More Pics….

Photos!

Some photos from the past few days!

Day 7 – We did it!

Winners start the day with milo. After a whopping 5 hours sleep we had a hearty breakfast with the promise of a short stroll off the mountain – 6 sweaty hours later we finally arrived at the gate! After 7 days we’ve experienced running water, beer and clean clothes. Now having a much needed drink and our celebration dinner. Thanks to everyone for your support, one final point of conversation – we did it!

Day 6

After our 13 hour savage affair we arrived back at barafu camp, where our evil commander richie allowed us 2 hours rest before making us walk another 3 hours to the next camp.
Understandably we had no energy and stumbled on absolute reserves. One blessing was a beer on arrival! Needless to say we slept like babies but woke yet again to ice in the tent.

Day 5/6 – Summit

Had a briefing which freaked everyone out, saw the oxygen bottles and altitude chamber, had a talk on the dangers of summiting and hypothermeia!!!
We left at midnight wednesday, freezing cold wearing at least 6 layers each, for a 13 hour round trip. We can’t even describe the emotion, climb and mental challenge that lay ahead! All we could do was put one foot in front of the other and follow the heels of the person in front lit up by our head torches.
9 hours of relentless walking, totally switched off from normality, took us to sunrise and a cup of tea and biscuits- jo and laura ate them all!
The next stage was a complete blur, boiling hot sun at 6am, dehydration and exhaustion.
Gabriel, came down severly with every aspect of altitude sickness but continued on for over 2 hours to stella point, 5795m, 100m from the summit when the dr told him to go down the 3 hour horrible walk to camp. Ben, jo and laura continued to the summit…..

Nothing can describe how it felt getting there and arriving.
Points of conversation – absolutely nothing!

Day 5

Woke up after another sleepless night with ice on our sleeping bags.
Set off on a steep 5 hour climb to barafu camp. Altitude sickness really effecting all. Severe headaches, dizzyness, confusion, sickness, nose bleeds, farting and fits of giggles!
All made it to camp to find the tents pitched at 45 degree angles. Had dinner and our leader richie told us to go to bed till 11pm where we would be woken for the summit. All went to bed with summit fever, nervous and excited!

Day 4 – Hitting The Wall!

Hitting the wall in more ways than one… Worst night sleep ever, roughly minus 10 in tent, ice in tent, lack of oxygen, gasping for breathe in night.

Up at crack of dawn for 3hrs traversing up a vertical cliff face, dangerous and technical but really rewarding.
Followed by walking all day through karanga valley. Altitude sickness heavily effecting all. Countdown to summit night tomorrow.

Points of conversation… Limited.