Will I be awake at the right times? Reading about Kili, it seems that a lot of people have trouble sleeping at night at high altitudes in unfamiliar circumstances.
I have only spent a few nights in my life under canvas – and none of these nights was in the last 40 years. I remember being very excited as a child when my little brother and I were allowed to sleep overnight in the front garden in a tent. (My big sister Leslie, was far too proper to embark on such an undertaking.)
The one abiding memory I have of it is of my mother bringing out Scottish mutton pies to us, and biting into them, only to discover the pies were off! Such a disappointment: there was nothing else to eat. I think it was only for one night. So I can’t claim to be an experienced camper – but, against the advice on the websites, I have no plans to practice sleeping out between now and the climb in August. I can, however, claim to have lots of practice in insomnia! I have been a bad sleeper all of my adult life, so maybe I will not be too distressed by lack of sleep.
On the other hand, it seems that quite a few people claim that they can sleep while walking, particularly during the last stages of climbing Kili, when there is very little oxygen. There are a few mentions in wartime literature about sleeping while marching. I see that someone refers to it as “magic feet”: the feet just keep on moving regardless, “particularly when drunk or really tired I can have a cat nap and my feet just take me home”.
So I live in hope! I already know that the way to deal with being unable to sleep is to be relaxed about it. Stressing out about it only makes the whole thing worse. And who knows, maybe my feet will get me there, whether I am awake or asleep!
