Chapter 1: Kilimanjaro

A voice echoed over the great expanse of volcanic scree, eerily, unintelligibly.

At first, Gideon´s muffled mind could not disseminate what the voice had proclaimed, but then a connection was made in his mind. It was once again Brett, and he had just let them know that they had passed 5100 metres in altitude. His own altimeter confirmed this statement, and also the fact that the temperature had just dropped to -4 degrees Celcius. He looked up at the black wall of scree that seemed without end. Grimly, ignoring the fact that he could no longer feel his toes and that the water he was sucking on was filled with shards of ice, he put one foot in front of the other... and then another...

The invitation to climb Kilimanjaro had been a long time coming. Gideon Hugo was stuck in the rat race, chasing margins, profits and turnover every day of his life as Regional Manager for the multinational travel company whose South African arm was based in Cape Town. His friend Brett McCallister´s invitation to join a special birthday celebration was something they had often talked about while studying their MBA together, and came as no surprise.

He could clearly recall the conversation on a sunny patio overlooking the vineyards of Stellenbosch, his home town in South Africa. Brett was swigging away at his second Windhoek Lager, and proclaimed suddenly: "Next year I turn 40. I have always wanted to climb Kilimanjaro by the time I hit 40."

That statement hung in the air for a few moments... and then Gideon said those fateful two words that got him into his share of troubles in his life: "Sounds good. I´m in!"

Fast forward one year, and here he was, along with 8 other of Brett´s closest friends, attacking the highest peak in Africa in pitch black darkness, sub zero temperatures and at 3 in the morning...

As he put one foot in front of the other, ignoring the pain in his legs and simply concentrating on his breathing, which, at 5100 metres, was coming in ragged gasps, his mind raced over the events of the last week, and one word kept coming up in his mind.... Jamie.

He had only met the rest of Brett´s mates at the airport in Johannesburg. They were a rowdy bunch and good fun, but at 31 Gideon was by far the youngest of them, all of them save Brett´s German mate Marcus being 40+. They turned out to be a great group of nine very different men with their own demons to face. Gideon was slightly preoccupied with his own challenges as they boarded the plane to Tanzania. A corporate animal his whole life, he had for once prioritized this trip in lieu of cancelling it to ensure his political survival. His bosses in Sydney had passed him over for the job of Managing Director: South Africa, citing his relative youth as the reason. His new boss was on his way from Australia at that very moment...

Thoughts of work soon dissipated as the group took on the rigours of climbing Kilimanjaro. They had elected to climb the picturesque Machame Route, which would take take them from 1800m to 5800m, the highest point in Africa, in 5 days. The first day´s walk was a mild one through beautiful rainforest, and they had camped at 3000m. That night, the campsite was alive with the excited buzz from other climbers on the same route. In particular, Gideon struck up a friendship with two American girls who had taken on the challenge as well (he had to carry the flag as the only single man in the tourgroup, after all).



http://www.ewpnet.com/machame.htm


Arrive at the Springlands Hotel (B&B).
Drive to Machame village. The climb begins at the end of the tarmac road. Walk through shambas then forest to the Machame hut (3000m, about 6 hours).
Continue along the steep ridge going on to rock ridges and through heather. The route turns west into a river gorge, reaching Shira hut at 3800m, 5 hours.
Continue east towards Kibo passing the junction, then east towards the Lava Tower. Shortly after this, you descend to Barranco hut (3940m, 4 hours).
A short scramble to the top of the Great Barranco and then a traverse over scree and ridges to the Karanga Valley (4000m, 3 hours), beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. After climbing out of the Karanga Valley the trail ascends a ridge to the Barafu Hut, a bleak location with little vegetation at 4600m, (3 hours walking).
An early start for the ascent to the rim of the Kibo Crater between the Rebmann and Ratzel Glaciers, (4 hours); the last section before the rim can sometimes be snow-covered and an ice-axe or ski stick is useful for balance. From here a further hour leads to Uhuru Peak, from where there are often fine views of Meru to the west and the jagged peak of Mawenzi to the east. Descend to the Barafu Hut for a rest and lunch before continuing on down to camp at Mweka Hut in the giant heather zone on the forest edge. Those with energy on the summit may wish to descend to the Reutsh Crater and visit the dramatic ice pinnacles of the Eastern Icefields.
A 3-4 hour descent through beautiful forest brings you to the Park gate and your waiting transport. Drive back to the hotel.
Depart hotel after breakfast. Transfer to airport or continue on an extension.
Premise:

Gideon Hugo climbs Kilimandjaro as part of travel writing job with Travel the Globe guidebooks. He meets the beautiful Jamie Morales and her friend Shelley Blackstone at the first camp, and they strike up a friendship as they ascend the mountain. They summit together and at the top of the mountain, Jamie gives Gideon a little Yellow Jasper stone to "commemorate the moment". The resolve to meet at base camp to explore what is a clear chemistry, but by the time Gideon is down there both her and Shelley are gone.

Rico Fuentes in Lima receives a stone and a book from Heather Wallace.

William de Luca intercepts one stone.



He returns to South Africa to find that Travel the Globe was so impressed with his writings on Kilimandjaro that they would like to send him on more international assignments. He is allocated to go to Sabi Sabi to check out the Lion Sands game lodge - and here he will have his first altercation with William de Luca, accompanies by Natalia Sharbakova. They ransack his room that night to try and locate the stone, but he keeps it in his wallet for luck...