{BAR}
 
       
       
     
  HOROMBO HUT to KIBO HUT
10th June (3700m - 4750m)

We were woken again at 6.30am with a flask of hot tea. I could still feel the bugs crawling about so I jumped up and decided to pack up and leave straight away. Wayne agreed, he thought it would be more beneficial spend as long as possible at Kibo Hut 4750m before trying for the summit at midnight tonight. Wayne had spent some time climbing in the Himalaya before actually sleeping higher than Uhuru Peak but taking 10 days to acclimatise not 2 days. So rather than wait for breakfast we packed up, filled our water bottles and walked out of camp towards Kibo. The other two members of the group chose to stay behind for breakfast and come up later with the guides and porters. Once we had walked just beyond the point we had got to the day before (the saddle 4395m) the landscape changed dramatically from vegetated scrub to a baron volcanic plain. The temperature at this height was noticeably colder even with consideration for the early hour of the day this was still colder than anything up until now.

Conversation was scarce along this section between Wayne and I. This was probably because we were becoming more and more focused on the peak and the fact the altitude was now kicking in, we were now starting to have to work rather than the previous stroll. I had noticed here that I had started to breathe through my mouth as well as my noise, and I was walking quite a way in front of Wayne. I had some "parma-violets" which I shared with Wayne along this section. This helped close the gap between us because I would wait for him to share out the goodies. These little sweets definitely helped the trek time pass on this section. This part of the trek is probably the most lifeless. It is very baron and although it has the odd fascinating extruded volcanic rock formation it is quite colour less and soul destroying. This landscape reminded me of the cover from the "Eagles - Greatest Hits Album", a highway cutting straight through a desert scene with no one on it, and a large rock in the background. But I'm sure it would have been a lot warmer to have been in the desert scene on the album cover and not a high altitude volcanic wasteland!

What's worse is that it feels like you have been walking for a long time and you still can't see Kibo Hut. Eventually the trail changed gradient and you begin climbing and turning up towards Kibo, then the Hut comes into view approx. 1 hr away tucked behind some large rocks. This hut looked a lot different to the other 2 camps we had stayed at. It wasn't the usual collection of timber "A-framed" chalets but a long stone building with very small windows. This must be better suited to the conditions up here.

I had walked ahead of Wayne again at this point and because I found myself panting from the steeper gradient I stopped to wait for him. I figured his steady plod was the way forwards rather than my sporadic bursts on sections I didn't like the gradient of. When he caught up he advised me of this, saying I was working to hard and a steady pace is much better, never the less we both agreed it was hard work now, and tonight would be harder when we set out for the summit. The gradient we were walking on now was nothing like that of the sides of the peak. When we arrived at Kibo Hut we got our bunks straight away because we just wanted to rest for as long as possible letting our bodies adjust to being at this altitude to get ready for tonight. The bunks were in a dormitory of about 12 beds and a central eating table. The whole hut is basically about 4 dormitories that lead off a central corridor, with the main door in and out at it's end. The dorm at this time seemed quiet, but no doubt that would change once the other groups arrived. This place was a place that was not going to be easy to rest in, people would be coming and going all the time.

Once you realised it was highly unlikely that you wouldn't be sleeping, the actual temperature inside the hut became apparent. I can honestly say that it felt colder inside the hut than outside it. It's not surprising really, when you consider that the building has stone floors and about 1 metre thick solid stone walls. Never the less we put on every last piece of clothing including eventually down jackets, and got into our sleeping bags to try and warm up and stop swaying about the room. We were pretty sure that the altitude was now doing it's best to hold us back from succeeding, and it was giving us a feeling of shivering drunkenness without the giggling, because at this stage we were both concerned in case these effects didn't wear off by midnight.

After trying to sleep for about ½ hr we accepted the fact that we were not getting any warmer, tell tale signs really being my teeth still chattering together! We may stand a better chance sitting outside in the sun. When we first arrived at the hut all the guides and other mountain man sorts that seem to hang around these huts were all basking in the sun rather than sitting inside, so when in Rome ..!

We kept all our clothes on still and found a suitable flat spot to snooze on, although it wasn't as comfortable as sleeping on a bunk, it was a damn site warmer. We snoozed out there for about 2 hrs during which time the light headedness had settled down provided I didn't move to fast. We headed back inside and got back into bed, again needing to recover just from moving inside, this time we did manage to sleep up to the point when Will and Marge arrived. They didn't really stand around for long, just got into there bags and groaned for a while about head aches, and feeling strange. Will told us of an Italian guy he had met on his way up to the hut who warned Will of how stupid it was to try and summit Uhuru Peak in 3 days. He explained that he had climbed extensively in the Alps, but collapsed just after Gilman's Point. We all thanked Will for letting us in on this tales of failure, which is bound to do our moral no end of good. We must have slept after Will's story time because the next thing it was time for the last supper, and now only 7 hrs to go.

After our meal we had a prep talk from our head guide Babuji and he attempted to inspire us with the fact he believed we would all summit if we walk "Pooli-Pooli" this meaning slowly-slowly in Swahili.

I personally didn't think at this height we had any choice!!! We got all the necessary kit we would need ready into our rucksacks and changed all batteries, and camera films. It was then time to try and do our last bit of sleeping before we left. I couldn't sleep at first due to part excitement and part apprehension in case I didn't make it. I had made such a big deal about this climb back at home to raise money for charity and for the trip, that now the time had arrived to do the business I just hoped I didn't have to go home and say I didn't make it. I think I would have had to have moved out of the area because the corporate sponsors wouldn't be getting their advertising, nor would the Roy Castle Foundation.

I was laying in my bunk looking out of the window at the large peak looming in the dark just hoping I would be standing on top of it tomorrow. I couldn't help but notice the force of the wind building up outside and thinking I hope that dies down for later! The next thing I knew it was 11.30pm and time to get ready.

READ PART FOUR - SUMMIT DAY

  

Jason's Account
BACKGROUND
INTRODUCTION
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
PART 4


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