Climbing Kili: Day 4 - Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Elevation (m): 3860m to 4200m
Elevation (ft): 12,700ft to 13,800ft
Distance: 7 km
Habitat: Alpine Desert

Tuesday morning's news: One of our porters got really sick in the middle of the night and had to be taken down, carried by Gilbert and two other porters. Our Bushmen team of 12 was now down to eight.

In spite of the bad news, there was plenty to smile about on Day 4. The first: It didn't rain! For the entire day! We got to don our Class 4, illegal-to-drive-in, ridiculously reflective sunglasses and keep our rain gear where it belonged - at the bottom of our day packs. The second thing to smile about: Barranco Wall. Also known as the Breakfast Wall (you tackle it soon after breakfast, and some people end up losing their breakfast), it's 800 feet up, up and up. The wall is the steepest part of Machame Route and necessitates hands and feet instead of poles, though "pole pole" still very much applies. The third thing to smile about: Kaylan's conversation with Robert after we had conquered the wall and were in the "down, up, down, up, down, up again" part of the day's hike. We had covered a lot of conversation ground in the last few days...where he grew up, the number of siblings in his family, how long he's been with Bushmen, whether or not he sleeps under a bednet, why he doesn't sleep under a bednet, why he should sleep under a bednet (I couldn't contain the public health part of me)...but today got personal.

Kaylan: So...Robert...do you have a girlfriend?

Robert: (Smiling) Yes, I have.

Kaylan: Is she "the one?"

Robert: Ummm, I don't know.

Kaylan: Is it hard to be away from her when you're climbing?

Robert: To be honest...(pause)...I don't like to be with her for too long.

We cracked up.

Kaylan: (Recovering) Has she ever climbed?

Robert: No...(hands out by his sides)...she is fat.

We cracked up again.

We arrived at Karanga Camp having been passed by absolutely everyone else on the trail (another trip theme)...except our porters. Down three men, the remaining members of the team had to take on additional weight and responsibility, adding a significant chunk of time to their normal sprinting speeds. Robert went back to find and help them, and Emma (short for Emmanuel), the man in charge of Karanga Camp that week, welcomed us into his hut for shelter from the whipping wind. We had another guest join us as well. I draw your attention to the small rat in the blue basin beneath Kay's feet.

The team eventually made it to camp safely, though one of our tent poles another one of our glass mugs did not. It was 4:38pm by the time camp was set up and lunch was served. Appetites long suppressed from the altitude, we tried to excuse ourselves from dinner, but our dinner protests were themselves protested, and they made us eat again at 7:09pm. Tonight's soup? "Vegetable."