Day 6 Horombo to base camp Kibo Hut

We get to the hut at 2pm it is cold and windy Gabe is really feeling bad the last few hundred yards take for ever.  Kibo is a hard place it is to high and cold for running water and all necessary supplies have to be carried including water.  Gabe is marginal has a bad climb into camp and bad headaches.  Luke has headaches last half but recovers we still are moving well but not eating much and feel miserable.

We get our room with 28 other people trying to climb starting at midnight the room is about 12X20 half men\women we are the only Americans not much talking.  The summit teams start at 10pm with the Chinese first out like always.  We met Mr Chow on the walk up he made it but most of his team froze out Mr Chow is a bad ass.  There are teams from Japan, UK, Sweden, Poland and Spain spend a restless night.  Gabe and another 19 year old from Spain are the youngest in camp.  Our time is midnight we get in our bags at 7pm Gabe has been having bad nose bleeds and tonight was the mother of all nose bleeds we bunked on the opposite side of the room because of his snoring but he comes in the middle of the night looking like someone out of a horror movie both nostrils bleeding and plugs are not stopping it.  We finally get our last toilet paper stuffed up his nose to stop the bleeding and he goes to bed.  We also have a older Japanese guy freak out in the middle of the night.

Our roof buckles all night under the 40mph winds every time someone goes out the door to the bathroom the door is blown open and the sub zero wind blows across our bunks.  When the person gets back they push a rock against the door to keep it closed.  Luke gets up once after a group leaves the door open and locks the door from inside leaving them out side banging till someone lets them in.  We watch waiting our turn to get ready.

Gabe ask me last night why are we doing this my smart ass answer why not.  I am feeling guilty now he has been sick every day but one.  Are they doing this to help me fulfill some mid life crisis?  I hope not.  I don't exactly know why i push i would have done it by myself and to have them join me made me so proud.  They test our blood ox at and gabe is low two days not eating is starting to show.

Luke on the other hand is having headaches but his appetite is fine.  The porters are calling him kiboko,  they were not expecting him to be this strong.  Such a noble sounding name,  Kiboko is Swahili for hippo at first he wasn't liking it but you can tell they are doing it out of respect. 

Our porters and guides are working hard they make 20 dollars a day and carry 40 to 50 lbs to this point.  They want us to make it Amos tells us they take it more serious when it is a family involved.  This is the end for them they start packing for the long walk out.  This is truly the most miserable place i have ever been.