We arrive at the Kibo Huts by noon and for the first time encounter other climbers. Those on the decent warn of treatcherous switchback and ice covered paths on the rim. One seems hell bent on convincing me that the ascent is too dangerous for Nicolai and that we should turn back. For the first time Nico has lost his appetite and it takes some coaxing to get him to eat enough carbs for the gruelling climb ahead. After lunch/dinner we spend several hours getting our clothing and gear in order for the summit attempt. Nico has now learned the importance of having exactly the right gear for the conditions we will face and is fully engaged in the 2 hour process of preparing for the climb. We will sleep as much as we can before our wake-up call at 11:30PM. This amounts to little more than three hours for each of us. The outside air temperature is now below zero and we must bring our water bladders and bottles into our sleeping bags to keep them from freezing.