We were woken around 9:45pm, and after checking our day packs one last time, and dressing in our warmest of clothes (I was wearing layers and layers) we assembled in the mess tent for a last warming cup of tea before we set off with our head torches glowing. It is hard to explain just how slow our pace was when we set off, "polé polé" (slowly, slowly), which had been our motto the rest of the trek, suddenly took on a whole new meaning, and we literally ascended at snail's pace, with the porters urging "don't make a gap" and "keep moving" whenever anyone slowed or felt the need to stop for a rest. I think we were all optimistic when we set off, with the stars clear in the sky, and a bight orange half-moon rising, that we would have good weather the rest of the climb. Really, we should have known better! Before too long, the stars began disappearing behind the clouds and the wind picked up. And then the snow started. And didn't stop. And before too long, our group began to divide up, but the porters with us kept us going, pushing, pulling, dragging when necessary. The altitude was definitely getting to most of us, with headaches and nausea being the most common symptoms. But after a final push, when the sky was almost light, but the snow was still falling, we made it to Stella Point, on the crater rim. For some, this was far and high enough, but fortunately, the group I was climbing with were determined, despite everything the mountain threw at us, to continue on, right to Uhuru Peak. In fact, the final 45 minutes or so, uphill to Uhuru, were among the easiest of the summit climb. Not because the weather improved (it didn't), not because it was a flat path (Stella Point is still about 160m from the summit). Maybe it was just because we were so near our goal, those last steps really didn't seem as difficult, after all we had been through. The snow even lifted momentarily and we were able to see glaciers to one side, but they soon hid themselves again. Once the requisite photos were taken to prove our endeavours, we still had to face the return leg - and just because it was downhill it was no less difficult. We took the same path as we had towards the summit, and the snow continued with no less force. My legs were like jelly by this point, and walking down scree slopes did not help. It took another four hours of being cajoled by the porters to keep going before we made it back to the camp - and a well deserved lie down. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to recover, as after lunch, we were on the move again, because we were staying at a different campsite that night. It was a relief to arrive there, after only a couple of hours more trekking, again with cloud all around us, but fortunately it did stay dry. Everyone crashed out almost immediately after dinner, and slept like babies.