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Tea at 15,000 Feet
Tuesday, August 24, 1999

Wally
Berg
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Mountain Zone, I'm calling you at about 2:30, on the 24th of August, from High Camp. We've made it.

Here we go again. I love getting up here, feeling like you're finally up, beneath the glaciers, on the flank of the true summit of Kibo—Uhuru, of course. The crater rims right up there—4,000 feet to go. But, it's a wonderful feeling being back here, especially with a group like this. "The good omen team" has continued to show signs of only the best fortune coming ahead.

This morning we woke up to quite different weather. Actually, had some snow flakes coming down on us at Barranco Camp. We moved on to the Karanga River—you're familiar with the rap by now, I think—still had some snow flakes. Now we've climbed up through the clouds. Of course, the clouds are keeping it warm up here. And just before we arrived the sun broke and we saw the glaciers, saw the route up to the crater rim, and Mawenzi has appeared through the clouds off to the east here. So, everything looks good.

Our team slept better last night; the third night between 12 and 13,000ft. Everyone reported having slept better than the previous nights at that approximate elevation—that's why we go slow and do it this way.

We came into High Camp. We have our afternoon tea, of course, and the trekking style that we've adopted, brought over from Nepal, very influenced by the Brits—of course, always have afternoon tea. And on our trip, afternoon tea includes giant platters of popcorn. And it's pretty interesting walking into 15,000ft and the first comment I heard from behind me, back in the line someplace was, somebody said, "I smell popcorn."

So, here we go with afternoon tea at 15,000ft. We'll be going into our sleeping bags for a few hours rest and I'll try to get you some dispatches tomorrow, the 25th, from perhaps on the way up. But certainly, if we are successful, from Uhuru; the rooftop of Africa.

Alpine Ascents Guide Wally Berg, MountainZone.com Correspondent



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