Day 7-8: Summit (19,340 ft./5895 m) and Down to Mweka Gate

| Home | | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 |

It was a long and very cold night at Crater Camp. Our water bottles and boots were frozen, even though we had stored them in our tents. I had a moderate case of altitude sickness, so it was tough to get going. Kambona, our cook, came with us as well, just in case I ran into further trouble on the ascent. However, once we set off, my headache subsided and I began to feel better. Heading up the slope to the summit was not as challenging as our climb yesterday, but we did move 'pole pole' due to the altitude. We climbed 800 feet in about 90 minutes. It was a glorious day and we celebrated with hugs, kisses, and a few tears when we finally reached Uhuru Peak, the true summit of the Roof of Africa, at 8:30 a.m.. I even carried a Mercer flag with me, which is now hanging in my office. The view was breathtaking--so clear that we thought we could see the curvature of the earth. I should have taken my friend Jim Hamlin's advice and hit a golf ball from the summit--it would have been my longest drive ever!

After 30" or so, it was time to leave and we began the long, arduous task of descending 9,000' to Mweka camp. No amount of training could have prepared me for walking downhill for nine hours. For the first several hours, we almost skiied down the slopes--the trail was steep and we had to plant our poles first, then the heel of a boot, slide in 12-18" of loose scree and dirt, plant the other foot, repeat process, over and over again. By the time we reached Barafu huts, where we met our porters and stopped for lunch, Louise and I could hardly walk, and we were only halfway to Mweka. By the time we reached Mweka, we could not walk! However, a cold Kilimanjaro beer (our first since we left Arusha) cheered us up. Mweka camp was crowded with other climbers, some going up; others coming down like us. It was easy to tell the difference by the way they walked!

The descent the next day was pure torture. We walked another 5 hours to Mweka Gate, downhill all the way (descending another 3,500'). The lower we got, the thicker the clouds and the vegetation. Eventually the trail turned into mud, which was spattered liberally on our already filthy clothes by the time we reached the Gate.

Photos from June 18 and 19, 2003.

It was a long, but interesting, three hour drive to Arusha, where we spent the night at the Moivaro Coffee Lodge. Never has a shower felt so good! We had a wonderful celebratory dinner with the other hikers we met at Arrow Glacier and spent the evening exhanging stories.. Louise and I were so fortunate in every aspect -- perfect weather, great guide and crew, no mishaps, no lost luggage or late flights, no fights, excellent food, lots of laughter along the way. However, Louise, when it's your 50th birthday...we are NOT going camping. I love you. Thanks for being such a wonderful sister and friend. This indeed was the trip of a lifetime.

Summit day begins	Leaving camp	Camp with summit ascent trail	We reach Urhuru Peak, 19,340', June 18, 8:30 a.m
Us with Victor, Raymond, & Kambona	Mercer flag	Louise at summit sign	Helen with Cindy & Sam's card
On glacier at summit	Another shot of glacier	Leaving summit	Mweka peak
En route to lunch at Barafu huts	The trail down	Going down	Group shot at Mweka camp
Walking out	Lunch, final day