C.S.I. Reference Articles

Chiropractors Reach The Roof Of Africa!

When Dr. Tom Hyde called me and said, “what do you think, are you in?” My mouth dropped and my insides started to get excited. Before my logical brain could assimilate what he had just said, my adventure brain spoke out and said “I am in”. I had just been asked by Dr. Brian Nook to join Tom Hyde as a guest lecturer in South Africa at FICS’s International Sports Symposium. The conference was to be held the first week of September. Tom had arranged for the climb to be the week following the conference. He had put out a call to any interested Doctors to join on his quest. I had just become a father, so leaving my wife and newborn son was a tough decision. When I told my wife of the trip she is the one that said “trips like this come once in a life time, go and conquer that mountain”. Being a mountain bike racer the idea of long walks did not appeal to me, for why walk or run when you can take a bike. I knew I was in for a test both physical and mental, so the training began. Out of all the invites only seven, sick individual took up the challenge. These individuals later bonded and their souls were never the same. The following is an account of our journey as told through the eyes of those who were there.

Dr. Tom Hyde - “Saint Tolerant Tom” The perennial leader, humble, 54yr old ex-marine in Vietnam and outdoorsman, from Florida, experienced in long haul events, just biked the Alcan Highway through Alaska and Canada

Dr. Ted Forcum - 37 yr. Alias “Patagonia Man”, Ted is an Elite runner who lives outside Portland Oregon. Ted is a competitive animal who loves the pain of athletic challenges.

Dr. Terry Weyman - 34 yr. Alias “Mutant” Climbed up to 16,000’ in Mexico and trained in the high altitude surrounding Mammoth Mountain, A confident and competitive Mt. biker, used to racing in extreme elevations.

Dr. Bill Jacobs - 26 yr, A “kick ass Canadian” snow skier from BC, Canada. Bill trained weekly in the high mountains surrounding Vancouver.

Davis Brockenshire - 26, Logan student, Competitive Mt biker with lots of backcountry and mountain experiences. Alias “Pack Man” who never slowed and carried extra gear for anyone who asked.

Connie Hayes - 34, Logan student, 60 gunner in the Army where she also worked as an MP. Connie served in Desert Storm and is a competent hiker and backcountry survivor.

Dr. Rosemary Zimmerman - 42yr old from Anchorage Alaska, of all the members she has been at the highest elevation at 18,000’ in Nepal.
Also affectionately known as “yes please” because of her politeness towards everyone.

Guide: Michael Nelson from Tanzania, “our fearless leader”, Climbed Kilimanjaro over 80 times, Climbed to camp 5 on Mt. Everest (around 25,000 ft.) on the famed Mallory/Irvine expedition. A strong climber with much patience and experience.

Special Thanks To: Steve, Case, Walter (Raphael), James, Eric, Wilson and others whose names we do not recall. The porters were the true animals of the expedition who carried 80 lbs or greater on the backs of their necks or on top of their heads. These are the unsung heroes of high mountain climbs.

All of us had different adventures that led to the day of the big climb. Bill and I spent several days in South Africa’s Drankensberg Mountains training on 10,000 meter peaks such as the famed Cathedral Peak. We hiked among Baboons, Antelopes (Klipspringers and Eland), and witnessed of the most beautiful terrain we have ever seen. Ted, was still at home getting run over by a motor vehicle while he was competing in a running event. He did not sustain any serious injuries but was rightfully sore and mentally discouraged. He spent some time in London prior to arriving in South Africa and watched “Everest-IMAX” to get the psyched. Ironically, in the movie theatre he sat with an ER Doctor who specializes in attitude illness, and spent a good time herself at base camp in Nepal. He got some great advice for our adventure.

Tom, Rosemary, Davis and Connie had arrived in S. Africa the week prior and had gone on to the Drakensberg Mountains for the conference from Durban. They had spent time visiting Durban, visited a Zulu village and spent a night at Tala Game Preserve. Each of them had trained independently for the climb consisting of running, biking, spinning, weight training and other means of physical activities as well as cardiovascular work. Dr. Brian and Dr. Deb Nook had planned a great preconference program for everyone.

After an awesome conference at the Champagne Sports Resort, presented by FICS and CASA, the seven of us loaded into a small van during a beautiful early morning S. African sunrise. We loaded the VW van to the max with baggage and our bodies as we headed north for a 4+ hour drive to the airport in Johannesburg. Not to be outdone by Ted’s experience with the car during his race, I slipped the morning prior to departure on a wet floor at the Resort, resulting in a dislocated left shoulder. An orthopedic surgeon who was attending the conference, just happened to be there and reduced my shoulder. This event could not have happened at a more opportune setting, a conference of some of the best sports physicians in the world.

