I could not tell if I was feeling better this morning, I could not tell if my fever had dropped overnight; this morning I had no choice and so I opened my tent and had a look outside, the weather was sunny with just a few clouds. I was tired of my tent, not that I blamed the tent for my situation, I was just tired of the height or better to say the lack of height. I could not stand in the tent and every work inside the tent, every move inside the tent, every getting dressed inside the tent was uncomfortable. I was physically weak and thinking of getting rid of weight of my back pack. What better moment than my actual miserable moment to decide to get rid of the tent for the walk down. I called Gregory to inform him about my condition and about my decision to get rid of the tent. I asked him to speak to Juan first and Omar as second option. Five minutes later Juan came to ask about my strange proposal, I reassured my decision, packed my back pack and together we took down the tent. The wet T-shirt from day three of ascension did not dry at all and was quickly on the list of things to get rid of. The jeans that I had only used for sleeping was next of consideration and was quickly on the same list. I had lost probably five kilos of body weight in the last five days and would lose another five kilos of back pack weight now within five minutes.

The walk of today would be equal to the second and third day of the ascension together; we would climb back down to the base camp at the foot of Mount Roraima, we would cross river Kukenan and river Tek and walk back to camp Tek. I was mentally 100% and physically 10% ready. I decided right from the beginning to leave the top last and try to keep the pace of whoever was second last. Due to my physical and muscular weakness every step was a hit to my bones now.

Descendo…#1   Descendo … #2   Descendo… #3   Descendo… #4

Descendo… #5  Descendo… #6   Descendo… #7

The stones were slippery and downhill became more dangerous than uphill. Luckily it did not rain and I did not get wet. I reached the “valley of tears” and passed the valley staying dry always finding the best way underneath the waterfalls. 90% of the path the base camp was downhill and just 10% was uphill but the 10% uphill felt way more difficult, sometimes impossible to me; uphill I needed my muscles but my muscles were sore, were hurt and were shaking.

I had the photographer and the journalist in front of me and stone by stone we came closer to the base camp. I had innumerous brakes of good length to catch breath and strength but decided to take a long break at the river just two hundred meters before the base camp. Two ladies of a different group arrived and asked for me to hurry up so they could take a bath. I needed my time but they lost their patience, lost respect towards my miserable situation and lost their verbal education; I lost my verbal education and we were even, maybe I even won, I gained ten minutes of silence, fresh water to bath and drink.

Half the group was already on the way to camp Kukenan, the other half had lunch and was just packing up base camp and we left all together. My physical strength was down to 1% and I had nine kilometers ahead of me. Gregory offered to carry my back pack and I accepted. The group stretched more and more and it was getting dark. Suddenly I was by myself and suddenly it was dark. I walked for two hours in the moonlight, I had the feeling that I was lost.

I shouted, no response; I sat down, I shouted, I saw the flash light of Omar in the distance. We made it together to camp Tek and crossed together river Tek, just two more kilometers, half uphill, half downhill. I saw the camp and I saw Juan coming for me, it was 23:00 hours, we walked the last kilometer together, we crossed the river Kukenan together. 0% battery, I slipped and got wet. I reached the camp. I had reached the camp. Juan had built the tent, 0% battery.

Group Gregory

Operator – Gregory

Guide – Omar

Cook – Cleidymar

Cook – Keila

Carrier – Julian

Carrier – Jesus

Doc McCoy – Alejandro Izaguirre

Chekov – Yanjos Ave

Uhura – Maria Jose Lopez

Rammstein – Omar Rivas

Dreamcatcher – Joselyn Godoy

Photographer – Gianfranco di Campo

Journalist – Mariolga Gomez

Ecuador – Juan

Belgium – Sylvie

Guacharaca – Claudia Valenzuela

Guacharaca – Yolanda di Sevo

Guacharaca – Yuli Viloria

Gringo – AlexK