Thread by @tmsruge

Some highlights from #Rwenzori2022 summit climb while I continue to edit shots: day 1 was mostly @rkabushenga rethinking his life choices and why it led him here 😂😂😂😂

But he was more than ready!

Day 1 is mostly getting your heart rate to acclimatize as you slowly ascent to camp Nyabitaba, crossing rivers on bridges and stairs as you stretch the lungs. Even met some colorful friends along the way. #Rwenzori2022

Day 3: the mountain comes alive with colors, bubbling brooks of sparkling mountain water, crisp air, and more altitude #Rwenzori2022

On the way to Bujuku is breathtaking. The mountain begins laying itself out to you. Filling your soul with want of more. Subtly pushing you deeper into its belly. There’s a point where you decide that there’s no turning back. You HAVE to see what else is out there #Rwenzori2022

We now begin climbing towards Elena from Bujuku. This is where the dramatic views take hold. The cold winds start to bite. We leave vegetation behind for the cold, jaggy, rock faces we have to scale #Rwenzori2022

Elena, my love: so promising, but yet so neglected of a camp. The Qween of moody, fast-moving cloud cover and searing winds, hinting at what to expect just 500+ metres above #Rwenzori2022

This is where the whole team becomes cozy cause the space is small and the chill commands closeness for survival

Midnight sprint to the summit: wake up at 1am to start preparing and set off at around 3am, powered by millet porridge and nerves!

Dawn on a glacier: when the chill hits bone deep. The muscles are tired from the relentless vertical assault. The lungs are screaming for more oxygen and rest. Someone yells “stop!” every 5 minutes just to catch their breath. Every. Step. Painful. #Rwenzori2022

The rope line on Margarita glacier feels like it goes on forever upwards. Probably the most difficult part of summit day. It’s like being 10 steps from your front door but every step pulls you back 20 metres #Rwenzori2022

Then after all that, summit! This is the most unpredictable place, with the weather changing every few minutes: sunny, windy, cloudy, snowy, but always bone-chilling cold. 5109m ASL! #Rwenzori2022

What goes up, must come down. Day 6 ascent is buttressed by equally exhausting descent, totaling 17 hours of hiking 15km of rough terrain to reach Lake Kitandara

If you’re tall like me, this is where the assault on your knees begins. 10,000+ steps cushioning the pull of gravity on your body. Had to take an ice bath in the river to cool the swelling tendons. #Rwenzori2022

Most people think summit day is the toughest, but the day after - Day 6, is !$;!! Monster!!! Descent over volcanic rocks, then spend about 6 hours fighting the mother of all bogs! Absolutely draining experience! By the time you reach Guy Yoemen, you want to fight! #Rwenzori2022

Here’s what walking through that bog looks like: #Rwenzori2022

This also necessitated a dip in the 5° freezing river to cool down my swollen knees! See a familiar product from @qwezibeauty ? More that later. #Rwenzori2022

Last day is a desperate scramble to get off the mountain: Depending on your speed, it’s 5-7 hrs of rapid descent to the gate. But every step feels like the mountain is laying traps to keep you from reaching the gate. At Nyabitaba, I broke into a full sprint #Rwenzori2022

The end! #Rwenzori2022