Upon arrival at the airport in Johannesburg, we found ourselves aboard a 737 Air Tanzania plane just 3 days after an Air Tanzania plane crashed killing 10 Americans. That plane had been headed for the same destination of our intended flight. Our first glimpse of the famed mountain came from the broken seat of the airplane. What an ominous sight! The mountain seemed to reach to the gods from a thin layer of clouds. At this moment, as the mountain peered above the clouds, I though to myself that we were in for more than a long hike. We arrived at the airport at night with only the perimeter lights along the runway working. The electricity was off at the airport. When we disembarked the plane, we headed into the dark airport to found it lite by candles and kerosene lanterns. After waiting in a very long line to go through customs, we were informed that we need a visa and had to return to a small window to purchase visas at $50 US each. We were the last passengers to clear customs and load onto the bus for the Keys Hotel.

When we arrived at our destination in Moshi, Tanzania we relieved our friends and families that we were still alive with a very expensive phone call. We had a meeting with our team and discussed routes with our guide Michael Nelson. Due to our expected fitness and experience, we decided on one of the more difficult routes up the mountain, the Machame Route, then summiting after camping at Arrow Glacier via the Western Breach. We were then assigned rooms in the Rondavels (typical African dwellings which are round with thatched roofs) and proceeded to bed down for the night. The rooms were literally huts with three very short beds all surrounded by mosquito nets. This area of the world has a high incidence of Malaria not to mention Yellow Fever, Hepatitis, HIV and a host of other diseases.

Ted, Tom and Rosemary were given the wildebeest hut, but soon moved to the elephant hut because there was no water. This was good. On “Wild Kingdom”, the lion always eats the wildebeest!.

Nuns wailing woke up most of the team at 4am and we gathered in the hall for our pre-hike meal. At 9am we loaded up the bus and headed for the Machame trailhead. Along the way we stopped by a small hut so Michael could cut us some meat hanging from a hook. Welcome to third world and non-FDA standards. The bus continued on the rough yet paved road for about another 20 minutes where we transferred our gear to Landrovers. From there, we traveled up a steep, muddy and rutted road to Machame gate. There everyone had to sign in with the ranger, and Mike negotiated with our porters.

The weather was overcast and the trail was extremely muddy. Most of the difficulty climbing was lifting your mud caked shoes and negotiating the trail without falling in the mud. It was warm, in the 70°s with a threat of rainfall. The jungle was a lush dark green and very thick. During the climb, Davis was nicknamed “the packman” by Ted, because of the enormous backpack he was hauling. However, after about 2300ft of elevation gain Davis passed the pack on to Connie who had been hiking without any type of pack or water.

Over the last 1200 ft of elevation gain it started to rain and mist. By the time we reached camp at 9140 ft we were all hungry, muddy, cold and wet. Over the 4100-ft of elevation gain, we had been passing back and forth with our porters all day so our food and tents wouldn’t be ready until after dark. Tom and Bills bags were another 45 cold minutes behind all of us. It was much colder than any of us expected at this point. Fortunately, two guys from London were willing to share their fire while we waited.

On the sixth of September we left our 9,140’ campsite and began our seven kilometer ascent to Shira hut seated at 12,140’ to the east of Kibo Crater/Uhuru Peak. The 3050 ft elevation gain took about 5 hours as we walked painfully slow to aid in acclimatization. As Bill stated, “Shira Hut is a place I will not soon forget. Spending 2 days there, looking up towards the mountain constantly, thinking, “that’s where we need to go” was truly amazing. The way the clouds “poured” in and out of the valley was something I have never seen and will never forget.”

At this altitude your body starts changing. You have a harder time staying warm and a few members of the team began to get their first altitude headaches. The one glorious thing about hiking big mountains, especially in Africa, is once the sun goes down the stars come out like you never have seen. Whether it is due to the thinner air, being closer to the heavens, the lack of city lights, or the lack of air pollution, the sky up on Kilimanjaro was spectacular. The following morning we loaded up with the basic essentials (water, food and walkmans) and took off for an acclimatization hike.

The view was nothing less than majestic. To the left, just beyond Shira crater, was Mt Muru, the second highest peak in Tanzania. To the right was Shira plateau, and straight-ahead was Shira Cathedral and the Needle. We climbed to 13,630ft just past the turn-off for Moyr Hut, where we rested for 15 -20 min or so before returning to camp. You really got the feel of how close you were to the summit.

