Summit!

Mother f-ing f f f. This was the hardest thing (physically and maybe mentally) I've ever done in my entire life.

First: Woke up at basecamp at 11pm after barfing and feeling ill all afternoon at camp. Put on 5 layers of tops, and 4 layers of bottoms, got the headlamp, and got ready for a 7 hour hike to the summit.

Second: Imagine this-- walking up an ungroomed double black diamond ski hill in the freezing darkness, through snow, ice, and hard packed dirt. Throw in flu like symptoms (aching muscles, chills, nausea, headache). Mix it up with frozen toes and fingers. Take away all of the oxygen you normally breathe. Add in exhaustion, feeling like you're going to fall asleep every 10 seconds, and a mix of extreme drunkenness/ feeling like you're heavily drugged.

Third: Each step is a battle and each step only brings you 3 inches closer up the hill.

Fourth: When you finally arrive at the top, you're really only at Stella Point, which is 5739 meters above sea level. To get to Uhuru Peak, it's another 45 minute walk up an incline.

There were many other amazing pictures of the sunrise and glaciers, but I of course had to post the quintessential Uhuru Peak photo for proof!

Here's Laura and I at the freaking top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not going to lie-- there were many tears shed by me on the way up. I was so exhausted once I got to Stella Point, the guide literally had to drag me up to the top of Kilimanjaro.