Sale el sol y llegamos a la cumbre... // The Sun Rises and We Reached the Summit...
18 de Agosto...
Caminando hacia el Pico Uhuru // Walking to Uhuru Peak |
A las 6 y media de la mañana, ya con el sol en alto,
llegamos a Stella Point en la cumbre de la montaña. Aun nos faltaba una hora
más de camino para alcanzar el punto más alto del continente. Rodrigo había
vomitado unas 23 veces, según su cuenta, y Marcela había llegado a duras penas.
La conciencia aún me remordía de pensar de que estaban sufriendo por mi culpa.
Descansamos unos minutos al sol, sin que llegase a
calentarnos. Los guías se impacientaban de vernos descansando. Las paradas en
la cumbre debían ser cortas y eso lo sabíamos desde el primer día. Debíamos
decidir si continuar nuestro camino al pico Uhuru, una hora más arriba, y, por ende,
añadir dos horas más de camino, o comenzar el descenso allí mismo.
Entre Stella Point y el pico Uhuru //
Between Stella Point and Uhuru Peak
|
Dejamos la decisión en los niños...
El último tramo se nos hizo fácil. La pendiente era
suave, el camino amplío y los excursionistas que ya estaban de vuelta nos daban
ánimos. Rodrigo seguía con malestar, pero se había liberado de 'pasito-pasito'
para irse delante con el guía que caminaba más rápido. Marcela había cambiado
completamente de talante y volvía a estar alegre, y Federica, que resultó ser
la más dura de todos, estaba de lo más social felicitando y conversando con
todos cuantos subían o bajaban de la montaña.
A mí, en cambio, me pegó un malestar estomacal que me puso de mal humor. Ni fotos me provocaba tomar y lo hacía obligado. En un punto claudiqué y le cedí la cámara a Federica para que se encargara de inmortalizar los momentos.
Marcela ya de buen talante con Fede y el Guía Focus //
Marcela in good spirit with Federica and our Guide, Focus
|
August 18.
Meantime the soil turned sandy and soft. We had Stella Point into
sight. Our path was converging with the lights coming through the Coca Cola
route. At our left side was an ice wall, the eternal Kilimanjaro´s glacier, which
at least had a meter and a half high. The vision of the summit returned the spirit
to children.
At 6 thirty in the morning, with the sun up, we reached Stella
Point at the top of the mountain. Still we were an hour away to reach the
highest point of Africa, peak Uhuru. Rodrigo had vomited 23 times, according to
his own account, and Marcela had barely reached it. My conscience was still bothering
me just thinking that the kids were suffering because of me.
We rested a few minutes in the sun, without ever getting warm. The
guides were impatient to see us resting. The stops at the summit should be
short, and we knew it from day one. We had to decide whether to continue our
way to Uhuru Peak, one hour more above, and therefore add two more hours to the
climb, or begin the descent right there.
Pico Uhuru: lo más alto de África // Uhuru Peak: the roof of Africa |
We leave the decision to the children...
The last section was easy. The slope was soft, the road broad, and the
hikers who were already descending back to Barafu Camp gave us courage. Rodrigo
was still upset, but was released from 'mini step guide' to go ahead with a
faster guide. Marcela´s mood had completely changed and was cheerful again, and
Federica, which proved to be the hardest of all, was completely social
complimenting and talking to everybody.
My mood, however, was not the best. The altitude probably spoiled my
stomach which put me in a bad mood. I didn´t feel like taking pictures or
socializing with other climbers. “The Grinch and me”. At one point I gave up
with the camera and passed it to Federica, giving her the task of immortalizing
the moments.
I did not enjoy the summit as I would have wanted. I felt a great pride
of Rodrigo and Marcela for not giving up and keeping trying until the end,
despite the unpleasantness they were feeling. I felt the excitement and pride of
having reached the summit together, but my upset stomach tarnished the moment.
We should have to do it again!
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