On the eighth of September, we ascended to Arrow Glacier which sits at 16,000ft. We continued up Shira Plateau Trail to the turn off for Moyr Hut. Just past that point, most climbers turn off to Barranco Hut on the South Circuit Path, while we continue to ascend to Lava Tower where we stopped for Lunch. While eating lunch we met some other climbers. It was a small world in that Ted had gone to college with one of the climbers! After watching some climber play a pathetic game of frisbee, (was it thier ability or the lack of oxygen at 14,500 ft?) we continued up the steep path to our next camp, Arrow Glacier. We would be here a half day and take off for the summit at midnight. This is where we began to see the effects of the high altitude on the team. Most of the team had headaches and one of the members was having a difficult time with the altitude, both physically and mentally. After stowing our gear in our tents, Tom played the role of counselor, and earning him the nickname “Saint Tolerant Tom”. After everything calmed down we went on a short acclimatization hike to calm the nerves, prepare our bodies and minds for the long day that lay ahead. We ate a hearty meal, prepared our water (we would need at least 4-5 liters), put every once of clothes we had on, and bunked down for a four hour nap. Sleep was hard and you wondered if it was nerves that kept you awake, congested climbers hacking all night, the lack of oxygen or the anticipation of the unknown.

We awoke at 11 pm to drink tea, eat some biscuits, consume Powerbars and prepare our gear. At midnight we turned on our headlamps and began the ascent. The temperature was around 20° F and we were all ready to get moving and finish what we came to Africa to accomplish. Little did we know how much of an adventure it would entail or how much we would learn about each other and ourselves. The climb started out in a surprising direction, straight up the hillside. Rosemary’s breathing began as a low moan and grew to a wail. We wondered if she was going to climax on the summit. She became instantly famous on the mountain as literally everyone near the summit could hear her. All the porters, guides and other climbers were amused as word spread about Rosemary throughout the mountain. Rosemary was not the only member of the team having difficulty climbing as several others began to show signs of altitude sickness as we ascended. The mountain is like a mirror and at times reflects inner demons as a test. Each member of the team was put to the test. Whether is was hidden fears from the loss of a friend who died crossing a glacier in the past or reactions to the high altitude and cold, we all need the support of our “team” to successfully complete the climb.” Mike, our guide, helped her and others as needed aiding in pulling her across a snow field. Several members of the team began to vomit and had to rest during the climb. All of this caused the climb to take much longer than had been anticipated. Confidence in abilities seemed to test several members, along with physical exhaustion in the presence of altitude sickness necessitating help from other team members. It was cold and some had failed to hydrate or eat enough calories so the physical nature of the steep climb began to take it’s toll.

About a quarter of the way up the mountain, another member of the team was having problems. Unknown to us, Connie began to suffer from a cold, and she began to fatigue significantly. Ted lifted and supported her for a couple of hours up the trail. Her legs were shaking and quivering uncontrollably. We weren’t sure if she was fatigued, had AMS or HACE. Ted later said he would have sent her back down had he not kept on hearing from Rosemary up ahead, that the crater rim was only 10-30 minutes away. Once when lifting Connie over a large rock, Ted said he felt a snap and sharp pain in his left plantar fascia. “I thought it may have ruptured, but the pain went away quickly”. Twice while lifting Connie, he also remarked that he must have done a Valsalva maneuver, which felt like a cerebral artery exploded. A headache and some nausea would last for 15-20 minutes after each time.

Due to the slow pace and unexpected time delays, two thirds of the way up I stopped to change batteries in my head torch. Ted was feeling bad and asked if I would watch over Connie. As he moved up, he found himself behind Tom. He too was becoming another victim of the mountain. Ted helped push Tom along. Tom reached a point were he took his pack and camera off and said “Hell with it, the mountain can keep it”. Ted grabbed his camera and his two now frozen water bottles that were still completely full. Davis grabbed his pack. Davis was now carrying some of Tom’s, Connie’s and his own stuff. Shortly after the batteries died on Teds head torch and all three of his backup mag lights. Toms flashlight went out soon thereafter as well. Completely in the dark Tom and Ted continue up the hill with Davis turning every 5 steps or so to shine some light for use. By this time Bill and myself had dropped back to assist Connie up the face of the mountain, she too had no light.

At the crater rim Tom was made to do a tandem walk and Davis asked him what 2X7 was. It was clear that Tom had AMS. But to what extent? Tom was still sharp but physically shot and wisely chose to descend. Just 1200ft from Uhuru peak. Knowing Tom’s will and determination, this was an exceptionally impressive decision. It was quite obvious that Connie needed to descend quickly too. There was no need to test her. It was obvious. She had very poor equilibrium and motor control. We were really afraid for her well being.

