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Lesson Transcript

Hi, EnglishClass101 listeners. We're here in Moshi, Tanzania. We're about to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Here are the Top Seven Phrases You Need to Know When Climbing A Mountain.
Everybody is here in line to weigh the bags. We are headed for registration to give our passport, signup so everybody knows we are officially on this trek. A lot of people in each team of climbers. We've got about 25 climbers waiting to go into the trek.
"To pitch a tent." "To pitch a tent" means to put up a tent. "We are very lucky here in Kilimanjaro that the crew is pitching the tent for us."
Jambo.
Jambo.
We just have to get through this "one step at a time." There are many, many steps to this journey. If you look too far ahead on the path, you will never get there. But if you look just one step ahead of you and you go one step at a time, you will get there. That's what I keep telling myself. "One step at a time, but watch your step at the same time because if you don't you're going to hit one of these boulders." We've been hiking for about almost four hours now. We're about to have a lunch once we hit Shira Camp One on this path. Good luck to us. One step at a time.
Crossing the creek.
This is the moorlands? Is that what it's called? What is this here you call moorlands?
The moorlands.
The next phrase is "out of breath," or "to be short of breath." We've been climbing now for three and a half hours. We've reached this lovely piece of rock, which to me looks like Pride Rock from The Lion King, but "There have been several times when I've been out of breath." It's only natural. Climbing, I'm sure it happens to you sometimes but I need to sit down. Thank you.
The next phrase is "low altitude and high altitude." "Low altitude" means you're closer to sea level. At zero meters, you are at sea level. We are now here at Shira Two Camp and we are at 3,850 meters above sea level. We are now at quite a "high altitude." "Low altitude," "high altitude." Tomorrow, we're going even higher. Can't wait.
We're on the Bronco wall right now waiting our turn to climb. How are you doing, Nicholas?
Very good.
I know you've climbed this wall 150 times.
Yes, so many times.
So many times? There's quite a line, I don't know. I am so in awe of these porters, though. We don't know how they can carry chairs and tents and everything else. Here we go. Stand up for your right.
[foreign language]
Warriors.
Getting on the road again in the morning can be quite a challenge, like you'll break your body. Here at the Colonga tent, elevation, 3,995 meters. How's everybody feeling, morning of day five?
Good.
Good.
Good. Ready? Ready, Anna?
Ready as I'm going to be. I'm all good. All good.
Turning out ready for the fourth hiking day.
King me.
[foreign language]
The highest game of checkers. What do you call this game in Swahili?
Drat.
Drat? Drat.
The next phrase is "to rise to the challenge." "Late tomorrow night, we need to rise to the challenge or get ourselves ready and prepared to take on the challenge of climbing to the top of this mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, which is our whole goal from the very beginning." We are going to rise to the challenge. I think, we can make it. Let's see what happens tomorrow night.
Last stretch to the summit. The sun is just down here.
We made it.
We made it?
Yes, to the top.
It was the hardest thing I've ever done but we did it.
The next phrase is "summit," which is the highest point of the mountain. "We are about to summit Mount Kilimanjaro which is one kilometer passed this sign called Stella Point."
Ms. Nikki on our team, being a diplomat, says she absolutely loves to fill out paperwork. She has been signing us all in at every camp which you must do when you arrive at the camp. We have to give your nationality, your age, your name, and your profession. She has been loving it and taking care of it for us. Sometimes, you get stuck behind somebody signing in for 50 people. It's funny. This is a really pretty beautiful camp in an outline moorland region which, to us, seems like rain forest. Very beautiful.
Our next phrase is "base." "We're back at the base or the bottom of the mountain." Here we are. We did it. Congratulations, everyone. We're back. What a gate, we did it. This is what the finish line looks like. We have to sign out and get out.
Bye.

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