The decent

Good Morning!

I didn't want to leave.....It's time to get down. The sun has now out in it's full color, it's actually warming up!
We make it back to Stella point, and WOW there are so many people coming up!
Several pictures stay in my mind....I saw at least 2 women, and one man literally being carried on either side by porters. I understand wanting to make it but is it worth it?? Remember I discribed how cold and windy, she crests the mountain, and her face is a pasty grey white, her lips are large swollen and blue! I encourage her that she is almost there....she looks right thru me. Andrew says"If she was his client she would be going down"! Several more looking dazed an empty....are they enjoying the Journey??

We take a few more pictures at Stella point, and we begin to make our way down...It is SO step and the ash and rubble are about a foot deep.... I have to say now that I can see "I don't like it!"
I try to go fast but just can't make myself....Andrew who is usually very careful says we are "going together".
He takes a trek pole, I take a trek pole and we hook arms.....There is no POLE-POLE going on now...
I love to climb mountains but the decent  is very hard  when it is so steep! Everyone is running down this mountain...why?? I later learned you come down as fast as you can, so you don't get sick, ok if THEY say so?!? As I shared we hang on too each other and run and slide...the dust covers me...even my tongue is slick from the dust!
It's finally warming up, the sun feels so good!! There is a girl the we keep leap frogging, she is very exhausted and freezing still, her porter doesn't seem very supportive...It makes me so thankful to have Andrew as my guide, He is very caring!
As we slide down about 2 miles, we finally get a rest...we can see base camp! We share a Tatanka bar, My stomach is definitely not ready for food!

It took 6 hours to get up this mountain, and we are almost to be down in 2???

The story continues one step at a time From the Top!!
Marcy