Day 3 – It’s a marathon, not a sprint

Distance hiked – 26 kilometers (16.2 miles)
Starting altitude – 4,200 meters (13,780 feet)
Highest altitude – 4,895 meters (16,060 feet)
Ending altitude – 3,000 meters (9,840 feet)
Distance ascended – 695 meters (2,280 feet)
Distance descended – 1,895 meters (6,215 feet)

We packed our bags, drank some tea and hot cocoa, ate a few cookies, and by about 3:30 we were on our way to the summit. We had put on so many layers of clothing that we looked like stay-puff marshmallow people as we slowly started the hike. It was definitely cold – around 20-25 degrees F – but as we climbed higher and higher and got warmer and warmer, we had to keep stopping to shed layers. To be honest, I didn’t mind the stopping – even a couple of steps made me out of breath (and I’m in pretty decent shape right now). As we climbed, my legs felt like lead and I knew my muscles weren’t getting as much oxygen as they’re used to.

But our guide took us at a really slow pace, stopping frequently, and none of us had any really adverse reactions to the altitude. And about three hours after we left the camp, we were watching the sun rise above the clouds – it was absolutely beautiful. We made the last push to the summit, took lots of photos, rested with some chocolate and cookies, and started the trek back down.

This would be our longest hiking day – 14 hours in total – and even though hiking down a steep slope can be just as physically demanding as hiking up, it was mentally so much easier. I was no longer worried that we might not make it to the top or that one of us might get altitude sickness, and with every step I took I knew that the air was getting thicker and more full of oxygen.

We were taking a different route down the mountain than the one we took up, and the scenery was even more spectacular. The route we took down was also much less crowded, which was very nice.

We hiked and hiked and hiked and hiked, and finally we made it to the Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge where we spent our final night on the mountain. Even though we were staying in cabins and at a relatively low altitude, it was actually the coldest of the three nights – I think because we didn’t have the body heat from all of the bunkmates we had up at Old Moses Camp and at Shiptons Camp. Still, I slept like a log!

Me climbing up the last stretch to the top. That white dot in the middle is the moon. (Photo courtesy of Eleonora).

Sunrise.

Me at the top. That’s Nelion to the right – the second highest peak on the mountain -- it's about 200 meters higher than Lenana.

View from the top.

View from the Chogoria route on the way back down the mountain.

Resting at Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge – what could be better than a fireplace and a beer after 26 km of hiking!?!?