Here is a continuation of Mt. Impossible. It is Day 4 and 5 of Brooke’s journal.
Day 4:
Today, we will summit Mt. Kilimanjaro! Even though I have climbed 3 times before, this is still pretty new to me. I put on a long sleeved shirt, full pants, and a thick jacket. I am also wearing a winter hat. I look around. The earth around me is dry, and there aren’t many plants and animals. In the alpine desert zone, it can get really hot, especially when the sun comes up above the clouds. I grab some coffee, and we get ready to leave. Today’s climb is 7.2 miles. We are going to go up and down the summit today, and we will end up back near Kibo Huts. Since it is very cold, there aren’t any plants and animals. Temperatures can drop to below freezing, or even below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. There is lots of snow, and the air is very thin. When we summit the mountain, we will be at 19,340 ft. There is a rare grass called tussock grass that grows in the alpine desert zone. I have never seen or heard of this type of gra to take a picture. Suddenly, I start feeling a little dizzy. Mira tells me to take diamox, so I took some. I feel better. About 2 hours of hiking later, we have reached the summit! We are so exhausted! We dance with joy and hug each other and take pictures. We rest for an hour, since we have a long descent ahead of us. We are taking the Marangu route back down, which is the easiest and safest route to go back down. I wake up to someone tapping me on the shoulder. I open my eyes and see that it is Mira. She says that we have to start our descent. I climb out of the tent, grab my hiking poles and the rest of my stuff, and we leave. It gets warmer as we approach Kibo Huts.The amount of snow is decreasing. The guide explains how the climb back down is easier and faster, but most people like the climb up better. I agree with him. the climb is going so fast, that we don’t notice that we are already at Kibo Huts. We set up our tents and fall asleep as soon as our heads hit our pillows.
Day 5:
I am wearing full pants, a full sleeved shirt, and a fleece jacket. We are in the alpine desert zone. We are going to stop in the moorland zone at about 12,360 ft. Right now, we are at about 16,500 ft. We are climbing about 6.5 miles today. The climb down is a a lot easier but it is really exhausting. Without my hiking poles, I would have slipped at least 20 times already. Mira and I are talking about how all the lush vegetation and soil makes Mt. Kili a lot easier to climb. Without all of that lush vegetation, Mt. Kili would just be a dry, barren place and barely anyone would be able to climb it. The view is really beautiful. I feel like I’m on top of the world. I can see a lot of Tanzania from up here. I am really glad that we are coming down. I can enjoy the beauty a lot more, and it is easier to take pictures. Even though it’s tiring, the view takes it away. We are in the moorland zone now. The porters set up our tents while we eat chicken for dinner. It is getting easier to breathe now. As I climb into my tent I think to myself I’ve climbed Crowther”s Mtn. before, and it’s a lot harder to climb than Mt. Kili.