Awoke due to the cold, the frost breaking off the tent as I stuck my head out to see the sun coming over the Barranco Wall. My, my, it’s huge I thought. We weren't in a rush this morning but by the time we had had breakfast and were about to leave, people were making the top, plenty more were climbing up in in trails, like lemmings. This is the one part of climbing Killi where all the routes come together, so is always busy, busier on a full moon and even busier on a total lunar solar eclipse, given the rarity.
This was a real stop start time, not great for me as I’m not a lover of heights, this was scrambling, climbing and at times having to be helped up over ledges, hundreds of meters up the edge of a cliff, when you couldn't see the bottom.
One particular part which caused a major traffic jam, I had to put my left foot up about waist high, onto something about as big as a can of coke, climb up and reach up, where our guide’s hand was over the top to grab hold of and help me climb the lip and onto the rest of the wall.
Another favorite shout was “just kiss the wall as you inch around it”, as I shimmied around a ledge, kissing the rock as I held onto it, not wanting to look down.
Making it to the top provided some stunning group photos and a bit of a sit down, as I wasn't feeling great. The amount of people on the wall meant we made our lunch stop at 4pm.
The day continued and I was starting to flag, grateful for the training I had done, but this was getting to be hard work.
Then I saw Karanga camp, at 13,100 feet.
Yes, we were going to make it into camp when it wasn't dark, this really lifted my spirits. Yes!
And then I saw the Karanga Valley. This was between the camp and us. Something so steep and deep that you couldn't see the people at the bottom, then you had to climb back up to the camp.
I nearly cried. I would have if I had thought it would have been any use!
Getting down wasn't easy as parts of it you were slipping and sliding on your bottom, holding onto whatever you could.
Carole and Kat shared some M&M’s at the bottom (They had brought enough to feed half of the climbers on the mountain)
Then it was a real slog to the camp, half a step at a time, for ages. There really wasn't anything else but dig really deep, it was so steep.
When I made camp I couldn't even write my diary, I was broken.
I took double dose of my Diamox, the drug to help limit the effects of altitude.
I was desperate, I needed something.
Some food, a proper chat with Tracey and Ollie whilst sitting watching the sun go down onto of the clouds was something I will never forget.
Neither was getting some 3G signal and receiving a tweet from Wessex Commercial Solutions. This informed me that they had voted to forego their Christmas cards to their clients, so as to sponsor me an extra £253.07. Making my £5000 target for Somerset Area Cruse Bereavement Care, this coupled with other messages on social media of support was amazing, truly amazing.
I don't think people realised how much those actions helped me, as I settled into bed at 830.
There was a tear at that moment.
https://www.justgiving.com/Tony-Mattravers/
