Some Kind of Hero WOD (Kilimanjaro - Day 2)

The second day I wake up in sunshine. The air is chilly but my sleeping bag is remarkably warm. Clear skies for now.

I sip my first cup of coffee, looking up at the mountain. Magic.

An hour later the clouds roll in and a misty rain sets hold. Naturally right before we start walking. We pack up and head out.

Today’s trek is best described in CrossFit terminology: an unnecessarily brutal and long workout, often named after some military person as a “Hero WOD” (WOD = workout of the day). 4 hours of box step ups, weighted. In globo gym terms its one of those endless stairmasters. The regular (Rx) version is over volcanic rocks, in the misty rain, with depleting oxygen levels.

If I stop moving, my head starts spinning and my legs ache. Eyes to the ground, I admit I take slight pleasure in passing other climbers. They don't even know we are competing, but they are losing, ha. Just when I think I'm doing pretty well, I get overtaken by one of the guys doing the advanced (Rx+) version. A porter, balancing a 25 pound bag on his head and carrying another 25 pounds on his back, with his hands in his pockets as if he's on a stroll in the neighborhood. Stay humble my friends.

Halfway through the day the weather clears, turning into a brilliant blue sky.

Petite wildflowers and cactus all abound, the giant is in the distance.

We arrive at camp in the late afternoon. Camp life - by that I mean glamp life - is very comfortable. The crew is making lunch. I'm basking in the sunshine, a light breeze on my face and a good book in my hand. Ironic how far we wander for the simple things.