Wed 3rd Aug '16 - Day 5

Mount Kilimanjaro

Day Three           11km     Shira Camp 3,750m – Lava Tower Camp 4,600m – Barranco Camp 3,900m

Awake again in the dark at 05:15 to the sound of porters starting their day. Another clear sky day but brisk chill means three long sleeves tops and a Gillet, plus buff, sunglasses and beanie. Even in the cold being 4,000m up means sun cream on exposed skin – there are several people already wearing red faces. Breakfast is porridge, sausage & egg with toast along with fruit.

Just after 08:00 we’re off on an 11km up & down walk finishing at almost the same altitude that we start at. This is aimed at giving the body time to experience a higher altitude before returning to something more comfortable. The gently winding rocky path leads through a lunar landscape of scattered boulders and little else (bar some maximum 6-inch-high shrubs) and the softer incline has John overtaking some groups against his Pole Pole mantra.

We wend up and up to the Lava Tower Camp at 4,600m (which is the same as the highest altitude I got to on the Inca trail in South America when I got really bad altitude sickness – so this represents a significant milestone for me) so called for the 70m vertically protruding pillar of lava that hasn’t eroded away over time. On the way there had been several piles of dried lava where you could see the lips of each wave of lava as it had cooled and dried.

I’m not sure if a slight headache is altitude sickness or wind-chill, but I continue on the Diamox. David is suffering with shortness of breath so it’s surprising when we reach the lava tower that he goes with Shane and Jason, led by Demi up the tower until they look like ants way up above us.

The canteen tent is erected and carrot soup arrives though it’s clear the extra exertion has taken its toll on Jason who hasn’t been sleeping much either. We know things are bad when he departs leaving behind extra hot chips and stew for the rest of us. The chips are big hit, especially considering the location.

With Jason quiet and struggling we depart for a two-hour downhill walk to camp though within a few minutes Jason is returning his lunch to the mountain, after which Demi relieves him of his bag to make the walk easier.

The landscape evolves as we move around the mountain the peak away to our left with a few streams to cross and mix of dusty sheep like trails and damp paths. More greenery appears as we descend in to the valley’s clouds – a vista which, without people dressed in high vis waterproof outfits could have been the same thousands or millions of years ago.

With only a few stumbles we roll in to Barranco Camp overlooked by the imposing Barranco Wall which at first glance looks impassable but on closer inspection reveals a track with many switchbacks up which we will go tomorrow morning. Up and behind that sits the majestic peak.

Sean and I prep our bags and clean up ready for tea and dinner, confident we’re getting more experienced and efficient at this camping lark. My headache is still persisting and I’m joining Sean who also has been afflicted for the last day. So along with David out of puff and of course Jason that just leaves the Daniel, Shane and Clem as fully healthy.

At dinner (cucumber soup, beef and potato, green banana – a dish from the Chuga tribe) the wind strikes up just as Demi and John outline plan to combine the walking of the proposed Day 4 and Day 5 and make an earlier ascent attempt. Proper discussion is hindered by the roaring wind which upends a few tents of hapless campers on the site and so a rough agreement is made to see how we’re progressing tomorrow and go from there. Time will tell.