Climbing Kili: Scaling the Barranco Wall to Base Camp

The sound of people moving around camp woke me up early at Barranco Camp.  After a big stretch, I paused in my sleeping bag and listened carefully - there was no pitter pat of rain!  Jumping out of bed in my fleece pants and down jacket, I left Natacha sleeping in order to see what camp really looked like when not obscured by rain and mist. 

Everyone was excited that morning, partly because it was sunny, but also because today we were tackling the Barranco Wall, also known as the Breakfast wall - the imaginative name it acquired because it is usually tackled after breakfast.  This climb broke the slight monotony of the pole pole of the past few days.  Carefully placing feet and hands, we scaled the valley wall.  We passed the kissing rock, so named because you had to place your hands in a bear hug position, hug the rock and edge across a narrow ledge that had an impressive view down if you we brave (or stupid) enough to look.  The views from the top were well worth the effort of the climb.  From the flat ledges at the top you could see the banks of clouds spread below, Mount Meru emerging hazy from them and darkening to a deep mountain blue at the peak.  Behind, Kibo felt so close that I wanted to reach out my hand and touch it. 

Continuing on, we passed a second grove of tree groundsel (see the picture below) and through the Karanga valley.  The cold water was the last water on the way to the summit.  Karanga camp was a windswept camp on the mountainside brightened by the views of Meru and the colorful tents of different companies flapping in the wind. 

The next day we hiked to Barafu (Kiswahili for "ice") camp, our base camp for attempting the summit.  The way there was barren desert and would have been silent except for the flat rocks that lined the trail.  As boots passed over the rock pieces, they clinked together sounding like wind chimes blowing in the wind.  Barafu camp itself was perched at the edge of a cliff, the different tents nestled among the boulders.  We prepared our packs and gear in the afternoon and tried to snatch some sleep as our minds focused fretfully on the summit night a couple of hours away.

The view up Barranco Valley towards Kibo.

Working our way slowly up the Breakfast Wall.

At the top of the Barranco Wall.  Kibo is so close,
but so far.

One of our group members looks out towards Mount Meru from the top of
the Barranco Wall.

I feel like a midget next to this huge tree groundsel.

En route to Karanga Camp.

Last water before summiting.

The many colorful tents of Karanga Camp.

Sun sets on Mount Meru.