Ready to take the challenge?  Join Emily H. and Emily P. at Camp M every Saturday, June 6th-August 8th from 10:30am-12pm for 10 straight weeks of Saturday morning workouts.   Camp M is guaranteed to be adventurous, rewarding, challenging and of course – fun!  All fitness levels are welcome.  Class cost $35!!

Camp M is located in Chicago’s West Loop at Skinner Park. Email emily@oymtraining.com or call 312.405.4401 for more information and registration. Sign up now!!  Limited spots available.

A Prosperous Journey

 Having success; flourishing:

Propitious; favorable: a  prosperous moment to make a decision.

Being prospered; advancing in the pursuit of anything desirable; making gain, or increase; thriving; successful; as, a prosperous voyage; a prosperous undertaking; a prosperous man or nation.

To truly believe in yourself is hard; to know someone else believes in you is harder; to put your life and faith into one man to lead you up a mountain is the hardest, yet amazing.  There are not enough words that really define the experience of reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, so I’ll begin with these:

Intimidate.  To frighten into submission, compliance, or acquiescence. Starting at the base of a 19,340 foot mountain, looking up and seeing snow capped glaciers while standing in the middle of an 80 degree rainforest will definitely illicit the presence of a fear-inspiring force.  The one sure thing that moves you forward is standing next to 11 others who have been inspired to do the same.  Thank you, Stacy, Laura, Rich, Katie, Meredith, Annette, Lori, Beth, Michael, Richard, and Doug for never turning back.  You allowed the intimidation of that mountain to propel you forward and I believe this is where our bond began.  Not only standing next to these people, but looking into the eyes of our guide, Prospa, who whole heartedly believed in each of us to follow him and to succeed to the top of Kili.

Surreal.  Characterized by fantastic imagery, resembling a dream.  Moving into higher elevation makes the imagery of the mountain more and more unexplainable.  Sleeping at 12,000 feet makes the black sky grow darker, the stars shine more brightly, and suddenly the mountain appears more surreal, like that of a dream.  At this point the quest turns a little more difficult, sleeping and eating becomes hindered.  However, there was Prospa, making sure we were taken care of, sitting with us while we finished our meal, and always watching.

Intense. Possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree. Strenuous or earnest, as activity, exertion, diligence, or thought. Two words: Lava Tower.  Elevation 15,210 ft. At this point the mountain begins to reveal its intensity.  The body and mind are easily manipulated and we all begin to doubt ourselves a little.  Yet again, Prospa is there ever the watchful guardian, making sure everyone is ok, reassuring us that we are capable of this; drink, eat, “pole, pole.”  Richard, our hearts go out to you and the fight you put up to this point.  We wish you all the best and are glad you were able to climb with us till this point.  Baranco wall; another point of the climb at which intensity is cranked up a notch.  Scaling the edges of rock to make your way up a little higher into the clouds, left us with a feeling that we were in control. 

Perseverance.   Continuance in a state of grace until it is succeeded by a state of glory.  In life we are often presented with times when we feel defeated or too tired to keep going.  Kili can have this effect on the human spirit as well; often we would have to muster up the strength to keep moving ahead.  Still following Prospa and entering the artic summit zone at 16,000 feet, something takes over your body and you feel this great force moving you closer and closer to the summit.  With each step comes a deep breath of air, sometimes followed by tears of anticipation and excitement, praying that your body and mind are strong enough to complete what lies ahead.  There are 600 feet in front of you and all you can do is move slowly, keep breathing, and stay on 2 feet. Once the peak is in view, perseverance sets in and it takes everything you have not to sprint to the finish.  The headaches, nausea, elevated heart rate, all seem to dispel as the endorphins and adrenaline set in and we reach the summit.  There’s Prospa, standing tall and smiling because he knows what we’re feeling; he’s proud.  Everyone exchanges hugs and tears of joy fall . . . we did it.  For a moment we all stood on the rooftop of Africa, Uhuru Peak (Freedom Peak) higher than anyone else and for those brief minutes the world stood still at 19,340 feet.

Amazing.  Inspiring awe; admiration or wonder; to cause great wonder or astonishment.  I’ve seen and experienced some amazing things in my life but nothing of this magnitude. No picture or story can capture the amazing beauty of this mountain and experience of this summit.  A nation so dependent on this mountain; loves this mountain.  You can see in the faces of the porters, cooks, waiters, assistant guides and Prospa, this is their home.   In the short time of this climb, you become part of this African community and you too feel at home.  Forever I will be changed; I’ve learned that I’m capable of many things, big and small.  With the right attitude and state of mind, anything really is possible. 

Without the help of the staff, the experience would not have been the same or perhaps even possible.  Thank you to all who made this possible and such a prosperous journey—without your hard work and dedication, the summit may have not been as amazing as it was. 

Prospa pushed us on, he believed in us, he was our gentle guardian—prosperous leader. 

Asante sana.

1. Forest Camp, 9,280 ft. 2. Shira 1 Camp, 11,500 ft. 3. Shira Plateau, 12,500 ft. 4. Shira Cathedral, 12,700 ft. 5. Shira 2 Camp, 12,800 ft. 6. Lava Tower Camp, 15,210 ft. 7. Karanga Camp, 13,200 ft.8. Barafu Camp, 15,330 ft. 9. Stella Point, 18,870 ft. 10. Uhuru Peak, 19,340 ft.