Many of the climbers started getting sick one after the other. It must have been the height. So many of them received medical treatment at the bottom of the mount so much that the climbing stalled. The judges gave the contestants some time to rest as others recuperated. It took some a week, and for others, it took much more than that to recover.
From time to time, Frema would cook on the fire they carefully started for that very purpose since Adobea could no longer contest and was still recuperating at the foot of the mountain, but just enough for the day because there were no fridges to keep the remainders. As Frema went searching for a few plants to add to her green leaf soup, she picked ones similar to the ones she knew. After eating, every one of them fell terribly ill. The doctor came immediately to ascertain the situation.
"It's a case of food poisoning," he said. "Fortunately, it's not life threatening, but I think they should be careful what they pick. If they are not sure, they should not pick at all." The judges relayed the message to all the contestants.
"We have a situation at hand," said the announcer. "Henceforth, no one should pick any leaf unless he or she is totally sure of what he is plucking. We do not want any of you to die from poisoning. Let your guides know what you plan to do every time." Mariama felt so bad and so did Mr. Edusei. This was one fact that had escaped them.