Date: Sat 25 Jul 1998 05:39:03 PDT

Since my last email, Richard and I have been to the top of Africa.

He will cc you on his circular email because it's quite funny, but just for you, the gory details.....

We walked around Nairobi for a couple of days looking for the best deal we could to go to Kilimanjaro. We figured that it would take a couple of weeks for post to get to Nakuru, and as we didn't manage to get to Lake Turkana, we were back down south much earlier than expected and needed to waste a week or so. A Kili hike takes a week so seemed perfect.

Whilst looking around we met Bernard and Michael (the professional safari touts). They turned out to be honest (unusual in Nairobi) and lots of fun - they bought us lunch and we sat and drank beer with them long into the night. It was nice to check out the local scene as opposed to what all the tourists and backpackers see (in all honesty though it wasn't much different to going to the pub in London). After a day to recover from our hangover we left for Kili 8am bus from Nairobi to Arusha, and then we were leaving for the entrance gate for Kilimanjaro NP in the morning. The aftemoon was spent hiring silly looking balaclavas and 92 pairs of gloves to protect us from the reported -20 degrees at the summit.

Day 1 - Arusha to Marangu Gate by Landrover - we met our guide Mekmillan (I chose to call him Mac) - he was definitely the coolest dude on the mountain, and by far the best guide anyone we met had. Anyway, sign in at Marangu Gate and start. The Marangu route up Kili is called the Coca-cola route because it's so easy. Half an hour after we started I decided it wasn't so easy after all. The first day we only walked for 4 hours, but it was through rainforest and it was a traipse through thick mud. We were walking at Pa pace (honestly) which seemed ridiculously easy on day 1. Mandara Hut was the first night's stop - we shared a hut with a French couple who did limbering down exercises when they arrived (we thought it best not to talk to them - by day 4 they were the laughing stock of the mountain - no-one takes it that seriously).

Day2 - Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut - about 8 hours walking - still at Pa pace - seeming less silly by the hour. Out of rainforest and into kind of marshy looking stuff - easier to walk in. Mac had a radio and played it for most of the day. Boredom relieved for us, and jealousy begins from all the other muzungus. (The main reason for boredom was that so far we've been walking in thick cloud and haven't seen anything).

Day3 - Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut - We woke up to clear skies and a fabulous view of the summit - we took a photo for the first time in about 3 weeks (sorry dad). By this stage the Pa pace was becoming essential. We past the 'last waterpoint' at about 11 am. By 1 pm there was no more vegetation - just dust and rubble. We walked for about 8 hours. At Kibo R was feeling pretty rough - headaches and nausea. We tried to sleep, with little success

Day4 - Kibo Hut to Horombo Hut via the summit. I have never had a more difficult day in my life. Outward Bound was a walk in the park by comparison. I think a lot was due to lack of pysical fitness. We started walking at 12 midnight, and for 6.5 hours, with less then 10 minutes break, we walked continuously up a 60 degree shingle slope. It really was 2 steps forward 1.5 steps back, demoralising and difficult. If it hadn't have been pitch black there's no way I would have done it. R flagged in the middle but had gained a second wind after about 4 hours (just as well because I could hardly move by that stage). Pa pace was too quick by now. At 6.30 we were at Gilman's Point watching the sunrise. This is as far as most people get. It's not the top. There was another 2 hours walk to go on the ice cap. From Gilmans Point, Uhuru (freedom) Peak looks like a relatively easy walk. no sireee. Every time you reach a 'summit' you see there's another one a little bit higher a little bit further on. Anyway, we got to Uhuru at 9am, feeling very happy with ourselves, but totally physically exhausted. We then walked all the way down to Horombo Hut (arriving at 5pm).

Day 5 - Horombo Hut to Arusha. No leg muscles are working by this stage. We still had 6 hours walking to go. We thought it would be easy - puh! then a bus from the gate to Arusha. We got to our hotel at 7.30pm having not had a wash our removed our clothes for 5 days. There was a powercut so we couldn't have a shower. I got into the shower at 9pm. Have to stop now because the email office is closing. I will finish the story next time I promise.

Love you both,

missing you all

t