Stella & Uhuru to Mweka

We began at 11 pm on 4 Dec. Very high winds – roughly 25-35 mph. The temperature dropping as we ascended.

Within one or two hours, I lagged the group, accompanied by guide John. I was breathing very heavily and walking very slowly. The rest of the group were able to move on at a quicker pace. I had stomach cramps and, increasingly, nausea. After three hours, with three hours to go to the first peak (Stella), I decided to turn back. I just couldn't see having the strength to not only go on for 3-4 more hours, but also get myself back down to camp. As it was, I thought I would never reach base camp. I had to stop a lot, thinking I was going to vomit.

Everyone else summited. I was so pleased for them and was there to give hugs to Paula and Karen when they made it back. Below is Padraig at Stella, the first summit.

An hour later the hikers reached the second and highest summit, Uhuru, Swahili for freedom.

It would have been maybe 5 degrees Fahrenheit up there. Here is my tentmate Paula, who was raising funds for a charity helping people with hearing loss.

And Neil and Catherine with the tricolour.

When I returned to camp, I got in my tent at around 4 am and waited for the others to return. John came to check on me an hour later, when my oxygen was at 83 (95 is normal). But breathing brings your oxygen back up. The flapping tent was so loud that sleep was not an option. The rest of the hikers came down around 9:30 a.m. Shortly before they arrived, the chef Solomon and his helper Hamissa brought me tea and a bowl of sugar to my tent. Absolute heaven. I was able to eat half an energy bar with my tea and it was lovely to have some warmth and nourishment.

Here are some of the hikers descending with Robin, my favourite guide. He took my pack at the end of days 2 and 3, when I was really struggling. He's young – with 2- and 4-year-old sons. He has been up this mountain more than 150 times – mostly as a porter but recently as a guide.

I don't mind not summiting for various reasons. I don't think "bagging summits" is why I hike. I enjoy the beauty of being in nature and the physical challenge of hiking long distances that attain the reward of remote, beautiful areas. The other hikers described carnage at the top. Vomiting, diarrhea, sobbing. Some of them had wanted to turn back but were willed on by the others. The theme in their experience was suffering, something I'm not that keen on. These hikers have been in the Himalayas, Alps, Dolomites and they said this was the hardest thing they've ever done.

Below is Ciaran, one of many reasons I enjoyed the hike despite the altitude sickness. I think this photo is from an earlier day but I'm just popping things in any old way now.

Our poor hikers got only a half hour rest before hiking two hours down to a lunch spot then two more hours to our final camp, Mweka. The terrain was rocky, very easy to turn an ankle when the hikers were so tired, but everyone made it.

Before dinner, Cathy presented us all with custom 'medals' – I even got one despite not summiting. Here I am with Paul, the joint hike leader. He said he wanted to turn around at the same point I did but his wife made him continue. Everyone was so nice to me, giving me a lot of credit for getting as far as I did.

I later learned the Whiskey Route, the route we took, was the hardest of the multiple routes up Kilimanjaro. Here are Ciaran and Padraig.

Below is the mess tent – a warm place to repair to twice a day for a big hot meal and a lot of laughs. I will miss this crowd. So much humour and camaraderie.

Mweka camp is in a wooded area – I really enjoyed being among trees again. And no wind! So a good night's sleep.

5 Dec.