Near the summit
After climbing for nearly 9 hours on Day four, we finally broke through the tree line to reach the tufted grassy final reaches of the mountain. We would not have made it without the incredibly strong men of Gashaka, 12 of whom were our porters for the trip.
The guy to the left of the image carried a large bag of rice on his head all the way up (it was difficult just to lift the thing up). In another place he would have made a fine athlete. Just beyond him by about a mile is the Cameroon border, where we spent half a day's walking on the way down the following day..
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5 comments:
Looks like fun and some really great pix! Is this a popular climb (i.e. are there many organized trips with guides, porters etc)? How long did entire climb take you and how many were in your team?
I hear you about the porters being unsung heroes. I recently climbed Kilimanjaro and was really put to shame (as were the rest of my co-climbers) by our team of porters that stripped down camp daily and raced past us up the mountainside at "porter speed" to set up camp in new, higher location while we struggled slowly up.
We would frequently get to camp, utterly spent to find them sitting around, chatting and sometimes smoking! I'm trying to figure out how to add photos and will attach some to my next post.
These are the things that we just don't do, and so haven't got the inclination to exploit for their tourist potential. I envy you on this one...
So, when you got to the top, did you look around, sigh and say "This view is worth it" or "It was worth the climb" or "this was worth every single pain in my ass" or whatever that famous sentence is every single climber says at the top?
I am not a mountain person myself...I am more of a "water" person, give me the ocean anyday...but recently I have been doing alot of hiking...which takes alot of "condition" which I am yet to build up...I am basically fucked up after an hour. 9 hours? in one day? damn! I'd have to train for at least a year to attempt this kind of ordeal.
Una try sha.
9 hrs ke? Sorry the diva in me just can't take it! It is you biko!
Oh wow. Stunning. I'm deeply envious! Next time...
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