“We will take this route,” Bakari began, running a finger along it. “It is slightly longer, but it is the much better way.”
“Because?” I heard myself ask, though my plan had been to limit my questions to avoid conveying weakness.
“More days to acclimatize, and more time means we can move more slowly,” Bakari said. I appreciated the calm authority in his voice, though I wasn’t exactly sure I understood the logic. “Also, the views are much better, and the route is less crowded.”
“But what about the Western Breach?” Van asked. “Doesn’t that mean we have to cross that?”
The other men hummed in agreement. They understood what Van was asking. I’d seen reference to the Western Breach when I’d skimmed the True Altitude materials detailing each day of climbing—the terrain, time, elevation gained. Some days were described as harder than others, but I knew enough about climbing to know that it would be hard to translate the information into practical terms until I was on Kilimanjaro itself. It had unique topography and I’d never even been to Africa before. Besides, how did one conceptualize the 15,535 feet of elevation on day six as opposed to 13,897 on day five? Even though I had grown up in the mountains of Colorado, the numbers felt to me impossible to quantify.
Besides, this mountain was in a league of its own.
“Yes, the Western Breach will be on our route,” Bakari said, pointing to a spot on the map that looked like all the other spots. There was something ominous about the way he said it. A tautness to his tone, the way he didn’t look up from the map. We all stared at the spot where he was pointing.
“I googled the Western Breach,” Brooks added. “Sounds like no joke.”
“No. The mountain does not have a sense of humor. But the breach is day seven,” Bakari said, holding up seven fingers on twohands for emphasis. “A lifetime away. Today is today. We take this mountain as it comes—little by little, slowly, slowly.”
Yes, exactly. I could do this.
“Polé, polé,” Kito added in Kiswahili. “Slowly, slowly. That is the way we will get there.”
“And in one piece, right?” Van added. “I promised the wife.”
“No one’s died on your watch?” Scotty asked with a laugh. “Right?”
Bakari was quiet for a long, uncomfortable moment.Oh my God, the answer is yes.
“I have been guiding climbs for thirty years. Many things happen over so many expeditions. Last trip a woman got very sick at base camp, here.” Bakari shrugged. “Anything can happen. Several years ago a man got AMS near the summit. We brought him down right away, but…” He shook his head. “Sometimes the mountain has other plans.”
“He was with his fiancée,” Kito added.Don’t tell us more. Don’t tell us more. “He had insisted that she finish the climb. We all thought he was getting better once we got down. But then…” Kito held up his hands. “The mountain.”
Clearly they believed it was better to be honest. But it felt like someone had hit me in the solar plexus.
“That’s awful,” Scotty said. “I don’t think I realized.” He looked around at everyone. “I’m not really looking to die up here, guys.”
“No one’s dying,” Richard said, then turned to Bakari. “Right?”
“Of course not,” Bakari said. “Because we will be careful, and we will take each day as it comes. That’s the way everyone will stay safe and healthy, and we will all summit together. You must only ever push yourself to a spot that is not too far.”
“And how will we know where that spot is?” Brooks asked.
“You know yourself better than you think,” Bakari said. “You already know everything you need to. It’s what brought you here.”
Grand Jury Transcript
Testimony of Lita Hernandez
(As Provided Through an Interpreter)
Conducted by Abigail Hoffman, Assistant District Attorney
November 27
Q. Good afternoon, Ms. Hernandez. Thank you for being here today. You work for Richard and Gretchen Falk as a housekeeper, is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. How long have you worked for them?
