a day! A night and a day like a lifetime! Stay healthy! See you tomorrow!