"There and back again" by Kerusan
19 Monday February 2007 Filed in: Travel
We had to
go up very early this morning cause the people at
the reception told us that the walk up on
Mt.
Ngauruhoe (aka. Mt. Doom in LOTR)
would
take 6.5 hours, for an ordinary trained
trekker and they had seen 70 year old persons
go up but they had to struggle, they said.
Well with my stamina I probably would be in
that category.
After having a sturdy breakfast we drove the car to the base-camp Mangatepopo. Susanne and Anna wanted to stay at base-camp and chill this day, maybe drawing or painting the surroundings. It was astonishing to see how the nature changed so quickly from ordinary Irish sheep-hills to Kebnekaise nature. We started at 10 o'clock and we hoped to be back for a nice ready dinner at 17.
Robin took the lead with a backpack filled with video-equipment, Rickard carried the water and Lotta the food. Since I carried the the most heavy burden I had no backpack. I was carrying the Ring. A Ring of fat round my stomach and the higher we came the more this burden felt. After a light walk up the first hour we started to climb up to the saddle between Mt. Doom and Mt. Tongariro, the walk up was hard for me but I rested now and then so when we came up to our first food stop I was filled with confidence that I would make it.
The last part of the climbing looked hard, the mountain was made of lava gravel and quit steep. That meant 2 step up and 1 step back and was supposed to take 2 hours. I was, not surprisingly, the one that took most breaks and the others had to wait for me all the time, the Ring really felt enormously heavy now and I was crying for "Samwise" to carry me the last part. Well as always when it feels totally impossible to take another step more, the path became lighter and we saw the top and understood that we would make it. At the top of the volcano we saw that smoke came out of the side of the crater. We had done it! We had beaten the Mountain just like Frodo and Sam did, and that only in just 4 and a half hour from base camp. We where now at the top 2287 meters above the sea-level.
We stayed for half an hours before gliding down the step side of the mountain, now and then gliding on our backs down the gravel. On the way down I heard Robin shout something and he was pointing up where I had been a minute ago. I looked up and there came big stones tumbling down right at me. I rolled to the side and saw them passing me 2 meters away, thank God for caring children.
The last part of the walk I was trying to run to Rickard who had gone in advance, but he was also running so I did not come any closer until I stepped into the caravan again and saw the pasta dinner Susanne had prepared to us. I was back and looked up on the dark mountain we had conquered. Hmmm, I think I forgot to drop the ring up there, but it does not feel so heavy anymore. Strange.
After having a sturdy breakfast we drove the car to the base-camp Mangatepopo. Susanne and Anna wanted to stay at base-camp and chill this day, maybe drawing or painting the surroundings. It was astonishing to see how the nature changed so quickly from ordinary Irish sheep-hills to Kebnekaise nature. We started at 10 o'clock and we hoped to be back for a nice ready dinner at 17.
Robin took the lead with a backpack filled with video-equipment, Rickard carried the water and Lotta the food. Since I carried the the most heavy burden I had no backpack. I was carrying the Ring. A Ring of fat round my stomach and the higher we came the more this burden felt. After a light walk up the first hour we started to climb up to the saddle between Mt. Doom and Mt. Tongariro, the walk up was hard for me but I rested now and then so when we came up to our first food stop I was filled with confidence that I would make it.
The last part of the climbing looked hard, the mountain was made of lava gravel and quit steep. That meant 2 step up and 1 step back and was supposed to take 2 hours. I was, not surprisingly, the one that took most breaks and the others had to wait for me all the time, the Ring really felt enormously heavy now and I was crying for "Samwise" to carry me the last part. Well as always when it feels totally impossible to take another step more, the path became lighter and we saw the top and understood that we would make it. At the top of the volcano we saw that smoke came out of the side of the crater. We had done it! We had beaten the Mountain just like Frodo and Sam did, and that only in just 4 and a half hour from base camp. We where now at the top 2287 meters above the sea-level.
We stayed for half an hours before gliding down the step side of the mountain, now and then gliding on our backs down the gravel. On the way down I heard Robin shout something and he was pointing up where I had been a minute ago. I looked up and there came big stones tumbling down right at me. I rolled to the side and saw them passing me 2 meters away, thank God for caring children.
The last part of the walk I was trying to run to Rickard who had gone in advance, but he was also running so I did not come any closer until I stepped into the caravan again and saw the pasta dinner Susanne had prepared to us. I was back and looked up on the dark mountain we had conquered. Hmmm, I think I forgot to drop the ring up there, but it does not feel so heavy anymore. Strange.
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