Berg

Hear Wally's Call from Africa

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It was about 13 hours ago when we began moving. We just finished about an hour and a half, having lunch prepared by Tobias' staff up at the Barafu Camp, the High Camp. And we've just descended a couple thousand feet from there already. I keep bestowing the virtues of descent and how thick the air gets and how good it makes you feel—I'm looking at a dusty crew right now that's going 'yeah, well when does this happen.' But they're also a very happy crew because of our success today. I've got to say that, as you know, I've done a lot of climbs on this mountain and it still never ceases to impress me what it takes with the determination and the ability to stick through it through the morning.

We had a great trip. Various times, as we were climbing up towards the crater rim, different ones of us, including myself, were feeling altitude, feeling the cold, just the monotony of the grind. We warmed feet on stomachs at one point. We whined a little. But, I never saw anyone that wasn't absolutely determined to continue and of course the reward was that crater rim, which we reached about 7 o'clock this morning with the sun coming up over all of East Africa—really great day.

So we're sitting here with Tobias ready to kind of stroll down the trail three more hours. Kate just mentioned that it will be a little nostalgic tonight—our last night camping on the mountain. But, our focus has already moved toward showers and the lodges back in Arusha and the fun and adventure that we're going to have on safari.

So, I'll take it up from there with you as we get under way with the safari in the next couple of days.

—Alpine Ascents Guide Wally Berg, MountainZone.com Correspondent