Day 6: Climb to Barranco Camp

MOUNTAIN ROUTE OVERVIEW

Today, the trail runs through a black lava desert past millions of boulders. From the Shira Plateau, the group will go up a ridge, past the trail to the peak of Kibo, to Lava Tower (known by locals as Shark’s Tooth). During their lunch break, they can take in the snowline above the Lava Tower. After lunch, they’ll descend to the Barranco Camp at an altitude of 13,000 feet. The black lava desert fades into heather and moorland. From Barranco Camp, they’ll see the Barranco Wall, the Western Breach of Kibo, and the South Glacier. This is where their hike ends – and they rest and have dinner. Because their bodies are exposed to such a high elevation at lunch, this is one of the most important days for acclimatization and will prepare our climbers’ bodies for summit day.

MOUNTAIN ROUTE STATS

Starting elevation 12,500 feet | Ascend to 15,000 feet at Lava Tower

Ending elevation 12,900 feet in Baranco Valley

Net elevation gain 400 feet

Distance hiked 6 miles

Average hiking time 7 to 9 hours

Everybody showed great strength today. We left Shira camp this morning and we all made it to lava tower, an elevation PR for everyone in the group. Our surroundings grow more beautiful and indescribable with each day, sometimes we forget we’re still on earth. Along the way we have made acquaintance with an interesting hiker, a man from the Philippines who has earned the name “Guapo” because of a tattoo we saw while he was trekking shirtless. We arrived at Barranco camp in the evening. The summit loomed over us as the sun went down.

- Ethan