Tag Archive: Crater Camp

  1. Day 13: Crater Camp to Summit to Millenium Camp

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    During all of the planning for the trip, sleeping at 18,800 feet was the thing I feared most. Our friends who climbed in 2004 did not sleep at Crater Camp due to harsh conditions, so I did not have a first hand account of what it felt like. For me, it worked out fine. The night was long and I was very cold, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I did not suffer from any apnea and thanks to the Diamox I didn’t even have a headache. And the Terry Gross podcasts on my iPod gave me plenty to think about other than, I don’t know, dying in my sleep.

    We got our 6 am wake-up call and I was ready to go. I was a bit surprised that it had snowed overnight and that we were in the clouds. I took some video for you. I’m a bit short of breath. I don’t really know how cold it got. Someone said 10 degrees, someone said 10 below. I slept in all my clothes and still shivered all night.

    We had a breakfast of porridge and we all started getting our gear together and getting ourselves ready for the short ascent to the summit. I was very cold and had a hard time with my fingers. My struggles with my equipment sent Manase and Stanley into action. Manase grabbed my gaiters and put them on my legs. Then Stanley grabbed my sunscreen and put some on my face. I don’t think Stanley has worn a lot of sunscreen in his lifetime because he was a bit too generous with the cream. It made for a great laugh and a funny picture though!

    As soon as everyone was ready we started walking up. The trail was slippery with the new snow and I was pretty short of breath. Soon, though, Nicksoni, John, and I crested the rim of the trail and we could see a long snowy plateau leading to the summit sign. We took a nice stroll through the snow and the picture taking began! I have some video of it here, and I apologize for the quality, because as you can see we were hugging a lot and it shook my iPhone. But at least it gives you a good idea of what the summit was like. And if you thought you saw vomit in the snow, you did. It was not from our group. But it was a good indication of the carnage we were about to witness as we descended.

    We were especially excited because it was Larry’s birthday, so John brought out his flask of Scotch and we all proceeded to toast! I was so proud of Larry and I hope I get to do such a fun activity on my upcoming birthdays! We stayed at the summit for about half an hour taking every photo combo you can imagine. I took a moment to spread some of my dad’s ashes just near the sign. He’s now memorialized in Peru, Portugal, and Tanzania. I miss him so much.

    Soon John and I apologized to the rest of the group, because we were about to motor. I love descending. And I love descending fast. So Nicksoni, John and I went ahead. Our first taste of the trouble other groups were experiencing came about 10 minutes from the summit. We saw a group huddled around a woman who was passed out in the snow. We asked if we could help but they said no.

    Soon we arrived at Stella Point, which is an hour from the summit for those who ascend through the southern approach. Just past the Stella Point sign, we saw a woman who had broken her leg and was wrapped up in an emergency bag waiting for more porters who would carry her down. Just after that, we saw 2 other people who were being half-carried by their porters. It was a grizzly scene, and very different from what we had experienced with our expert guides and careful route.

    John and I continued to descend down the sandy scree. It was so much fun! We were skiing really, and the views were amazing since now we were facing forward. We took lots of pics and very soon arrived at our lunch spot, Barnfu camp, which is the launch point for ascents from the south. The camp was very crowded with people who had attempted the ascent or would attempt it tomorrow. From this camp you have to get up at midnight and hike all morning, which is one reason people get so sick.

    While at Baranfu camp, a funny thing happened. We heard some people shouting and pointing in the air. A tent had become airborn, and we all watched as it soared higher and higher and then it landed about 15 feet from us. What a show!

    John and I waited for some time for the rest of the group. When they arrived we all got into the mess tent, and guess what Manase did? Brought us grilled cheese sandwiches!!!! Oh my they tasted so good. After lunch we started hiking again and ended at Millennium camp where we unpacked and had a nap. When we went into the mess tent for tea, a guy wandered in looking for “Paul.” We thought he wanted Paul from our group, but he was really looing for his guide Paul. But we asked him to sit and we started chatting. The man’s name was Jerry and he was 81 years old. It turns out he had been a math professor at U Mass Amherst, where Larry was a math major! So they couldn’t remember each other, but we did determine that their time had overlapped. It was a funny coincidence.

