Been away for a week, climbing Mt Kenya with some members of my school :)

It was fantastic. Very cold, very hot, very exhausting, but amazing.

I got up at 5am last Sunday, and took a taxi to school, with two rucksacks - one containing a sleeping bag and spare clothes, which a porter would carry, and another one with a bottle of water, my camera etc for me to carry during the day.

Those who wanted to from the last three years could come - and some people from the French school in South Africa were coming too. In total there were 21 girls, 23 boys, three adults from my school and six from the SA school.

We left the school around 6.15, and reached the park entrance a bit after 12. We had lunch, and then walked for between three and four hours along a sunny, dusty road which was all uphill. Day 1 was my least favourite. It wasn't that tiring, it was just unpleasant. Also it started pouring with rain halfway to the camp.

The camp had several dormitories and a long, thin room where we ate.

On the second day we walked seven hours or so. It was much nicer - a path, not a road; rivers and streams; lovely scenery... And so many butterflies!! They were absolutely everywhere, it was surreal.

I got a bit altitude sick, especially when going uphill. Apparently about 10% of a group can get altitude sickness, and, blast it, I was one of them. I think I got it the least badly, though, there were some who were really sick. I just got a tummy ache and felt sick, especially when going uphill.

We got to the next camp about two hours before sunset.

The third day we stayed in the same place, to get accustomed to the altitude. We walked up to 4700m (the camp is at 4200m and Lenana Peak, the third highest on Mt. Kenya and the only one you can climb without climbing equipment, is at 4900m or so). That was ok. We went slowly and there was an amazing view from the top. For about halfway down you could ski down the scree which was fun :P

The next day, everybody got up at 1.30am, so we could climb to the top of Lenana Peak in time to see the sunrise.

But, suddenly, I felt ill. Really ill; hot, sick, feverish. So ill I actually went back to bed, and was told I would meet up with the group with the porters, who took a short cut.

Everybody else headed off into the darkness, ill little me staying in bed feeling dreadful. I was really disappointed that I couldn't go, but simply felt too ill to even consider walking. One of my teachers was going to stay with me.

Actually two guides and three teachers (two of mine, one of the SA school's) were still at the camp. I suppose they were going to rush and catch up with the group when it was certain I couldn't come.

But then the SA teacher asked me to check if I had my period - yes, I did. She gave me a tablet and in five minutes I was feeling absolutely fine, and able to go with them! I was so pleased I could go :)

We caught up with the group after about 15-20 minutes of walking.

The climb was hard. It was freezing cold and uphill and the altitude - ugh. Plus I'd put my bottle of water down on the table when I'd felt ill, and then when I was able to go I couldn't find it so I had nothing to drink. The dark shapes of the mountain loomed up above you and you kept thinking "ok, this must be it, it can't be any higher" - but no. At least five times did I think we must be finally there, but then discover that there was yet another higher point.

Three people became too ill to get to the top, but I made it just as the sun began to appear over the horizon. It was wonderful ^.^

But it was so cold, I could take hardly any photos. My fingers were too numb without my gloves and I couldn't regulate the settings with the gloves on. Argh.

We walked at least twelve hours that day. Down the mountain and over many, many hills. And always, thousands of butterflies!

We stopped for an hour at 10am to have breakfast (I feel asleep in the grass) and again at 2pm for lunch. We reached the last camp at about 4pm, and the next day - Thursday - were driven back to school.

If you'd asked me on Thursday if I wanted to climb Mount Kenya again, I'd have said maybe, but in at least five years.

On Friday it had changed to three years.

Saturday, next year.

If you offered me to go again now, immediately, I'd say yes!