Mt. Kilimanjaro

I don't know how to make this story brief- but I have to. Time constraints in Africa seem to keep me on my toes.
Bethany, my girlfriend who accompanied me to Zanzibar just got back from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. I wanted to go with her, but work obviously overrided that decision seeing as how it is a seven day trek. So I wished her well, let her borrow my headlamp, and waited for the stories. Hiking Kili has many factors. The hardest aspect for most is the altitude adjustion, often causing even really fit people to not make it to the top. Most take medication, and keep on trekking. Sometimes it is your mind that doesnt let you continue, whatever the case may be, it is not an easy trek.
Back at home base, we eagerly awaited her arrival. Then it happened, I ran in to her unexpectedly in town, a week later, right before she was coming to visit us.
Despite a less then fit(mentally and physically) travel partner, Bethany had made it!
It wasn't until later that we got the story. She joined Gemma and I in our room, sat on the floor, and the Zanzibar girls were reunited, this time in a different state. She sat there and told us of her trek, how you pass through multiple climates in several days, how she had to put up with this girl from homebase who we had all previously clashed with. Then she told us of how she awoke at midnight the last night, and they began the six hour hike uphill. They do this, because if one were to see what is ahead of you, it is too mentally defeating, so they do it at night. Hiking through snow, they kept going, clearly I can not explain the feeling, but as she sat there, my senses were heightened as she continued the story. As the sun rose, she was approaching the top of Kili, which is almost like a big crater. She reached the top, looking around, above the clouds, and the sun painted the sky with pink and orange. As she looked out she wept, and as she told the story she wept, and as we all sat there, we all wept together. We let it out, tears streaming down our faces. It was a combination of pride in her climb, and acknowledgement of where we are, of who we are, more importantly of who we have become in these last few weeks. We have been growing, learning, struggling, traveling, laughing, comforting, tasting, and loving together. We looked around the room, and sighed a big sense of relief.
We celebrated her last night with a big meal of Indian food and red wine, recalling the stories we have made thus far. Congratualtions Bethany! I look forward to the day when I can return to do this accomplishment. I have a climbing partner in mind....