Kilimanjaro Trek - Day 2

Who told me it would get very cold at night in Africa?  Layered in thermals, thick socks, insulated sleeping boots and woolly hat.  I was the hottest I have ever been!  I twisted and turned all night long, so much so that by morning the silk liner inside my sleeping bag had wrapped round me at neck and feet so tightly I felt like a boiled sweet in a plastic wrapper.

We started packing up our bags at 5.30am and a very welcome cup of tea was delivered to our tent at 6.00am by one of the African support staff.

Breakfast of piping hot porridge, omelette, sausages, beans and bread was served in the dinner tents at 6.45am.  Tired and disorganised I was last in for breakfast, couldn't find a spare chair to sit on, didn't eat anything.  Not a brilliant start to the day.

Hot and sunny, we started our trek at 7.30am steadily climbing through heath and moorland.

Two hours into the hike I started to feel the effects of altitude sickness.  Initially a muzzy head, followed by a dull headache around the base of my skull increasing to a splitting headache and nausea.  At home, I would have crawled into bed until I felt better, here on the mountain there was nowhere to snuggle, I had no choice but to keep going.  So I kept walking, very slowly, at the back of the group.  Thankfully Chunga took the weight of my rucksack off me at this point.  I plodded on (and on), using my hiking poles for support when my head spun.  The Doctor who was walking with me at the back of the group pointed out the lunch stop, way, way ahead on a distant ridge (OMG it seemed miles away!)  With every step I was aware of the weight of my bum bag pressing against my nauseous stomach.  After two hours of this I finally threw up, which was not only a huge relief because I then felt much better, but also earned me the prestigious accolade and end of trip award 'First vomit of the trek'.  How proud my Mum must be!


Pasty but feeling slightly better!





















Finally we reached the lunch stop.  I managed to eat a bowl of soup but couldn't face pasta, bread, cheese or oranges that had also been provided.  Gary kindly offered me one of his Diamox tablets to combat the altitude sickness, which I gratefully accepted.  Emma was also suffering AMS but the rest were not affected at this stage.  I heard that my sister Lisa had been at the front of the group singing, laughing and joking. 

After lunch Joaquim took over carrying my rucksack.



Joaquim



























We headed off upwards, the climb was steep in places and also included a small scrambling section.  Finally we headed over the ridge and descended down into camp arriving at about 4.00pm.

I was so grateful to find that having arrived ahead of me at camp Lisa had set up my mattress, sleeping bag and pillow so that I could crawl straight in for a lie down, she also fetched a cup of tea and some popcorn.
Sooooo niiiice!



This evening felt like the appropriate time to open the good luck cards that I had brought from home for a bit of a morale boost.  It worked.