Kusam Klimb

I must say when they say 'Are you tough enough?' they mean it..... 2 1/2 hours to run vertically up the mountain, slide through the snow on the other side for 13 some kilometers and run another 10 kilometers, they gotta be tough enough. 8 hours later, and I Conquered Mt H'Kusam!!! but my hips were screaming every time I tried to right myself at the tip and elbows were giving up before I had barely started. The knees then complained, No more slips, slides and jars. I am sure that given another 4 hours I would have made it back to where I started. As it was, I was at checkpoint 3 at the cut off point and was transported back. Walk back to the car, up steps to let dogs in and out, down steps, drive home, up and down steps 3 times.... by now I could barely walk... its 6:30 so into the bath for a soak.... napped for a couple of hours and watched soccer game Russia winning. down stairs with the dogs and back up and down again and over to let other dog out so up and down steps again, and AGAIn at home.... and I thought I would sleep..... muscles were screaming I guess and didn't sleep well at all, but got up feeling not to bad at all and the more the day went on the more I thought, 'that really wasn't so bad after all!'.
To day felt worse actually, tightened up a bit I guess but it worked itself out in the garden.

I must say that this climb was nothing like I was expecting. I was expecting ropes, but not vertical slippery rocks and places where it was hard to find toe holds. I was expecting snow, but definitely not what was there! And everyone is in such a panic to get over the top in the shortest time, they don't savor the scenery and take their time, make it easier going up the slopes. It's make your own way on the slippery slopes. And the back side, going down. That was amazing. Ropes HAD to be used as it was just about straight down the snowy incline and if you slipped, you would be wrapped around a tree or dropped into a hole around the trees where the snow had melted out, probably the snow was 8' deep. There were gouges in the snow where boots/shoes had guided each person down, and by the time it was my turn as I was swept off the mountain by the sherpa's it was ideal to sit in and slide down. Got rather damp in the process, but wow, was it fun.

I believe there were approx 330 runners/walkers this year.