Today actually began yesterday at 11 PM when the German group was given their wakeup call. They were very noisy, and, by the time they departed, it was time for our wakeup call.

By the time we started our climb, Kibo Hut was deserted. It was very dark and cold outside but at least there was no wind. The sky was clear and full of stars. There was also a quarter moon visible, which, believe it or not, was bright enough for us to see the trail in front of us - no flashlights were necessary.

The climb to the summit is always undertaken around midnight for several reasons:

1. To watch the sunrise at Gilmans Point,
2. No one can sleep much at this altitude, and
3. To prevent you from seeing what lies ahead so that you will not be discouraged.

Our climbing party consisted of me, Brian, guide: John, and assistant guide: Richard. About 30 minutes into the hike I needed to remove a sweatshirt because I started getting warm. Both John and Richard suffered from the altitude and at the half way point John had to return to Kibo Hut.

The midpoint was located at Hans Meyer cave and it was our first major resting stop. At this point, John went back down, leaving us in the capable hands of our assistant guide, Richard. 10 minutes later we were passing the German group which had departed 1 hour before us.

After passing the Germans, we hit the scree (basically loose gravel), which began what seemed to be an endless number of switchbacks, zigzagging up the slope. The scree was just the start of the difficult part. Our boots did sink into this gravel a little bit, requiring a little more effort to climb, however, the worst part was at the center (of the scree pile) where those descending skid right through on a direct path down. The level path disappeared in the middle of each switchback and required you to walk a short distance at an angle. This angle required a little effort, which at this altitude was a big deal, plus it put alot of unneeded strain on the ankles.

Finally, we made it out of the scree into a zone of snow and boulders. Breathing was starting to become very difficult and what made matters worse was that Richard lost track of the trail. We ended up climbing over many rocks and at this altitude took all the strength I could muster.

Finally we reached what we thought was Gilmans Point, , where we found a plaque with a quote, however, next to us was a peak which had what looked to be a flag pole on top. There was no obvious path to this point and I had no energy to do any more climbing. We made it just before sunrise and waited here about half an hour until the sun had fully risen.

I was exhausted, gasping for breath, and not feeling very good. I was disappointed at what I saw at Gilmans Point. The scenery was spectacular but the grounds around us was littered with garbage. I was also expecting to see other climbers waiting here for the sunrise so we could celebrate the feat of making it this far. There were only the 3 of us.

I was not in a mood to celebrate anyway because my ordeal was not quite over. Brian and I still intended to reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, and there was still plenty of hard work ahead.