[:es]I have always been an avid trekker and I can recall many journeys of both short and long duration. I have been very fortunate to trek in Europe, the US, Mexico, Bhutan, Nepal (Everest & Annapurna base camps), Mongolia (including the Gobi Desert), Peru, Ecuador, much of Chile, etc. I am a good trekker and, providing the ups and downs are relatively tame, I can keep going like a Duracell battery (free publicity unintentional…).

So, what in heaven´s name caused me to entertain the notion I could also be a mountaineer? I have climbed hills, even
quite big hills, but climb a mountain? Quite absurd! Then I decided to “trek” to the top of Kilimanjaro, an extinct volcano
and the highest “stand alone” mountain in the world, located in northern Tanzania. It sounded like a solid trek with a slight
altitude challenge (5,895 meters or 18,864 feet); nothing too challenging…

We trekked to base camp (Barrafu Camp) over five days and reached altitudes of 4,600 & 4,800 meters (14,720 & 15,360
feet) along the way and I felt GREAT always walking “pole pole” or slowly, slowly. Then came Summit Day. I was full of
confidence; this was going to be a “walk in the Kilimanjaro Park”!

Where is the line that separates trekking from mountaineering? I can answer that! It is dragging yourself out of your tiny tent at 10:45 p.m. dressed in as many layers of “technical clothing” as you can manage (I looked like the Hulk, all in green, and was thusly called…), down a cup of hot tea, put on your backpack, turn on your head lamp and then grab your poles (11:30 p.m.) knowing that you are headed “up” – and only up. Staying warm and cosy in my sleeping bag was definitely an option….but somehow I resisted!

So, we headed up. We? Myself and 3 family members foolish enough to fall for my overly simplistic invitation of trekking and fun in Africa. Starting out at 4,600 meters (14,720 feet) I felt great but found it difficult to breathe. With so much clothing on, my backpack waist strap was restricting diaphragm movement. Solution? Undo said strap!

We were the second group to leave base camp, but after 2 hours all other groups had passed us; this was extremely demoralizing. From here on if (foolishly) you looked up you could see the head lamps flickering as others headed slowly “upwards” in a never ending zigzag. The lamps went upwards for EVER… Only after a further hour of effort did I realize that both lamps and stars were as one and my “summit” had become a star!! And the wind howled and the temperature dropped…

Upwards we trudged, at times crawling over rocks, and my backpack soon felt like a 100 pound rock strapped to me. My legs
started to cramp but I talked then into further action with the promise of “it’s only a little further…” And then I threw up!! Just
bile but oh so vile…; amazingly, I never got a headache!!

Our 2 Guides (local, Chaga professionals) never stopped encouraging us, even dancing and singing for motivation: “Jambo, Jambo Bwana….” After 4 hours, an orange new moon rose gently over the horizon. Wow! After a further hour of agony
and determination we witnessed the faintest signs of dawn; a glorious sight which injected some energy into dead legs.

Finally, after 7 ½ hours we made it to Uhuru Peak; the summit!! We had succeeded!! All the pain (both physical and mental) and
vomiting was forgotten and we celebrated like mad – at minus 20° C (-4°F)!! We were absolutely jubilant. But, after the obligatory summit photographs, we had to get back down, a task almost as difficult as getting up and agony on the knees.

Over the years thousands of people have climbed Kilimanjaro, but we felt like conquering heroes! Was it painful?
Absolutely! Did I enjoy the ascent? Absolutely NOT! Will I be tempted to climb something a little higher? Probably! Was it
worth it? The view from the top, at 7:15 a.m., was out of this world and that is where I felt I was - out of this world.

Does that make me a mountaineer? Well, yeah, sort of; but on a scale of 1 to 10, I am definitely only a 2! Let others go for the
big ones – I will stick to “trekking into the hills”….. from Africa -and now at sea level...! I Remain,

SANTIAGO ENELDO
(Volunteers for next adventure write to [email protected])[:]