    That night we had a wonderful dinner, and after we ate the crew surprised Larry with a cake, a birthday song, and a Maasai blanket. It was such a fun ceremony, but it was only a small token compared to the ceremony to come the next day– our last day on the mountain. We all crawled into our tents and fell straight to sleep, preparing ourselves for the morning festivities, and then the long descent.

    Here are some of the pics from the day’s hike:

    Here’s what our trip itinerary said:

    Day 7 of the Hike
    Crater Camp to Summit
    1 Miles
    1 to 2 Hours
    Start 18,500 Finish 19,341
    Gain of 841

    Summit to Millennium Camp
    6 Miles
    6 to 8 Hours
    Start 19,341 Finish 10,300
    Loss of 9041

    Here’s what my GPS said:

    6 Miles
    4.5 Hours
    Start 18,500 Finish 12,497
    Gain of 517
    Loss of 6841

  2. Day 12: Arrow Glacier to Crater Camp

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    Day 6 of the Hike, Day 12 of the trip, or what Kapanya called D-Day. He was pretty serious about it. And I’ll tell you why. In January 2006 a rock slide on the Western Breach killed 3 hikers. The route was closed but then opened again after a full investigation. Now climbers who choose this route are required to use helmets and sign a waiver. It’s difficult to find porters willing to go because of the risk of rock fall and of HAPE and HACE at Crater Camp.

    Since the Western Breach route asks you to ascend about 3000 vertical feet in a day, it’s one of the hardest routes on the mountain not just for fitness but also for acclimatization. Here’s what Kapanya’s description said about it: “Hiking up the Western Breach wall to Crater Camp may be one of your most grueling days on the mountain. It is a 7-8 hour trek. It is steep all the way to the rim, and in some sections you will be forced to go 1-3 yards on all fours while negotiating the rocky parts.” I was excited about the climb, especially after lava tower. For some reason I love scrambling.

    We got our wake-up call at around 4:20 am. We gathered in the mess tent and ate some Porridge, Sausage, and French Toast. Then we all went to make sure we had everything we needed: helmets, lights, water for the climb. We started climbing slowly up the rock path, re-tracing the steps of the acclimatization hike we had done the day before. It was very cold. It was very steep. It was very dark. Our group of 7 hikers and 5 guides stayed together for about the first 30 minutes, trekking over rock and icy slopes. Although Kapanya and the crew had ascended to cut steps the day before, there was still some cutting to do in the ice, and we waited several times as Nicksoni sunk his ice axe into the snow.

    The steps we were taking felt big. In fact, at one point Kapanya yelled up and asked Nicksoni why he was cutting such big steps. “Because I’m tall,” Nicksoni replied. He always made me chuckle. I don’t know that smaller steps in the snow would have mattered, since the steps on the rock were not small either. I was taking big steps, and it occurred to me that all the squats and lunges with our trainer Ryan were paying off.

    Soon I saw sunshine on the cliff face to our right. I thought immediately about my friend Amy. Do you have a friend like Amy? She checks on me every single day, no matter where she is. She runs with me. She meets me in the shoe department at Nordies. Sometimes we have coffee. Sometimes we have beer. She photocopies Miranda July stories for me. She texts me pictures of the “art” her cats create with Q-Tips on the bathroom floor. In short, everyone should have a friend like Amy.

    Amy had hiked to the top of South Mountain with me several times in preparation for the Inca Trail in Peru, and she did the same thing when I started training for Kili. She knew how nervous I was. One day about 2 months before the Africa trip we stood at the top of South Mountain and she said to me, “Imagine what an amazing view you’ll have on Kilimanjaro.” And I thought about that, because somehow in my frenzy to get ready I had not thought about that before.

    So here on Day 6 of the hike, on the Western Breach, scrambling up, eyes towards the rock, I suddenly saw sun on the cliff face to our right. I turned around to see what kind of view I really had on Kilimanjaro. I thought of Amy, and my heart soared. Not only could I see the new light on the copper rock and white snow, and on frozen waterfalls and glaciers, but I could also see the shadow of the mountain on the clouds below us. I never imagined such a beautiful sight. I started crying a little bit, which is inconvenient when it’s cold. But I truly felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

    After taking a few pictures and downing some water, John, Nicksoni, and I were ready to roll. By this point we could not see the other members of our party. We had no intention of getting so far ahead of everyone. But we felt so good we did not want to stop. I loved this climb so much: the view, the physical challenge, the partnership with John and Nicksoni. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole way up.

