Climbing to the Roof of Africa - Day 4

Saturday, January 24th, 2009, Acclimatization Day

We are a large group of about 90 people which is one of the reasons Dr. Karen Yeates has chosen the Rongai Route for us. The other routes are busier, but on this route we only see three other small climbing parties and there is enough space for us to set up camp for all of us and all of the porters. It seems appropriate that we are taking the road less travelled since how many groups bring four HIV+ women from Tanzania with them on the mountain. Abbas is the overseer of our whole trip. Karen has hired him to coordinate our travels. He is one of the most calm, compassionate peaceful men I have ever met. The night I taught yoga he began to demonstrate his mastery of yoga, easily pressing up into a handstand and more. Alfred was our head guide who kept us organized and on ‘German time’ as he called it. I tell Abbas he has the patience of an elephant. It is not easy keeping 30 women organized and heading in one direction at the same time on a mountain.

Seeing the dry riverbeds as we climbed today is more than a little disturbing. One can’t help but think this used to be drinking water for people at the base of the mountain. If you have ever seen a wide fast flowing glacier fed river as I have seen in British Columbia and Alberta, picture those river beds dry. It is a sad sight. Climate change has caused most of the glaciers on Kilimanjaro to melt and the permanent snow cover on the mountain is only at the very top now. I can’t help but wonder if there will be enough drinking water for the people that live around the mountain in the years to come. Water is sustenance and that is very apparent to us as we are told to drink at least 2 liters of water a day on the mountain. It is very dry up here and water helps us to acclimatize and keep altitude sickness at bay. Once nausea sets in (a symptom of mild altitude sickness) it is difficult to stay hydrated and the spiral of altitude sickness easily continues.

The center of one of the round-a-bouts that leads into the town of Moshi has several water fountains where people in Moshi and the surrounding towns can fill containers of water. In the center of the fountains is a statue presiding over the water, protecting the supply. It is a stature of a soldier with a rifle and in large letters underneath him is written "WATER FOR LIFE".

As I climb I hear Jacob Dylan’s words singing in my head . . ‘Got my window open wide . . . cause I know something good this way comes.”

We are all experiencing varying degrees of altitude sickness, mostly mild and some worse than others. Many of us are taking Diamox to help us acclimatize to the altitude and it leaves are fingers and toes vibrating from the inside out.
Training on the stadium steps has really paid off for Jill and I as our legs feel strong and I like to think the ‘breath holding’ Sandy and I were practicing prior to the trip may also be paying off.

Today we climbed to the Outward Bound hut which is the equivalent elevation of Kibo Hut. It stresses our bodies to produce more red blood cells before our actual climb to the summit tomorrow. Kibo Hut is the camp from which we will attempt the summit on Day 5 if we are not experiencing signs of altitude sickness. When Mama Minde was in her 20’s she climbed to the Outward Bound hut with a group of classmates during a 3 week long Outward Bound course. She really doesn’t remember much of it except that it was a lot of fun. She seems to be doing well – her strong spirit will get her to Kibo Hut tomorrow.

We set out on a 6 hour journey up to the Outward Bound hut which was set up by people in Munich, Germany. School groups are led up to the hut to build strength, endurance, confidence and teamwork and to test their limits. Mama Minde walked up for 1.5 hours today to help with acclimatization.

Dorothea and Secunda made it all the way to the hut and back down before many of us. Agnes and Anna did not make it all the way to the hut, but they are feeling strong and are happy to attempt Kibo Hut tomorrow.

Each of us has issues that we need to deal with and set aside for the summit tomorrow, some are real physical signs of altitude sickness and much of it is fear of what might be. Most of us are feeling strong and feel that we can do it together since we have so much support - Pamoja!