There are very few feelings that can beat that of standing on the top of a mountain. This I discovered on saturday at 6.30am, in time for the best sunrise of my life.

On thursday I began my 3 day trek up the Sirimon route to Pt Lenana, Mt Kenya. The first day was pretty easy hiking, all uphill but nice and gradual. I was watched as I walked with Joseph and Robert, guide and porter, by tonnes of baboons racing around the forest. Avoiding huge piles of elephant manure (think horse manure times 20) we walked for about 4 hours before reaching Old Moses Hut where I met Nicky and Lauren from America and Bjorn from Sweeden.

Day 2 we all set out together and hiked the 14km to Shipton's camp at altitude of 4200m. On the way we climbed hills in the clouds, crosses pretty rivers and had numerous stops to 'admire the view' (aka, catch our breath). Being graceful and all I managed to bail onto some stones and graze my legs (that will teach me for being the only one to walk in shorts!) not to mention the time I tried to leap over some mud only to land halfway and have my boots fill up with disgusting smelling brown liquid! At lunchtime we stopped next to a river where thecrazy kiwi and crazy sweed went swimming in what I can officially describe as melted ice! Thought that one family member in particular would maybe think that swimming at 4000m above sea level is close to swimming in lake Taupo in winter...

At 3.30am on saturday morning we set off for the summit. The temperature at night was around 2 degrees but it felt like about minus 20... I slept in 3 pairs of pants, socks, 2 singlets, 3 t shirts, 2 jerseys, a scarf, beanie and ski gloves whilst in my sleeping bag and still couldn't sleep as I was shivering the whole time! The 3 hours that followed were the toughest of my life but worth every minute of pain! My torch died after about 1 minute so I spent the next hour scrambling blindly upwards on loose rocks until my guide kindly gave me his headlamp. Apart from the fact that my calves were screaming in pain, my nose about to fall off with cold and my lungs burning from trying to breath so high up, the worst part was, for such a lover of heights, was the vertical climbing and the sound of the loose rocks (that could easily be me) bouncing down the slope...

The sunrise from the top, 4985m, was amazing, its impossible to describe the feeling you get at the top as you admire what I would say the best view of my life. We all decended down different routes so after a round of hugs (awkward when your wearing 5 layer) I set of downhill for 6 hours...

I have to say that the downhill was prett excruciating. My legs were like jelly from the upward climb and they shook each time you step downwards, but arriving at the lodge where there was a hot shower and a log fire was awesome. During the night, as we were still in the national park, a huge group of buffalo camp and fed on the grass around the buildings - scary!

So now I am hobbling around like I am at least 132 and the stairs at the hostel are each little Mt Kenyas but the trimphant feeling is still there.

Random Mt Kenya facts -

• both my guide and porter smoked, seemed crazy as my lungs were about to explode and there they were smoking away at altitudes of above 4000m.
• don't feed mice in the cabins even if you feel sorry for them as they look so cold - they don't leave you alone...
• take as many clothes as you own, the days may be warm but the nights are freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing
• don't hand feed the creepy furry elephant related rodents as they hang around you and try to steal you sandwhiches as make throaty growls when you try to shoo them away
• don't sneakily tip out the gross porridge that you get given so you don't offend your porter, you get in the next day in an even larger amount and nowhere to tip it!