Millennium Camp – 28th February
It started with a rattle of our tent, it was and a quick check confirmed that there was no sign of the storm, it was 2am and our attempt at Uhuru peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro, was ON!
Complete chaos ensued, despite having prepped all our kit before going to bed there were people and rucksacks everywhere and by the time I had fought my way to the mess tent there was precious little of the breakfast left.
I seemed inundated by everyone asking for help with their rucksacks, gloves, even their lunches, which whilst I was happy to give I was desperate for just five minutes just for the chance to get myself sorted!
I’d barely managed to get my gloves onto my own freezing hands when the familiar call of “Saddle Up” came from John.
Frantically rushing to get my water sorted, rucksack on and a flapjack down my neck I was just in time to join the back of the line as the person before me stepped off.
With my first moment to pause and think since waking up the reality of the situation began to sink in, after all the planning, preparation and training it was all going to come down to the next 7-8 hours.
Having failed to find it for the last few days (despite some wonderful clear skies) I looked up to the sky and just above the dark silhouette was the familiar pattern of the “Plough”.
An instant morale boost I felt the adrenaline (and panic) of the last 45 minutes subside as once again I began a summit day feeling Claire’s hand on my shoulder and whispers of support in my ear.
Walking now as one big team the pace at times was frustratingly slow but with an idea of what was yet to come I worked hard to adapt my rhythm and enjoy the comparatively easy progress.
An hour passed and then another, between the altitude and the effort of the walking there was precious little breath left for conversation.
With just the beam of your head torch and the feet of the person in front for company it was hard to note any of the usual checkpoints.
Between the lack of stimulation and the monotony of planting one foot in front of the other it’s perhaps not surprising that tiredness began to take hold.
Gradually I felt my eyes grow heavier until eventually I’d “drift off” before I’d feel my head snap up and my eyes spring open and wonder what the hell had just happened!
I tried to fight it as best as I could, memory games, biting my lip, anything that might help keep me awake but all to no avail and by the time we reached the Hans Meyer cave my “micro sleeps” must have been into double figures!
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