At the crater rim it was very cold and windy. After a sip of tea the guides brought up, the five remaining knew immediately that we needed to either continue on or descend. We were all in a state of hypoxia and felt weak from the steep ascent. We looked up and saw Uhuru peak, almost 900 ft (300 m) nearly vertical above our heads. We put our bodies on auto pilot and began to put one foot in front of the other. One slip could be a quick 2200-ft ride down. Both Connie and Tom related how at this point their will to live was so ambivalent, and transient thoughts of miss-stepping to put themselves out of misery passed through their hypoxic minds. Tom said, “I just kept thinking of my wife, Susan, and that’s what got me through.” It seemed that the closer we got to the summit, the five of us felt a new rush of energy. Rosemary, Davis, Bill, Ted and myself followed Michael to the closest point to the sun on earth. We passed massive glaciers and looked over seas of clouds and surrounding Mountain tops that looked like islands. It was one of the most glorious moments of my life. We had all forged through inner demons and weaknesses in our own way and discovered gladiators within. There were high fives and hugs, pictures and tears. We had made the summit, the “highest point on the African continent, on 9-9-99 at 9am. We all had tested our bodies and pushed ourselves to new limits for 15 minutes of “summit time”. Michael broke the euphoria with a call to begin our long descent to Mweka camp, situated at 10,000 ft. We still had over seven hours to go. The drama was not over!

The initial descent went quickly once we dropped of Uhuru Peak and reached the crater rim on Barafu Route. This side of the mountain is much less step with no snow, glacier or bouldering. Most of the descent before the first break was sand and schree. Due to an old knee injury, Rosemary chose to slide down most of this upper trail on her rear for fear of slipping and damaging her knee. She was in good spirits and since it was a direct route down, we decided to let her go at her own pace. About 4 miles down the schree section we ran into Connie lying on the side of the trail with a porter standing over her. We were so happy to see her, because we weren’t sure if she would survive the long trek across the crater breach to Barafu trail to descent. Having only descended 2000ft, Connie still did not look well. Ted and I wrapped our arms around her back and carried her down the schree. This was exhausting and after several hundred yards, we traded off with Bill and Davis. From this a headache began to rage in Teds head and he related that he found it hard to even keep up with Connie. Michael and the porter then took over taking Connie down the hill. At a particular steep and narrow section, the porter dropped his pack and carried Connie piggyback down the hill. I had trouble just walking down, and here is a man running while carrying 130lbs on his back!

As the trail plateaued, we came upon a 78 year old man with his 47 year old son and grandson. We understand he made it to the rim but obviously he didn’t climb the Arrow Glacier Route. About this same time, we heard that one of the gentleman from England we had met and shared a fire with at the end of the first days climb, had died of HACE earlier that day. He evidently had not felt well and was advised to descend but refused. We had gone from such a high from reaching the peak to an incredible low upon hearing of his death. Our hearts sank and we felt like we were on an emotional roller coaster. As we continued our descent, we ran into Tom, lying on a pad at 14,500 ft at Barafu Hut. He was still not feeling well but after we stopped for what seemed like an awfully long time, he joined us as we continued to descend along the Mweka Trail, heading for lunch. Tom had obviously recovered at this point because Ted and Bill had to work to keep his pace. Toward the tail end of lunch, Rosemary finally slid into camp. Connie was now looking much better at this altitude and could now walk on her own. Several of the team members still had very little appetite.

After lunch, we packed up and descended to 9,393 ft Mweka Hut. Bill, Davis, Ted and I nearly ran down the trail to get to our last camp. The air felt progressively rich as we descended. Mweka Hut actually had a shelter that sold Saffari Beer, Coca-Cola and water. Bill was the porter’s best friend and bought them a round. Another fine meal was served, curry chicken. At least we think it was chicken.

We all fell into our sleeping bags with our minds racing on what we had just accomplished. We awoke the next day and Tom, Ted and Bill took off like rabid dogs and descended with the wind. Tom was ready to get off the mountain. Davis, Connie and I followed at a moderate pace and Rosemary pulled up the rear. When we reached the end of our journey there was much laughter, smiles and a little remorse that our trip was done. All we could think about at the time was a hot meal, a hot shower, a real bed and a massage once we got back to South Africa.

We would later share our most memorable moments and drink beer and laugh at all the events. We learned a great deal on this trip about ourselves, about nature, and big mountains that are like the sea, never predictable. Neither should ever be taken for granted and you should never let your ego get in the way of good judgement, it can mean death. We learned to listen to our bodies, trust those around us, have patience during times of stress, admitting a weakness does not mean you are a weak person and most of all, how much we all need to enjoy every minute of every day. Chiropractic blessed all of us and allowed us to be on that mountain and aided us in returning safely. We gave ourselves fully to the mountain and it in return gave us so many gifts that will last a lifetime.