July 13, 2013
Looking down on Mawenzi (photo: Ken Maclaurin)
Sheldon call at 1 a.m. Pacific time this morning to tell that 100% of the team were standing on the summit of Kilimanjaro. And, that included her mom!
Still lots of works remains. About 3 hours for the descent to Barafu camp, some repacking, clothes changing and lunch, and then it’s time to begin the descent to Mweka Camp. Not easy to rally at that point. It’s hard to put the packs back on and continue the hike. But it’s important. Each foot down means thicker air, more strength and less possibility of altitude related issues. Everything’s better down low. Mweka is at 10,000 ft. and the Park sells beer and Coke. Believe me, it’s worth the effort to get down.
Phil Ershler