Day 5 Barranco camp (13,077ft) to Karanga camp (13,235ft)
Day five dawns bright and cold in the Barranco valley and my tiredness and somewhat melancholic mood of yesterday has lifted along with the early morning mist. Barranco camp is big and busy, unlike the others we have stayed at up to now. It also looks very different, it’s very rocky and almost pushed up against the Barranco wall which dominates the camp like some huge Giant standing over us. The ‘Senicio Kilimanjari’ trees are also dotted all about the valley and I keep thinking about ‘the day of the triffids’ and wondering if they are going to come alive.
There is another reason why the camp is busy. At this point the Machame and the Umbwe routes both join up with the Lemosho route on their way to the summit and so there are triple the number of groups all jostling for position and a camping spot. And after breakfast, we will all queuing to scramble up the main objective of the day, the Barranco wall. The wall is a near vertical scramble of about a thousand feet that is undertaken right at the start of the day, hence its nickname of the ‘breakfast’ wall. The scrambling is probably grade one by U.K. standards maybe with a bit of grade two but the route is always clear and Joshua, Richard and Gasper, who I suspect know every rock and handhold on this route are there throughout to assist and guide on every step.
The walking up to this point has been much more varied than I had anticipated when I was planning the trip. I was assuming that it would be a seven day slog up a volcanic rock but the reward of reaching the highest point of Africa and standing on top of one of the seven summits would be worth the effort and make up for the lack of variety and interest on the walk. I’m happy to admit now that I was completely wrong in this assumption and the walk has been one of sustained interest and enjoyment. From the warm rain/forest section of the first couple of days, crossing the shrub-land plain of the Shira plateau and summiting Shira Cathedral, walking through the moorland and ascending the Lava Tower and then the walk down into the Barranco valley with its strange trees and atmosphere, the walk has had plenty of variety and been interesting throughout. And now, as if that wasn’t enough we are about to scramble up a thousand feet of rock at an altitude of 13,000ft! It’s a short walk to the wall from camp and after days of walking, using our hands and doing a bit of scrambling is quite exhilarating.
Height is gained quickly and the views soon open up with the whole length of the green carpeted Barranco valley coming into view, leading down to the town of Moshi which can be seen in the far distance. Last night we had watermelon for pudding, brought up for us by a dedicated and no doubt very fit porter all the way from Moshi. A rhythm is established and the six of us slowly but surely scramble our way up the wall being closely watched and assisted when required by our guides. There are a lot of groups on the wall but the only overtaking is done by the porters. Carrying huge loads and perhaps taking risks on what is a near vertical wall they rush past keen to get to the next camp. Joshua tells us that on more than one occasion equipment, (including a calor gas canister at one time!) has gone hurtling a thousand feet down the mountain having been dropped by a porter who has then embarrassingly had to go and retrieve it. As we climb higher up the wall the sense of exposure increases and the views start to expand.
Mount Meru about forty miles away across the plains of Tanzania and looking like a picture a child would draw if asked to draw a mountain with its prominent Peak and sloped sides comes into view on the horizon. It’s a picturesque mountain and at 15,000ft high is often used as a warm up for those with time on their hands before tackling Kilimanjaro itself. Through the heat haze it looks like it is floating in the sky like a giant pointy space ship. It takes us about an hour and three quarters of steady scrambling to finally reach the top of the breakfast wall. The top, a little plateau worn flat by a million boots and with smooth rocks to sit on is a fitting place to stop and have lunch. The views from the top are stunning. Mount Meru draws your gaze to it far away on the horizon and I take far too many pictures of it.
Looking down, The Great Barranco Valley and the surrounding countryside looks lush and verdant, it’s ridges and slopes covered in green shrubs. Climbing the wall, Kilimanjaro itself was hidden from view but now we are at the top it has reappeared looking even bigger than before and looking quite majestic if a little intimidating. After lunch the trail continues it’s journey around the South of the mountain.
The path tries to follow the contour but as we are heading across the mountain there are a number of ravines and mini valleys to walk in and out of as the trail makes its way towards Karanga Camp. Having so far walked through Forest, Heather and Moorland climate zones on the mountain we are now walking through the Alpine Desert zone. The shrubs and plants are thinning out, the greenery is vanishing and the walking is becoming rockier with the paths less well defined and lots of pebbly loose scree.
Karanga camp apparently used to be in the Karanga valley itself, close to the water source that is a stream but due to erosion and growing in size it was moved to the hillside above the valley. This makes for a lung busting end to the day as we have to climb the three hundred feet or so out of the valley to the camp. This doesn’t sound much but at 13,200ft it’s enough to get the heart rate racing. As we arrived at Karanga Camp, the setting Sun brought a lovely glow to the Mountain and the shadows brought the rocks and crags into fine relief.
Bedtimes are getting earlier, 7.35pm tonight.
For map and route of this walk click ‘learn more’ below.
