Was too tired to write about my sri padha adventure all these days, but now since me and my poor muscles are recovering (faster than expected) I have no reason to procrastinate.
How was it? Awesome & Worsome! :)
Started the climb all wrapped up in warm things, redbull cans and all smiles. I can do this. The couch potato without any exercise whatsoever for the last 5 months. CAN.DO.THIS. Starting time-2.10am
15 minutes later.
I was panting heavily. Imagine that. Before going I had this plan of documenting the track uphill by means of photographs. But few steps into the climb I forgot everything about anything. But all in all the first hour was good. We made good progress, even with my friend having gotten nauseous from the busride.
1.5 hours later..
Stopping every 25 steps or so. For a break of 3-4 minutes. My friend had slowed down. I actually didn't know it, until I turned back around and couldn't spot her anymore. I was advised to continue the climb without waiting for her, so climb I did. By this time my strategy was to climb to a point where I couldn't see the place/steps I took the previous break. It worked well.
2 hours later..
Are we there yet?????
how much further?
are those 3 lights the top?
Thank goodness one of the guys climbing alongside had done this climb before several times and knew all the right answers. the right answers=the right lies.
At this point the breaks were getting longer. Climbing at certain points included all four paws. Steps were getting steeper. Legs were starting to hurt. The little teahuts you come across every 20 minutes were crawled into with a welcome sigh.
3 hours later..
Tell me that is the peak pls! Why am I doing this to myself. why why why. (insert some swearing here and there)
The guys ( whom I got to know only that day) found it a little bit amusing I think.
Since it was night, we couldn't see the peak of the mountain but only the lights curving upward, and when you are climbing you can only see the lights upto a certain distance before it bends off. So you keep climbing thinking it's somewhere there, and poof. more lights appear. And you climb again. those lights were mocking me I tell you.
The plan was to reach the top before sunrise. It was 5am already and I was told we have about another 1.5 hour climb left. HOW!?!
We might miss the sunrise. noooh. climb the next 3 steps with newly gained motivation. stop. tiredness hits you and just feel like sleeping right there with the cold mountain air lulling you to sleep.
Around 1 hour later..
By this time I don't have the strength to speak. Even the guys are silent and all of us are focusing on getting to the top. somehow. before sunrise.
We can see the early rays of dawn. I loose track of time after this, and now it's a matter of surviving each 'oh-shit' corner and climbing the one step in front of you. each step is painful. Each ohshit corner dwindles any faith of reaching the stop. Ohshit corners was christened by a friend in the group, describing the reactions of the climbers when they make the turn on these corners. You see, by this time we are almost, right, at the top. you can hear the temple bells at the peak, you can see the beautiful scenery. And you see a flight of steps dissapppearing around a corner into a boulder and you think that's the top. You reach there with new found motivation. turn. 20 more steps await you. OH SHIT.
Believe me you, there are about 10,15 of such corners right at the top. It's painfullllllll.
The last few flight of steps you actually have to drag yourself up the very steep steps by holding on the both the railings and pushing with your arms as well. atleast I had to. gah.
Somehow. I did it. I made it before the sunrise. There was no cry of joy at the top coz there was no energy left for that. I found a comfortable solitary corner by myself (my friend hadn't reached yet) and waited. The pics will explain the sheer beauty of everything that followed I guess.
The sunrise left me speechless for good half an hour as I just sat there. It was peaceful. and everything seemed to come together, one of those perfect moments. I couldn't feel the tiredness anymore. The hopeless romantic that Iam, the old me would have been wondering how wonderful it would have been to share this moment with someone close. But surprisingly I wasn't even close to thinking that. For the first time in my life I was witnessing something so romantic and fantasy like, yet I was completely happy by myself high up there in the clouds.
The climb down was really painful. I mastered a new penguin walk, but it was all worth it in the end. I would definitely go again. And now I know, one day I just might be able to achieve my dream of climbing Mt.Kilimanjaro. All smiles =) =) =)
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