Day FOUR: Shira 2 to Barranco Camp

                Today we hiked up to the Lava Tower. At the base we had lunch at 15,000 ft. and were supposed to continue on from there to Barranco Camp. During lunch though, we asked… is that it? All this talk of the tower and we don’t even get to climb to the top? It turns out the top was another 300 ft. so three of us set off to the top while the other three went to base camp.

View from Shira 2 Camp – Mt. Meru in the background

Trekking across the lava field – The porter in the foreground was a normal site. These men took our tents, food, and luggage from site to site, often on their head! They packed up after we had left and arrived and set up before we got there. The true masters of this trail...

Many of my photos show breathtaking views of the landscapes below us and afar. Most of the time however, we were covered in a dense fog that surrounded us and made visibility quite low.

          Our journey up to the Lava Tower was a little more intensive that we had expected. A little rock climbing prowess was needed! And yes, though I have been rock climbing before, no rope and the possible fall made be entirely dependent on the sage advice of our experienced guides!

Climbing up the tower

But we made it to the top! Standing with our guides Damian and Evans.

As we shimmied down a steep passage, Damian took action shots of our descent… 

Dendrosenecio Kilimanjari: A very distinctive plant which is commonly seen between Lava Tower and Barranco Camp. It can grow up to 5m in height. (Ref: Climb Kili Information Guide)

Standing next to the Dendrosenecio Kilimanjari for some perspective, these things were pretty big!

The campground is finally in sight! Looks like it is super close. Unfortunately for us there was a large gorge between us and our afternoon of rest. About an hour and a half of steep descent and climbing still remained.

Made it! Barranco Camp: 12,950 ft.

Not a great photographic capture but this was truly a beautiful moment. The moonlight reflected in the glacial ice of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the tent lights glowing down below.