Berg

DISPATCHES

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Mountain Zone, I'm calling you at about 10 minutes until five, the afternoon of the 14th of July. We're now at about 15,700 feet — it's all about to happen here in the next few hours.

I didn't get a chance to get you a dispatch yesterday because I couldn't get a clear line to the Indian Ocean satellite at the Karanga River, but our team has progressed admirably and also in a very blessed manner. Good omens continue to appear here. There was a big, near-full moon that rose over the Barranco Wall the other night right after I talked to you.

Today we found people descending from their climb, reporting very mild conditions and I'm sitting here at 15,700 feet, looking out across a beautiful expanse. Clouds...looking down on the clouds of course; looking over at Mawenzi and we have mild conditions and 12 hours from now I hope to be reporting to you from the crater rim of Kili with this entire team. I think we've got a good shot at that.

If I don't call you from Stella Point at 19,000 feet on the crater, I'll certainly report to you from Uhuru, the very rooftop of Africa, 19,339 feet — our high point tomorrow if we're lucky.

The team is looking good, in great spirits. The Climb for the Cure girls were out with their courage blanket and their banners just a few moments ago. Mark, who I mentioned the other day, who's really active with the team for training for the Leukemia Society of America was out being our photographer as we sort of headed up and got group photos here at our high camp before we begin our climb.

The rest of the team...you have to understand kind of how this high camp scene works, they're all kind of quietly sitting in their tents now. It's early in the afternoon still... early in the evening, but we will take a light meal here, a light, hot meal, hydrate with some hot liquids soon and we'll try to get a few hours rest — 11:30 we'll wake up, 11:30pm tonight on the 14th and I hope to be moving, ascending up towards the crater rim at about 1am. We'll definitely report to you tomorrow, hopefully from the summit of Kilimanjaro.

—Alpine Ascents Guide Wally Berg, MountainZone.com Correspondent

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