TR IPS & EX PEDITIONS
“Before too long we were looking for the early signs of sunrise as we trudged, one foot in front of the other, the path lit by the beams from our head torches and those in front of us.”
routes converged and there were many camps below the impressive Barranco Wall. The following morning, a little after sunrise, many groups had already started scrambling up the Barranco Wall, or ‘Breakfast Wall’ as it is sometimes referred to. It was all about timing. It initially looked an intimidating ascent up this rock wall but it was the only challenge in an otherwise steady trek at altitude. We made good progress over undulating terrain towards our next campsite, Karanga Camp at 3,995m. Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp was an easy three-and-a-half hour trek the following day, which was just as well, because it is from Barafu Camp at 4,673m,
For the rest of the day we rested and had a late meal before departing at 00:30. We expected it to be cold but never before had I worn a goose down jacket over another four layers of mountaineering clothing for a climb. At such a necessarily slow pace our momentum created little in the way of warmth. Before too long we were looking for the early signs of sunrise as we trudged, one foot in front of the other, the path lit by the beams from our head torches and those in front of us. As the early dawn rays lit up our surroundings magnificent views of a cloud inversion below us and the summit of Kilimanjaro above was a spectacular sight. After a welcome short break at Stella Point (5,756m) and a hot drink we made steady progress for a further 45 minutes to Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro at 5,895m and the highest point in Africa, where we all stood by 07:20. After numerous photos and hugs of celebration we retraced our steps back to Barafu Camp and past several groups still making painfully slow progress towards the summit. We continued our
descent and after a further rest at Barafu Camp made our way down the Mweka route to Millennium Camp for the night. The remainder of our descent was largely uneventful apart from a text message from The Master, our ‘Base’ contact informing us there had been a failed coup in Turkey and that Istanbul airport, our transiting airport, was closed. So it was all about timing! The only solution was to enjoy a two-day overnight Safari. We visited the Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and concentrated on seeing as many of the ‘big five’ as possible whilst letting others worry about our travel arrangements.
OA EXPEDITION TO TANZANIA
also known as High Camp or Base Camp, that 1,222m summit attempts are made.
During a magnificent two days it became routine to see large numbers of lions, elephants, giraffe, and even a rhino at a distance plus countless other species of wild animals roaming in their natural habitat. Travelling back through Istanbul our flight home was, thankfully, routine. RT
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