The Climb

Climbing a mountain isn't nearly as easy as it looks. I mean, I thought if you were active enough, you know, worked out, ate well, you can climb, no problem. But altitude is a really interesting phenomenon. All of a sudden, you are contending with so many other factors. Extreme fatigue. Major lack of sleep. Uncomfortable quarters, even when you can sleep. Snorers become the bain of your existence. Severe headaches. Dehydration, no matter how much water you drink. And as each problem is compounded, every day of the climb gets harder and harder. You can be physically fit, but it's mental strength that will get you through it. A test not everyone can pass. One member of our team turned back on the third day because the climb was becoming too gruelling for him. And another man was airlifted from the camp later that same day because the altitude was too much for his body to handle.

On the fourth and last day of the climb, we began our ascent to the summit at dawn so we could watch the sunrise from the top. Flashlights and an open starry sky, our only guiding lights. The last stretch was possibly the most difficult and treacherous. We used ropes at one point to scale a few steep areas, but then were forced to rely on our hands and legs alone to climb the rest. As we reached the top after about an exhausting hour and a half, the sun just beginning to rise over snow-capped peaks, you literally felt like you were on top of the world. Maybe a little too tired to enjoy it, but still...amazing. We planted our Nation Media flag and looked around. Even the oldest members of the bunch were standing there with us. Mind over matter, no doubt, had got us there. Driven by a common cause. It was cold. We were tired. We needed showers. But somehow, nothing compared to the feeling of seeing all that we had endured, ascended, and overcome now far below us. It can't really be put into words. And I don't think much else will ever compare to it. We had made it.

When we returned from the mountain, the CEO of Nation Media welcomed us back and told us we raised more money for famine relief than anticipated. Some of the managers went to deliver the food to needy families in different parts of Kenya and said that in Malindi, for instance, they were expecting to see about 2,000 people lined up. Instead, they got 6,000 Kenyans waiting to put food on their table. They re-distributed what they had as best they could, but it just shows how much more needs to be done.

I posted some pictures of the trek on Facebook, and a friend of mine who saw them said to me: "Do you sometimes wake up in the morning and are shocked at how amazing your life is?"
I smiled to myself.
"Every day," I responded. Every single day.