Kili Team Tackles the Barranco Wall

December 22, 2016

Another spectacular day on Kili. IMG senior guide, Max Bunce, just checked in from Karanga Camp. The Team had a great time today tackling the Barranco Wall. They were up early, after sunrise but before the sunlight hit their camp (remember, this camp is tucked into a valley). Most people say that this day is their second favorite day of the climb (after summit day of course). The Barranco Wall looks intimidating from afar, but once you are hiking up it you find out its not so bad. Some scrambling (use of hands) in places but with no big exposure  (the porters are doing this with a duffel bag of gear on their heads!).  After 1,000 feet of steep hiking, you top out on top of Barranco Wall (~14,000 feet) and are greeted with a tremendous view.  The weather today was excellent and the team had great views of the Southern Glaciers.  It’s a pretty easy hike down to Karanga Camp down at 13,300 feet from here. Another great acclimatization day and a shorter one than the previous, with a delicious hot lunch awaiting the team when they arrived. Now this is climbing in style! The team had the afternoon to relax at camp, enjoy the view and rest those feet before dinner. I absolutely love the view from Karanga Camp. The summit of Kili often appears as the afternoon clouds dissipate. It’s stunning. Another short and fairly easy hike tomorrow up to Barafu High Camp. Hey, we are getting closer! Stay tuned.

Dustin Balderach