Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, 1985 |
 Philipp was once again the fittest and fastest of our party. Together with an assistant guide, he got to Uhuru Peak long before anyone else. The rest of us were far slower: the climb from Gillman’s Point to Uhuru Peak – an altitude gain on only 210 metres / 689 feet – took us about an hour and three-quarters. Even though I was a very fit long-distance runner (with a marathon time of 2.53.53 under my belt), I found myself occasionally gasping for air. At best, my breathing was laboured and rasping. |