19th January

A rest day at the beautiful camp below Mawrenzi. After a late
breakfast we set off on an acclimatisation walk up a narrow ridge
several hundred metres above the camp. The closest to rock climbing
we'll come. We perch on the top and look at Kilimanjaro in the
distance. Then down for lunch, an afternoon of r & r and an early
dinner. Everyone quite quiet thinking of the challenges tomorrow. Dear
Lucy Long Legs has a problem with her eyes, either resulting from
Diomox or a build up of pressure from the altitude and after taking
advice has decided not to come to the summit. Lovely Cath has a
tenacious stomach bug she thought she'd left behind in Nairobi, but
it's back.

20th January

Up early and a long, six hour trek across a bronze, barren landscape
to Kibo base camp at 4,700 metres. Passed the remnants of a crashed
plane. We found dead butterflies and a beautiful moth. All victims of
flying too high. A packed lunch among some rocks watching a storm
trying to rise from the west against winds from the east. We're all
doing well. Cath's feeling better. We rest this afternoon listening to
thunder, have dinner at 5.30, then try to sleep before waking up at
11.30 to leave for the summit at midnight.