A quiet day in camp...

3rd July 2017

... for me anyway.

Most of the group have gone off for our final acclimatisation trek, I have stayed behind with our recuperating invalid.  He is doing much better, but he has barely eaten for the last four days so a five and a half  hour trek would not do him any favours!

We did go for a little walk though.  Just an out and back to the nearest village, Monduli Juu.  He kept up a fine pace and we stopped at the bakery on the way back to pick up our 'Happy Accident' ginger rolls and to show him some of the work they were doing.  He sleept well when we got back! I sat, alternately in by sun and shade, reading my book.

The boys did well on their walk, the cooler weather at the start seemed to help them and they walked steadily.  The enjoyed a hearty lunch and my addition of the ginger rolls went down well.

Engrossed in a game of bottle caps.

We discussed the issue that has been at the back of my mind for a while.  If one of the students can't complete the climb the one of the teachers will have to stay with them.  Reasons for this could be altitude sickness or the students not being mentally and physically prepared for the ordeal.  Either way it will be gutting to have come so far and not be able to make it to the top.  The thought of sitting around for days waiting for everyone else is not appealing. We'll have to find a fair way to decide who comes down, but the reality is that I probably only have a 50% chance of making it to the summit.  

How will I feel if I have to come down with one of the boys? Gutted.  Completely and utterly gutted.  I'd return home feeling as though I had missed out on something really special.  I'd definitely be looking into packages that I could book so that I could come back and summit in the future.