Day 4 - along the trail to Arrow Glacier.  Porter carrying his load..

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier campsite.  The trek from Lava Tower to Arrow Glacier was a short one, about 2 hours.  After a short lunch break, during which a sleet storm blew in, we took off on a 2 hour acclimatizing hike.  This was the view of the campsite from along the trail.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.  Tom, Eligius, Anne, Bobby.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.  View of the campsite from the hike.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.  This section had some difficult sections to negotiate with very slippery footing on the ice pack.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.

Day 4- Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.  Joe, Anne, Jake, Sue, Bobby.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.  Tom, Joe, Anne, Jake, Sue, Bobby.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.  Joe, Anne, me, Jake, Tom, Sue.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.  Eligius.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, acclimatizing hike.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier.   Another sleet storm blew in and we had our dinner served up in our tents.  Pre-summit dinner was potatoes and chopped vegetables.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier, after the sleet storm blew out.  The scenery was spectacular.  We were above the cloud line at this point, approximately 16,000 feet.  Some of the views looked like the edge of the world ... really awesomely spectacular.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier campsite.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier campsite.

Day 4 - Arrow Glacier campsite.

Day 4 Arrow Glacier campsite.  Lala Salaam (good night in Swahili) ... we all hit the sack early.  

My resting heart rate was 96 ... well above my normal Denver rate of 56.  This didn't really concern me since it was consistent with the previous day's increase in rate, Day 2 it was 72, Day 3 it was 84.

At 11PM, we were roused from our sleep, given tea and biscuits and readied ourselves for the summit effort.  We left Arrow Glacier at 12:25AM for the summit via the Western Breach.

Day 5 - push for the summit.  My headlamp's halogen bulb was nonfunctional, leaving me with one LED bulb, barely enough to see a couple of feet ahead.  It was an extremely cold morning but I was very well layered - long sleeved silk undershirt, 2 short sleeved quick dry shirts, 1 long sleeved cotton shirt, 1 polartec pull over, 1 polartec jacket, waterproof shell, 2 pairs of midweight long underpants, pair of hiking pants, pair of waterproof pants, 2 pairs of sock liners, wool sock, silk glove liners, ski gloves, bonnet.

Day 5 - push for the summit.   Eligius, Dominic, and another assistant guide.  

Day 5 - push for the summit.  Sue and Bobby huddling up.   This section of the Western Breach required some scrambling.  Shortly before this picture was taken, Bobby broke one of his poles.

Day 5 - push for the summit.  Stella's Peak at dawn.  Jake, Tom, Anne, Joe.  Shortly after, Tom succumbed to altitude sickness and had to miss the final 300 vertical feet to the summit. 

Day 5 - push for the summit.  Stella's Peak. 

Day 5 - push for the summit.  Stella's Peak.

Day 5 - push for the summit.  View of Mt. Meru from Stella's Peak.

Day 5 - push for the summit.  Stella's Peak.

Day 5 - push for the summit.  Stella' Peak. 

Day 5 - push for the summit.  Stella's Peak.  Eligius and Joe beside a glacier. 

Day 5 - push for the summit.  Stella's Peak.

Day 5 - push for the summit.  View from Stella's Peak.