“The higher you climb on the mountain, the harder the wind blows.”

( Sam Cummings)

July 15, 2017

It was very hard for me to wake up and get moving on the early morning of day six.  My legs felt as heavy as boulders due to hiking nine hours the day before.  I was cold, restless, and just plain tired.  However, I knew that the journey to Barafu Camp was only three or four hours away.  For summit eve, our guides planned our journey to be shorter and less grueling so we could arrive at Barafu Camp around midday so we could have extra time to rest before our summit attempt.

Before starting my journey to Barafu Camp, I recorded the video below on the morning of day six, right after breakfast and right before we left camp.  Fortunately, I was in pretty good spirits on this particular morning.

Summit Eve hiking went easier than the previous day.  We arrived at Barafu Camp, (located at about 15,331 feet) after only hiking a little over three hours.

Once I left for Barafu Camp, I found my second wind.  I was excited knowing that I was only a day away from successfully hiking to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.  Positive thoughts ran through my mind.  I kept telling myself that if I made it this far I could make it to Uhuru Peak.

The weather grew colder throughout the day.  The weather became more severe the higher we trekked up the mountain.  The winds were strong.  My face took the brunt of the wind.  By the end of the day, I had one heck of a windburn.

Most of the three to four hour hike took us through the alpine desert.  The wind blew dust and dirt into the air throughout the day, but I was able to overcome this minor annoyance.  Like always, all members of our group hiked a slow and steady pace to preserve our energy and to prevent altitude sickness.

Finally, we arrived at Barafu Camp in the early afternoon.  When I settled into camp I had lunch and relaxed for a few hours before dinner.  I loved Barafu Camp because the view of the world while standing at over 15,000 feet was remarkable.  Looking down at the sea of clouds and the blue sky above was breathtaking.

I was really glad I was able to have an easier day of hiking prior to summit day.  Both, my mind and body needed the extra time in the afternoon to rest. I spent the afternoon taking pictures, talking with my fellow hikers in my group trying to just enjoy the moment.  I also used the extra down time to write in my journal.

Personal Journal Entry for Day Six (4:08 p.m.):

Today was not that bad, although still tough.  We hiked uphill for three straight hours.  Day five was the toughest though.  We hiked for over nine hours and it was really hard.  I was so tired yesterday that I didn’t even write in my journal.  I just had dinner and then went straight to bed.

I’m having a great time on my trip, but I do miss home.  I miss my family and friends back home. . . I miss just the luxuries of everything I’m blessed with at home.  However, we summit Mount Kilimanjaro tomorrow.  It is going to be extremely difficult, but I think I’m going to be okay.  I’ve been looking forward to this day for several years.  I know I’m going to be emotional, but it means a lot to me.  I just have to mentally prepare for tomorrow. 

The Night Before Summit Day

After finishing some sightseeing, my group and I had an early dinner.  We ate dinner around 5:00 p.m. or so because our guides wanted us to get some rest before our 3 a.m. wake up call.  All I can really remember about this particular dinner was how nervous and excited everyone was about getting to the summit.

At our post-dinner briefing, our head guide, Edward, informed us how important it was to drink a lot of water and rest as much as possible.  Edward explained that although a lot of different climbing groups usually leave for the summit at midnight so they can arrive at the summit at sunrise, he wanted us to leave around 4 a.m.  He explained that one of the main reasons why people fail to make it to the summit is due to exhaustion.  He further explained that many climbers who leave at midnight fail to rest before their summit attempt and, therefore,  fail to reach the summit.  So, Edward and the other guides made it clear how important it was for us to sleep.   And thank goodness I took his advice.  After dinner, I immediately prepared my daypack and I went to bed around 7:00 p.m. hoping to have dreams of reaching the summit the next day.