Pole Pole to Barranco
For some of us, altitude sickness, headaches, and nausea set in. With the exception of being worn out, sleepy, and puffed up, I was fine. Enock confirmed that today was his favorite day of the trek, and we were told it would be a beautiful one. We trust him. Today, we travel through Lava Tower to reach Barranco Camp, covering a distance of roughly 10 kilometers while ascending to Lava Tower for acclimatization before descending to Barranco Camp. Lava Tower sounded eerie and quite exotic. We were nervous and anxious!
Now that we were in the clouds, we couldn’t see anything because Lava Tower was shrouded in fog. The fog suddenly lifts, revealing everything. The rock was tower-sized and enormous! At a height of 4630m, it is a sizable lava rock. Mount Kilimanjaro was once a triple volcano, and more than 150 000 years ago, volcanic activity caused the formation of the Lava Tower. Lava once erupted and cooled here, where the Lava Tower now stands. This hardened, preventing the lava beneath it from venting. Lava tower climbing was once possible, but for safety reasons, it was stopped.
If climbing had been permitted, I’m sure the view would have been breathtaking, and being the “mountain goat” that I was, I would have been the first to ascend! I could have made it mainly because it’s very rocky.
Lava camp is mainly used for acclimitsation, but it looked like a small township. Tents had been set up for the climbers to eat lunch. To our surprise, our private toilet tents were set up too. While the rest of us felt fine but lethargic, Maya felt sick, nauseous and disorientated. Guess the altitude was the cause. After lunch, we began to descend.
The journey from Lava Tower was exceptionally lovely. I wanted to stop numerous times to take in the breathtakingly beautiful and untamed scenery. Since Lava Tower is located in an area of alpine desert, there is no vegetation and little to no rainfall. As we descend, it begins to rain. Weary from the climb, I walked in the rain for a while before Charles asked me to put on my rain poncho. My good one, which was larger, remained in the suitcase, and I only brought one thin, yellow, flimsy-looking item that I had purchased in Cologne, Germany, a few years ago ( see these ones in the Kili kit).
I gave two to Trish and Sid out of the three I had. Charles asked where we got these ponchos after having a good laugh at them. We didn’t have to wear it for very long, though.
The landscape becomes more magnificent as we get closer to Barranco. The Lobelia Deckenii plant, which grows in the valleys of East Africa, was everywhere, and Dendrosenecio trees, also known as Giant Groundsels, stood out against the mist to create an surreal atmosphere. The area seemed magical. When we get to Barranco, we are facing the wall. Barranco Wall, a dreaded structure! As soon as we get to our tents, the routine begins. Now that Mount Kilimanjaro appeared so close, we knew the day of the summit was drawing near. Stay hydrated, eat healthily, and rest when you can!
Enock Record: Morning was 9/10, evening 8.5 /10 (tiredness again)
Charles briefs us about the next day …wave of the hand … Easy, like this! The notorious WALL tomorrow!
