Has anyone had the experience of being so tired on that last trek to the summit that they see faces in the rocks and other people's trekking poles leave traces? And how about the thoughts of crawling over to a rock and taking a little 20 minute nap - really, that's all I need...

Pretty funny what your mind can convince you of...

20minute power nap and you could fly up the hill

I know what you mean tho. it gets bad when you are doing the "ill just have a rest @ that next rock thing" and the next rock is about 5 meters away, AND YOU CANT MAKE IT.

I like air.

That's so funny wrldtrvlr, I thought I was the only one seeing animals and faces in the rocks! I was descending with my guide and pointing out all the faces in the rocks and he thought it was really funny.

I never did experience the "I think i'll just take a nap right now" but one of the guys would fall asleep the minute we would stop for a rest break on our way up. It totally freaked me out!

Hey! - that's exactly what my partner kept saying to me at about 600mts from the summit.

He started suffering from AMS - the first symptoms were loss of balance, he began swaying and falling over so we stopped and he sat on a rock for a few minutes and then he said he was fine and started walking again but then just after maybe five or six steps he lost his balance again... after the third attempt, he told us all just to leave him there so he could have a nap on the rock!. He kept saying that all he wanted to do was curl up and have a little sleep!....

Our guide didn't waste any more time and after I shoved glucose tablets and water in my partners mouh, he immediately took him back down to camp.

I continued with my summit attempt (with our assistant guide) and I think I must have gone into some kind of meditive trance. I must have been praying (and I'm not the usual praying kind) in my head for about 2 hours solid and then all of a sudden I had an overwhelming feeling that someone I was close to, was with me on the mountain.

It was a very wierd, surreal, spiritual feeling - I felt the presence of a man - at first I thought it was my partner but I something was telling me that he was safe and that he was already back at camp. And then I thought it was my father, but then I realised almost straight away that it wasn't him, and then I realised... it was my Grandfather who had passed away the year before.

As soon as realised it was him, he smiled at me and I knew that he was really pleased for me and then he was gone and literally as soon as this happened, my guide Frankie, looked at me and asked me if I was okay, and to my amazement I felt absolutley incredible. I wasn't at all tired, my head was so clear, all my senses were so sharp, and I said to my guide, 'yeah, I feel great' and my guide said good, we're at the top, now we just need to walk to uhuru peak'

I literally skipped my way to the peak - in fact the week before I left England, I met a man who had returned from climbing Kili the week before and he was so condescending towards me - He basically said to me that because I was a 'little woman' I wouldn't make the summit and I told him that I was actually planning to run the final bit - and so in spite of him and his sexist attitude, I did run the last 25 yards!...to the applause of my guide Frankie and I was the first person to reach the summit on the 5th November 2006.

But I didn't stay there for long, because I wanted to get back to my partner who was by then back at camp - so Frankie and I ran down the scree all the way back to camp in an hour and half and then we packed straight up and carried on walking all the way down to the final camp - Oh my knees were screaming in pain!


The guides and the porters all thought it was hilarious! - and kept patting me on my back and telling me that I would be a good strong Chagga woman!

To top it all... my partner proposed to me after I got back from the summit... he did actually pop the question when he collapsed 600mts from the top, but I thought he was delirious and so I didn't give him and answer!...so he had to ask me again.. hahaa - What a climb!

I can't wait to do the next mountain!

Kelly

wow. very cool story kellyh01. Ive always wanted to go to there. Sonds like you had a blast. Maybe the next time I go climbing I'll hire you as my porter, you good strong Chagg woman you!