Final Day Before Climb:  Taking Care of Our Nipples

Photo:  Mount Meru, viewed from the front lawn of my motel. 

Do I have your attention?  Yeah, I thought so, given the titillating title of this post. Now remove your mind from the gutter and read on….

All of the KiliSistas and crew made it to Arusha and are gearing up for tomorrow’s start at the Machame gate.  After breakfast, our esteemed guide, Jeff Evans, gave us the deets on how this show is gonna go down. 
Most of it was what you would expect:  general schedule, reminder to be punctual, how to execute each day at the various segments (getting up, breaks, returning at night), drinking 6 liters of water each day along with peeing freely and often to avoid altitude sickness, and other general information. The catch phrase for the urination “issue” is “clear and copious.”  Our urine should be without color, and there should be tons of it. If not, it’s a sign of inadequate hydration, which cannot be afforded in extreme high altitude. 

While addressing hydration, Jeff said, with a little gleam in his eye, “be sure you take care of your nipples, ladies.”   Well, that was followed by an awkward silence. Jeff then said, “do you know what I mean by that?” — followed by more awkward silence. (I thought perhaps he was referring to chafing issues.). Nope.  He was referring to the nipples/spouts on our hydration systems–the nozzle you drink from.  Oh, right, YES, the hydration systems!!  Of course. You might know these as Camelbacks. They are plastic bladders that you stick in your backpack to carry water, and you drink from a tube that runs from the bladder to the top of your shoulder straps. We will be carrying three liter bladders.  The other three liters will be consumed at breakfast (tea, coffee) and in the evening. 
Back to those nipples:  What happens sometimes is people are not so savvy, and they drag their nipples through the dirt or “whatever” when they are handling their packs, normally when they set them on the ground.  Or they let others handle their nipples inappropriately. Jeff said this must NOT occur, as it is a surefire way to get some lovely bacteria or other pathogens onto your nipples and ultimately into your gut. Can you say, “explosive diarrhea” — or worse?  Diarrhea is unpleasant when you’re in the comfort of your home. But it is far more unpleasant and downright dangerous when climbing at altitude. The loss of fluids and electrolytes could put a climber into a dire situation quickly. 

I watched someone nearly die from accidentally ingesting shigella bacteria, so I can assure you that my nipples will be clean, protected, and secure. To be safe, I will wash them with a little hand sanitizer and clean water each evening. 

So now we are in the true final countdown. This afternoon, Jeff will be stopping at each climber’s room and personally inspecting each item of gear. Then we’ll have dinner and try to get some rest before tomorrow’s start. So far, so good in Africa, but the real battle lies before us. Keep us all in your thoughts as we venture out into the wild and onto the unforgiving and spectacular slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. 

Onward and UPWARD,

Badger 

PS:  On a fun note, I got my Uggs (so soft and comfortable), more Body Bliss, and some Action Wipes for mountain “baths.”  Thanks again to our wonderful sponsors!