[:es]I have always been an avid trekker and\u00a0I can recall many journeys of both\u00a0short and long duration. I have been\u00a0very fortunate to trek in Europe, the\u00a0US, Mexico, Bhutan, Nepal (Everest &\u00a0Annapurna base camps), Mongolia (including\u00a0the Gobi Desert), Peru, Ecuador, much of\u00a0Chile, etc. I am a good trekker and, providing\u00a0the ups and downs are relatively tame, I\u00a0can keep going like a Duracell battery (free\u00a0publicity unintentional\u2026).<\/p>\n
So, what in heaven\u00b4s name caused\u00a0me to entertain the notion I could also be\u00a0a mountaineer? I have climbed hills, even
\nquite big hills, but climb a mountain?\u00a0Quite absurd! Then I decided to \u201ctrek\u201d to\u00a0the top of Kilimanjaro, an extinct volcano
\nand the highest \u201cstand alone\u201d mountain in\u00a0the world, located in northern Tanzania.\u00a0It sounded like a solid trek with a slight
\naltitude challenge (5,895 meters or 18,864\u00a0feet); nothing too challenging\u2026<\/p>\n
We trekked to base camp (Barrafu\u00a0Camp) over five days and reached altitudes\u00a0of 4,600 & 4,800 meters (14,720 & 15,360
\nfeet) along the way and I felt GREAT always\u00a0walking \u201cpole pole\u201d or slowly, slowly.\u00a0Then came Summit Day. I was full of
\nconfidence; this was going to be a\u00a0\u201cwalk in the Kilimanjaro Park\u201d!<\/p>\n
Where is the line that separates\u00a0trekking from mountaineering?\u00a0I can answer that!\u00a0It is dragging yourself out of\u00a0your tiny tent at 10:45 p.m.\u00a0dressed in as many layers\u00a0of \u201ctechnical clothing\u201d as\u00a0you can manage (I looked\u00a0like the Hulk, all in green,\u00a0and was thusly called\u2026),\u00a0down a cup of hot tea, put\u00a0on your backpack, turn\u00a0on your head lamp and\u00a0then grab your poles (11:30\u00a0p.m.) knowing that you are\u00a0headed \u201cup\u201d \u2013 and only up.\u00a0Staying warm and cosy in my\u00a0sleeping bag was definitely an\u00a0option\u2026.but somehow I resisted!<\/p>\n
So, we headed up. We? Myself\u00a0and 3 family members foolish enough\u00a0to fall for my overly simplistic invitation of\u00a0trekking and fun in Africa. Starting out at\u00a04,600 meters (14,720 feet) I felt great but\u00a0found it difficult to breathe. With so much\u00a0clothing on, my backpack waist strap was\u00a0restricting diaphragm movement. Solution?\u00a0Undo said strap!<\/p>\n
We were the second group to leave\u00a0base camp, but after 2 hours all other\u00a0groups had passed us; this was extremely\u00a0demoralizing. From here on if (foolishly) you\u00a0looked up you could see the head lamps\u00a0flickering as others headed slowly \u201cupwards\u201d\u00a0in a never ending zigzag. The lamps went\u00a0upwards for EVER\u2026 Only after a further\u00a0hour of effort did I realize that both lamps\u00a0and stars were as one and my \u201csummit\u201d\u00a0had become a star!! And the wind howled\u00a0and the temperature dropped\u2026<\/p>\n
Upwards we trudged, at times crawling\u00a0over rocks, and my backpack soon felt like\u00a0a 100 pound rock strapped to me. My legs
\nstarted to cramp but I talked then into further\u00a0action with the promise of \u201cit\u2019s only a little further\u2026\u201d And then I threw up!! Just
\nbile but oh so vile\u2026; amazingly, I never got\u00a0a headache!!<\/p>\n
Our 2 Guides (local, Chaga professionals)\u00a0never stopped encouraging us,\u00a0even dancing and singing for motivation:\u00a0\u201cJambo, Jambo Bwana\u2026.\u201d After 4 hours,\u00a0an orange new moon rose gently over the\u00a0horizon. Wow! After a further hour of agony
\nand determination we witnessed the faintest\u00a0signs of dawn; a glorious sight which\u00a0injected some energy into dead legs.<\/p>\n
Finally, after 7 \u00bd hours we made it to\u00a0Uhuru Peak; the summit!! We had succeeded!!\u00a0All the pain (both physical and mental) and
\nvomiting was forgotten and we celebrated\u00a0like mad \u2013 at minus 20\u00b0 C (-4\u00b0F)!! We were\u00a0absolutely jubilant. But, after the obligatory\u00a0summit photographs, we had to get back\u00a0down, a task almost as difficult as getting\u00a0up and agony on the knees.<\/p>\n
Over the years thousands of people\u00a0have climbed Kilimanjaro, but we felt like\u00a0conquering heroes! Was it painful?
\nAbsolutely! Did I enjoy the ascent?\u00a0Absolutely NOT! Will I be tempted\u00a0to climb something a little\u00a0higher? Probably! Was it
\nworth it? The view from\u00a0the top, at 7:15 a.m.,\u00a0was out of this world\u00a0and that is where I\u00a0felt I was – out of\u00a0this world.<\/p>\n
Does that make\u00a0me a mountaineer?\u00a0Well, yeah, sort\u00a0of; but on a scale\u00a0of 1 to 10, I am\u00a0definitely only a 2!\u00a0Let others go for the
\nbig ones \u2013 I will stick\u00a0to \u201ctrekking into the\u00a0hills\u201d\u2026.. from Africa\u00a0-and now at sea level…!\u00a0I Remain,<\/p>\n
SANTIAGO ENELDO
\n(Volunteers for next adventure write to santiagoeneldo@yahoo.com)[:]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[:es]I have always been an avid trekker and\u00a0I can recall many journeys of both\u00a0short and long duration. I have been\u00a0very fortunate to trek in Europe, the\u00a0US, Mexico, Bhutan, Nepal (Everest &\u00a0Annapurna base camps), Mongolia (including\u00a0the Gobi Desert), Peru, Ecuador, much of\u00a0Chile, etc. I am a good trekker and, providing\u00a0the ups and downs are relatively tame, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","news_tax":[],"user_type":[],"class_list":["post-9477","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n