This photo, taken shortly after 10AM, is the last one I will take while on top of Kilimanjaro. After this rest stop we will continue past Stella Point (5739m) at which time I develop symptoms of severe AMS (acute mountain sickness). I become disoriented and lose the ability to balance while standing up. After climbing for almost six days and ascending 3800m I am ordered to immediately descend with 140m remaining to Uhuru Peak. Charles gives Nico ten seconds to decide if he will descend with me or continue to the summit. Nico is torn, not wanting to be seperated from his father. I tell him that I want him to continue and that he will have to summit for the both of us. At about 10:30AM, with the assistance of Lasti, I begin an emergency descent down the Barafu trail. Using tandem scree running (with Lasti keeping us upright and steering us around the boulders) we descend 1100m in less than one hour literally running down the steepest part of the mountain. Each stride would carry as 10-15 feet as we used gravity to ski down the loose rocks. Despite fearing for my life, it was the most thrilling thing I have ever experienced.