DAY 4 - LAVA TOWER AND BARRANCO HUT

Wow -- today we hit the trails again and encountered "high" altitudes for the first time.  For sure there is a big difference between 12,600 feet and 15,000 feet in terms of "oxygen availability" -- a headache and shortness of breath were my constant companion today as we made our way from Shira 2 to Barranco Hut (12,930 feet) via Lava Tower (15,090 feet).

Our continued trek across Shira Plateau was just incredible today.  We were blessed by blue skies and clear air all the way today and the majestic peak of Kilimanjaro looked down on us the entire way.  I had my best night's sleep last night so it was good to be hiking with fresh legs and a clear mind and to really enjoy the beauty of this little corner of God's Creation.

One of the joys of being a part of a climb team is the stories and laughter enjoyed along the way and this happened especially more on this day as most of our trek to Lava Tower was relatively gentle.  Today I was christened "Kodak" by the rest of the team due to my constant shooting of pictures and falling behind the rest of the team due to my frequent stops to take pictures.

Speaking of frequent stops, one of the things we realize at high altitude with a team of six it seems like someone is always having the need to stop and pee, especially as more and more of us are getting on Diamox.

Duchess

Being the only woman on a 6-person team I am sure is a unique experience for Annemieks.  Since we are in Day 4 of the Climb at this point, she has become pretty used to all of Shannon's body noises and full descriptions of such noises.  After a lot of thought, I came up with the nickname "Duchess" (haha - get the Dutch part) for this beautiful young lady of our team.  It never ceases to amaze us that she still manages to arise from her tent each morning with her hair well done and her makeup in place while the rest of us look like a bunch of pirates.  She has such a great smile and encouraging spirit to all of us.  She is a strong hiker For all of us men from Indiana, we have adopted her as a friend and our "kid" sister.

Lava Tower (Black Rock) in the Distance

We arrived at Lava Tower for a very late lunch today along with several hundred climbers and their team.  Yesterday we were told that they were no longer letting people climb the Tower due to recent accidents and my first thought was great disappointment as this is one of the reasons Shannon and I had chosen the Lemosho Route.  But having arrived at the Tower, we both agreed that neither of us would have had the energy to climb the Tower anyways...maybe next time (not!).

The descent from Lava Tower was definitely the most challenging stretch of climbing we have encountered yet on the Climb.  Between the steepness and the scree, we were all thankful we had our trekking poles to provide stability as snailed our way down several hundred feet of descent.

Descent from Lava Tower

Lava Tower From The Other Side

One of the developments of today has been the worsening condition of "Papa".  The dust from the last two days has really got into his respiratory system as well as he is feeling the full impact of the high altitude on his body.  I know as we trekked all day today there were many prayers lifted up for his well-being and his ability to continue the Climb with us.

The Most  Beautiful Campsite in the World

We finally pulled into Barranco Hut near 5 pm tonight.  What an incredible place this is...a camp tucked in a valley with the soaring Barranco Wall on one side and a range of rocks on the other and a cloud-filled valley at the other end.  We have all declared this "The Most Beautiful Campsite in the World" and it really is no exaggeration.

One of the greatest understatements of the Climb so far came from "Pig Pen" Steve Meier as we rolled into camp and saw the Barranco Wall for the first time -- "That doesn't look that steep" -- these were words he would quickly take back the next day as we made our way across it.

It was especially enjoyable to just sit and rest in all of this beauty.  The porters gave us another special greeting as we arrived to camp -- Hakuna Matata Kilimanjaro -- indeed, Don't Worry, Be Happy...