    Soon the sun was out completely and we continued up the Western Breach. Long before I thought we were near the top, Nicksoni told me we were almost there. We cleared some large rocks and saw some porters sitting on the edge of the crater. They clapped for us, then started dancing, then singing some songs. I glanced at my watch. We had completed the Breach in 5 hours.

    We took a bajillion pictures and lots of video, and Nicksoni asked if we wanted to see the Furtwangler glacier. Part of our desire to climb Kili was to be able to see the “Snows” of Kilimanjaro, including the glacier, before it disappears. Some experts believe it will be gone in 3 years. We walked to its base as Nicksoni told us about the shrinking of the glacier that he has witnessed in the years he had been climbing.

    After walking around the glacier we went back to camp and Stanley brought us some ginger tea and Peanut M&M’s. John and I unpacked, relaxed, and waited for the rest of the group. We watched as the porters cleared the rim and made their way towards camp. One of my favorite porters was a young Maasai man who was always singing and hooting. I asked Nicksoni what the hooting meant and he said “It means he is happy.” I could understand his feelings. John and I were anxious to see the rest of our hikers, and when we saw them crest the rim, we hurried to greet them.

    Lunch was al fresco, and therefore a bit cold. We ate some soup, some fruit & veg, and then we hiked to the Ash Pit. The trail was covered in snow about 2 feet deep. It was really windy. John and Kapanya hiked all the way in to the pit and looked at the steaming rock while the rest of us turned around at the rim and headed down to camp.

    Dinner was buttered macaroni and vegetables, a yummy treat. Then we got into our sleeping bags for what would be a very cold night. We were all anticipating the summit the next morning. It would start with a short 1 hour climb, then a long descent into Millennium Camp. I turned on my iPod shuffle and started the podcasts that I hoped would lull me to sleep. I didn’t expect to get much.

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    Here’s a video of us at the top of the Western Breach, right when we arrive. We’re pretty excited. Nicksoni, who loves hip hop, apparently called me a “Fly Girl” because I flew right up the mountain. That’s why we’re singing it. Oh boy.

    And one more bit of video at the top. You can hear Nicksoni yelling at John for getting too close to the edge of the cliff.

    Here is what the information told us:

    Day 6 of the Hike
    Arrow Glacier to Crater Camp
    2 Miles
    7 to 9 Hours
    Start 16,103 Finish 18,500
    Gain of 2397

    Here is what my GPS said:

    1.76 Miles
    6 Hours
    Start 16,033 Finish 18,826
    Gain of 2908

  3. 5 Weeks to Go

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    May is by far my favorite month in Phoenix. The Jacaranda are full and purple. The Lady Banks Rose and Citrus Trees still smell sweet. My Tomatoes go so crazy I start to feel I won’t be able to eat them all or even give them all away. The mornings stay crisp: in the 60’s, while the afternoons peak in the high 80’s or low 90’s. It’s like living in San Diego, except we can afford it.

    So it’s hard at just this moment to think about going to Africa. I wake up in my comfortable bed, snuggle the Vizslas as they wiggle their morning greetings. I go down and pour a cup of coffee and take it out into my garden to check on my beets and carrots, my peppers and squash, my petunias and snapdragons. The air feels lovely and cool. The grackles are grackling and the mourning doves give an occasional oo-OO-oo oo.

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    Penny in the Maters

    I turn over in my mind the various reactions people have had when I describe our trip. “Are you afraid?” to “It will change your life.” to “I hope you don’t lose any fingers or toes.” And sure I have my own fears. But the biggest fear is lack of comfort. I look forward to the camping. Seven nights under the stars will be lovely. But I’m most afraid of the cold temperatures and the difficulty breathing at altitude. We’ll be sleeping at over 18,000 feet.

    The trip is now 5 weeks away. We have only a few more items to get from REI, a few more packing run-throughs to make sure all our gear is in order. We’ll ramp up the training, of course, with more hiking, weight-lifting, track workouts to improve anaerobic conditioning, and yoga to keep us injury free. It feels impossible that we could do anything to prepare in just 35 days that we haven’t already started.

    But here’s one thing. I think above all I’ll try to learn that I carry comfort with me. That comfort is not attached to my soft bed, or my dogs, or my garden, or the temperature, or any of my things. I’ll try to learn that comfort is being happy where I am no matter the circumstances.