{"id":25692,"date":"2018-06-26T11:11:40","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T15:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.runkevinrun.com\/?p=25692"},"modified":"2018-06-26T11:11:40","modified_gmt":"2018-06-26T15:11:40","slug":"june-25-june-26-2018-in-my-mind-im-going-back-to-climb-kilimanjaro-a-photo-blog-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/?p=25692","title":{"rendered":"June 25 \u2013 June 26, 2018 \u2013 In My Mind I\u2019m Going Back To Climb Kilimanjaro (A Photo Blog Recap)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m flying back to the USA today (and into tomorrow\u2026 and then laying over in Dulles for close to 10 hours\u2026 and then flying home from there).\u00a0 Instead of once again documenting the rectangular mystery cuisine entrees of the inflight meals or waxing poetic about the logline synopses of the various international and domestic movies available on demand on my flaky and not-very-responsive seatback touchscreen, I thought I\u2019d try and get the photos from my not-too-successful Kilimanjaro Climb prepped for uploading.\u00a0 That\u2019s a long-winded sentence to be sure, and perhaps best indicative of the hyperventilating, never-ending attempts at catching my breath during the multiday hikes on the Marangu Trail.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve tried culling the pics down to some more manageable number but it all still feels like an interminable slideshow carousel \u201cchick-chick\u201d projected slog.\u00a0 That too has a ring of truth capturing the experience in a virtual sense.\u00a0 I know I sound a bit down on the whole thing so let me preface by saying there were great folks in that group and like any hardship or challenge, we bonded over the failures and setbacks and triumphs and celebrations of surviving it all.\u00a0 My best advice for those not there and clicking through the photos is not to linger and just keep going, letting the images wash over and by you in a kaleidoscopic impressionistic manner.\u00a0 That is perhaps the best way to get the dramatic interpretation of the climb.<\/p>\n

It might behoove us all to remember the spreadsheet fellow climber Dave Cook put together:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve telescoped events, smoothed over some of the roughest edges, truncated or simplified narratives or actions, and omitted much that needed not be laid bare for all the world to read.\u00a0 But there is still quite a bit of gossip and innuendo and dirt here.\u00a0 I once again want to reiterate that I met a lot of great folks and pure usual try not to say too much about them as they\u2019re entitled to their privacy and own thoughts and opinions.\u00a0 What appears below are my thoughts and memories and as such should be taken with, in this case, a grain of tanzanite, and may not reflect or accurately depict anyone else\u2019s views or experiences.\u00a0 I for one had experiences that are at times best forgotten and at times best remembered.\u00a0 That is perhaps life in a nutshell.<\/p>\n

With all that said and displayed, I\u2019ve tried to break the images into daily \u201cflip books,\u201d so here we go, flipping out:<\/p>\n

DAY 1 \u2013 Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the beginning, there was rain.\u00a0 We were delayed setting off on our adventure because there was some mysterious new government tax on tourists and the park claimed we owed $2800 (or $200 per person, despite the fact there was 13 of us).\u00a0 Paul was willing to put it all on his credit card; most of us had left our wallets and the majority of our cash back in the safe at the hotel while we climbed the mountain.\u00a0 He took a risk on being reimbursed and having it all worked out; all the more so as when we returned five days later Marie Frances and the Tour Operators apologized but left us all still on the hook for paying back Paul $100 each.\u00a0 All in the group were unhappy and felt the tour organizer should\u2019ve paid that since the price for the climb was all-inclusive save for tips, but didn\u2019t want to leave Paul high and dry; he had after all saved the day here and got us started on the climb (albeit two hours late due to \u201cnegotiations\u201d which resulted in us arriving at the first camp just as night fell).\u00a0 In the end some folks balked at repaying anything thinking they could force the issue and make Marie and Raymond, the Mayor\/Tour Organizer\/Tanzanite Salesman repay it.\u00a0 I assumed that would in fact only screw Paul and that seemed doubly wrong to me.\u00a0 So I paypal\u2019d him the amount via the crappy hotel WiFi.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all political intrigue and backstory that helps set the mood as you scroll these photos.\u00a0 This first day was all about trekking through the rain forest.\u00a0 The climb up was always done \u201cpoli-poli\u201d which in Swahili means \u201cslowly, slowly.\u201d\u00a0 The theory was the slow, shuffling pace provided the gradual acclimatization to the ever-increasing altitude and thus minimize altitude sickness.\u00a0 By day 3 the slow pace was killing my knees and ankles as my stride just couldn\u2019t take it and my fear of being out in the cold significantly longer than the projected times got the better of me.\u00a0 But more on that in a moment.<\/p>\n

For now, some photos of the heads-down, scanning the trail for tree roots and rocks, and slow methodical march through the Tanzanian rain forest:<\/p>\n