Descent from Uhuru Peak
We made it, I kept repeating! It felt surreal. I couldn’t help but smile. I was so proud of Sid, Trish, and Monkey Adventures team who never gave up on us. I begin my descent slowly and feel pretty good about myself. For the second time, I’m using my trekking poles. I used them on Day 1. The area is very dusty and covered in flat rock fragments of various sizes that are the remains of large, eroded rocks that have accumulated on the mountain’s slopes. The descent of this scree can be very dangerous. Even the best-gripping shoes can fail you.
After 7 days of climbing, our legs were not used to coming down; my legs began to feel like jelly, and it was exhausting and boring. Though the sun was blazing down at us, it wasn’t warm. We still had all our layers on. I’m craving food and a can of fizzy Coke. I get by on a protein bar that I share with the others. I still crave that, Coke. Emmanuel is my right hand, pole, and God, as one of my poles broke.
This descent seems to go on forever! When we pass the Kosovo camp, I realize how far away Barafu is from here. Although it appears to be “just there,” there is still a long way to go. The moment we were about to arrive in Barafu, “a stupid something” got caught in my right eye. My eye starts to hurt, water, and swell up even more (remember, it’s still swollen!). I noticed that the right eye was watery and only partially open, while the left eye was groggy and exhausted. My watery eye swells up even more (remember it was puffy?) and it was hurting.
I saw something like this: Left eye is drowsy , worn out and tired, while the right eye is watery, swollen and only quarter open.
The worst crawl ever was today. I didn’t have the energy to do anything; I couldn’t even bend my knees. I cry and dive straight into my sleeping bag! The night, the climb, those head torches, Simon and Charles, the frozen bottles, the sunrise, and finally Uhuru felt like a dream, causing the tears of happiness, joy, and gratitude. Along with being extremely tired, my right eye had begun to bother me. Eye drops were ineffective, and I struggled to keep my eye open. With some tissue, I was able to quickly dress up as a pirate with a white eye patch. I was so whiny that I irritated everyone around me! At least this was preferable to Sid’s foot. His blisters were extremely painful and nasty, and his toes had swollen up. He had a very difficult time walking. Remember that he brought his Fitflops? The only person who has ever worn socks and Fitflops during the chilly evenings and nights is probably Sid. The sight of him in his Fitflops was quite comical.
