Mountains

[TheBitch]

On 29/12/2024 at 04:45, Bernard Diomede said:

The view from the bottom and top of Mount Kilimanjaro. We got to the top on Boxing Day. Absolutely gruelling!

How did you find the altitude, mate?

[Bernard Diomede]

9 hours ago, TheBitch said:

How did you find the altitude, mate?

I was sound until I got to 5300 metres and then I went to pot. Spewed up, had to have a shite on the mountain and the dizziness and jelly legs got worse and worse. I ended up having to walk separately from our group with the guide keeping a close eye on me and just had to focus on the guides feet in front of me. I genuinely don’t remember about 2 of the last 3 hours in the dark and then it was like  somebody slapped me around the chops and woke me up and all of a sudden the sun was up and I was nearly there. It was a mad mad feeling. I’ve done marathons, triathlons and marathon swims and I’ve never lost control of my body like that before. Hardest thing I’ve ever done. 

[TheBitch]

19 minutes ago, Bernard Diomede said:

I was sound until I got to 5300 metres and then I went to pot. Spewed up, had to have a shite on the mountain and the dizziness and jelly legs got worse and worse. I ended up having to walk separately from our group with the guide keeping a close eye on me and just had to focus on the guides feet in front of me. I genuinely don’t remember about 2 of the last 3 hours in the dark and then it was like  somebody slapped me around the chops and woke me up and all of a sudden the sun was up and I was nearly there. It was a mad mad feeling. I’ve done marathons, triathlons and marathon swims and I’ve never lost control of my body like that before. Hardest thing I’ve ever done. 

Fuck, I did Everest base camp, but went up to a high point called Kala Patthar, getting up to that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done too.
 

I’m pretty fit (or was) I’m not in your league of marathons and triathlons though) but every single step is so hard, and I just couldn’t get my head around it. 

I couldn’t sleep on the route up though, I struggled massively with my sinuses at night, it felt like they were going to explode through my face every night, the cold was affecting my throat as well, it was -6 in my room, all this combined meant I couldn’t sleep, which was then a vicious circle of more tiredness, I was also battling my own personal mental demons and there was just me and a guide and nobody to really talk to. 

 

Good effort for making it up, the pictures are fantastic. 
 

I’ll be honest I didn’t even feel that happy when I made it up until I turned and saw Everest and I then got quite emotional. 
 

Coming down and it feels like every single step closer to sea level you can breathe more easily and it’s an absolute pleasure. 

 

 

[Code]

Some mountains and fjords in Norway.

 

 

[Code]

I would say the best part of Norway for mountain trips would be to visit Sunnmøre and the Sunnmøre alps.

 

https://www.norwaysbest.com/en/inspiration/experience-the-sunnmore-alps-from-alesund

 

There will be a direct flight to Ålesund from Gatwick with Norwegian soon, think it starts in a few weeks time. 

[Bernard Diomede]

11 hours ago, TheBitch said:

Fuck, I did Everest base camp, but went up to a high point called Kala Patthar, getting up to that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done too.
 

I’m pretty fit (or was) I’m not in your league of marathons and triathlons though) but every single step is so hard, and I just couldn’t get my head around it. 

I couldn’t sleep on the route up though, I struggled massively with my sinuses at night, it felt like they were going to explode through my face every night, the cold was affecting my throat as well, it was -6 in my room, all this combined meant I couldn’t sleep, which was then a vicious circle of more tiredness, I was also battling my own personal mental demons and there was just me and a guide and nobody to really talk to. 

 

Good effort for making it up, the pictures are fantastic. 
 

I’ll be honest I didn’t even feel that happy when I made it up until I turned and saw Everest and I then got quite emotional. 
 

Coming down and it feels like every single step closer to sea level you can breathe more easily and it’s an absolute pleasure. 

 

 

Yeah getting used to the pace is mad isn’t it that type of walking takes a proper toll mentally I reckon. The other one for me was having no frame of reference for altitude sickness before this. I’d been struggling with a cough and cold for about 8 weeks prior to going and one of the lads in work said to me before I left ‘I’m genuinely worried about you because you won’t stop’ and when things started going a bit wrong I couldn’t help but think should I be stopping here! I never really struggled from a breathing perspective weirdly though it was more dizziness and vision issues. Tbf the guide was boss and I pretty much resolved to saying to myself, I’ll tell him exactly how I feel and let him make the call.