There is much beauty to admire on the way down and despite our intense desire to reach the hot showers that will be waiting for us at our hotel, we pause frequently to take it all in.

With the exception of wind burned faces and this small blister, we both have managed to avoid any serious injuries. I am still not feeling 100% and am beginning to wonder if my ataxia (loss of balance) at the top was due to an allergic reaction to a Diamox pill I had taken twenty minutes earlier. It was my first dose ever of this drug which is supposed to improve the bloods ability to carry oxygen at high altitude. In the end it does not matter, Charles made the correct decision to send me down as continuing to ascend would have been life threatening in either scenario (AMS or Diamox reaction).

Nico started the climb with a brand new set of crutches donated to him by the Walk Easy Company. By the end of day six they looked like they had been through a war zone. The new shock absorbing tips he used made a big difference because they reduced the wear and tear on his hands and they articulated very well giving him much better purchase on uneven rocks.

When we wake up this morning we will have both slept for over 12 hours which is a good thing as we still have 19 kilometers between us and the Marangu gate which will take us 9 hours to reach.

Nicolai returns to our Kibo base camp after a rapid two hour descent expecting to find me there. Because I have descended via the Barafu route (designated for emergency use because it is the fastest way off the top) I am on a different side of the mountain. Each of us will have to descend for another three hours before we are reunited at the Horombo Huts camp at about 6PM.

Nico pauses for a rest before another round of scree running as he descends. Click on the photo for a good look at the small volcanic rocks that constitute scree. The trick, while sliding down the slope on the equivalent of a field of marbles, is to avoiding collisions with the larger rocks like the one on which Nico is sitting.

At 11:18AM Nicolai stands at the summit of Kilimanjaro having achieved his dream and demonstrated the passion, determination, and grit that define his character. It will be several hours before I learn of his success, at which time I nearly burst with pride and admiration for my son who went up the mountain a boy and came down a man.

Fotunately, before descending I have the where with all to pass my camera to Charles who continues to document Nicolai’s ascent.

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.

Because we have taken longer to ascend than normal the clouds are now starting to roll in. Nothing, however, diminishes the feeling of being on top of the world.

Here is a picture of the summit as we make our approach. If you click on the photo you can actually see the sign for Uhuru Peak in the upper right hand corner.

Here we are looking down into the crater of the volcano and across to the northern ice fields.

Shortly after 9AM we are passing by the glacier fields which according to most estimates will have vanished by the year 2015 robbing Kilimanjaro of its very distinctive white cap.

Finally, at just after 8AM we reach Gilman’s Point. The top of this dormant volcano is a rim and we have reached it. At this point we will receive credit for climbing the mountain but Nico decides he wants to continue around the rim to the highest point at Uhuru Peak.