The final score... Sprained ankle... Sigh...

Hello,

So, a perfect trip. I learned a lot about myself (as if I didn't know already that 90% of this stuff is mental and i'm so pig-headed that of course I can make it up anything...), about gear, etc., and I had a great time. Probably would have enjoyed it more with some constant company (ahem, my friends, that means some of you have to get off your butts!), but I eally had a good time. The excitement and exposure of the Western Breach, especialy after getting lost in the clouds, will stand out in my memory. Watching James, Babu, Joshua, and Simon climb crazy shit that their insane mazungu client lead them to, will also stick in my mind. Oh, and suffocating in the cater of the tallest free standing volcano in the wold will also, painfully, stay in my memory for a long time.

This was an excellent adventure and despite the high cost (relative scale, I talked to many mazungu on the mountain and I paid orders of magnitude less for my almost self-sufficient trip), I would do it again in a heartbeat. I know there are great mountains to climb in the US, in South America, Europe, etc., but Kili is an interesting place, and I'd love to show it to my friends.

Now, back to Day 8. My muscles were sore from Day 7. James and I jogged much of the way from the peak to 3100 meters - decending by jogging more total distance than you can find almost anywhre in the continental 48 states. My thighs and knees were beat to heck. I mean they felt like mush.

So on Day 8, when we had about 2000 meters to descend, I knew it would be easy but painful. Well... The surface was slick mud and while not thaaaat bad, weak muscles conspired. I rolled my ankle pretty good and heard a slight crunching noise. Ouch! I tested the ankle and it felt fine, but weak. I continued along, and Of Course, I rolled it two more times before the end. Now, as Turtle will attest, I don't believe in sprained ankles. Oh wah, you stretched the tendons and ligaments, stop complaining and get on with it. So of couse I assumed that my superhumansuperflexible body would take care of things.

I got to my crappy Arusha hotel and took a shower. Odd... I had dirt engraved into the left pointy-bone of my left ankle. Engraved! As in, when I rolled my ankle, the pointy bone at the outside of the ankle hit dirt hard enough to embed that crap into the ankle skin. Wow, lots of roll. Oh well.

I sat on my bed and emailed for an hour or two, waiting for my friend to show up. When h messaged that he was here, I stood up and fell back onto the bed. What?!?! Maybe one of the multitude of roaches or other bugs bit my ankle to make it hurt that bad? I stood up again. Nope, no bugs, it's the fact that my left ankle is 3x the size of my right that appears to be the problem. Sigh...

Now I know how Turtle mnanged to walk most of Tenaya with a sprained ankle. The body, like me, doesn't believe in them and doesn't create pain until the ankle becomes as big as a thigh. Stupid body... Argh. I would have borrowed a walking pole and not abused the heck out of the ankle if only my body had let me know...

OK, body, you have 2 days to heal and then we're climbing a much harder mountain than this wussy ankle twisting 19k peak!

Erf!

At least I scheduled 2 days recovey time and no porters to carry my crap :D

Joel