tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro (2018)

Arrival at Machame Gate, where my trek began! Confidently underdressed. That damned dining table! Still getting over it. Reached the first camp. Had stripped down to vest because some other dumb Englishman was going up the mountain way underdressed and I wasn't about to be outdone... ...but that wasn't really the best idea given the cool temps up here. Gorgeous scenery nonetheless First glimpse of Kili's peak, and last glimpse of me in singlet (it was COLD af from hereon out) Changing vegetation A typical tent camp - there's up to 1000 people on the mountain at any one time. My glorious team without whom I would not have survived. Being a tool after finally getting above the clouds. Beautiful, no? A clear shot of Uhuru Peak aka our final destination. Notice the frost on the vegetation which made it unfeasible to spend too much time out of the tent. The mountain by night. Check the stars. Alien landscapes Life on Mars? Another camp stop! (I was actually forced to pose for these pics so that the company could upload them onto their live FB feed...) Hamming it up like a true idiot. Eerie Credit to the porters, without whom these tent camps simply wouldn't exist (and neither would we 'climbers', actually). Making quick progress and getting to another camp. Have this one for scale. I don't *think* I was as perilously close to death as it looks here, but can't be sure. Buffoon. Last glimpse of the city of Moshi before going super vertical. Awoke to nearby Mount Meru poking its head out of the clouds Getting ever closer to the peak, which was now a constantly visible target after having given us only fleeting glimpses prior. Relaxed on the final day before summit night. Silly boy. Took zero pics during the summit ordeal (read the blog post). This must have been after finally reaching the top. Did it before anyone else, and way before sunrise which meant a gruelling wait. Really not sure how I navigated/survived these sheets of ice. Somehow still found the strength to remove all top layers despite being 99% dead?! #ohreehan I guess sunrise was worth it, eh. Clambering back over these whilst barely conscious was a lot of fun. Never in my life had I been more happy to see the sun - not only did it mean the goal was finally reached, but it helped bring some desperately-needed heat to my bones. Shadows of myself and my guides on the ice. The next group to summit. We'd had the place to ourselves for god knows how long, but I was too much of a physical wreck to appreciate it at the time. Proof of cold. Endless ice. Endless clouds. Nothing from the descent because it was agony and I was barely functional, but here I am back on safer ground having somehow survived! Survived solely thanks to this team of incredible humans After a day of recovery, it was off to Dar Es Salaam. This was my last glimpse of Kili on the road out.

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