Conquering Kilimanjaro for Air Ambulance Charities!

Day 7: Summit day

Barafu Camp -> Uhuru Peak (Summit) -> Barafu Camp -> Mweka Camp

Altitude - Uhuru Peak, 5895m. Mweka Camp, 3100m.

Distance - 37km (yes, 3-sodding-7km. 52,000 steps)

Elevation gain - 1285m

Climate - Volcanic ash and shingles, glaciers.

SpO2 at summit - Lou, 50%. Vic, 70%.

Today has been one of the most challenging days, both mentally and physically, for both of us. It started by being woken at 00:00 ready to start our hike to the summit. The ascent was one of the steep, endless trails either of us have ever done. Accompanied by the soft ash and the -14°C (+ wind chill factor) made every step a barrier that we had to overcome. We made it to Stella Point for sunrise, which was spectacular. But was so painfully cold, that despite the 7 layers (3 coats) we had on, we couldn’t hang around to enjoy for too long. The slog to the summit, although “short”, felt like a marathon. The descent was rather more hurried and aggressive than planed, thanks to a mild touch of High Altitude Cerebral Oedema. Can’t say this is anything to joke about or take as lightly as I usually would.

Neither of us could have done this insane summit without the support of our two incredible guides, Suleman & Sebastian. They quite literally dragged me down the mountain (whilst saying nice supportive things).

We have a very short stop at base camp, where thankfully, I had my very own ICU nurse on standby to sort me out (and I think I’ll never hear the end of it). Then we headed to Mweka Camp, some 16km away and a further descent of 1500m.

There are too many “learning points” to share from today. I think it’s fair to say we’ve learnt about ourselves and our limits, and how actually we can push through them.