day 3 – a long ascent, then descent 

July 17, 2016

Today was a long, long day of hiking – about 6-7 hours for our group.

The Day:
The sunrise in the morning was breathtaking.

Great Barranco valley (3,900 m.) A morning of gentle ascent – in honesty it didn’t seem like a gentle ascent – it was long. The views along the way we’re so panoramic views, leaving the moorland plateau behind to walk on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. The landscaping was barren and filled with lava rocks.

As we ascended – it was awesome as we would pass Becky and then when we would rest she would pass us.

We had lunch near the Lava Tower junction (4,550 m.). It was nice as we all had lunch together.

We descended to the bottom of the Great Barranco valley (3,900 m.), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains far below (5-7 hours walking throughout the day).

So the thoughts from the day:

Cathy: Oh my god – that hill coming down Lava Tower! As a note: it was pretty treacherous going down.

Adam: The higher the altitude the less coherent I got.

Lynn: The view of Lava Tower from the decent was magnificent.

Lilly: At one point, I felt like you could touch Kili. And it was great meeting my friend Curtis House and his sister Meghan.

Peter: Very fortunate to have Julius as a guide. He pointed out so many things along the way.

Deb: I enjoyed getting to know Peter more. We are all doing this intense thing together and it’s great to get to know someone better.

Lacey: I was happy when I was feeling sick and Julius took control. He took my day bag and had Elias take me to the next camp to get a little lower in altitude.

Me: On a climb like this, it’s about team work and helping each other out. And I am so happy we are all still at it!

And for all its the hugs from Julius when we aren’t feeling great.

For Dinner: Zucchini Soup and Macaroni with Meat Sauce and Vegetable Sauce.

Another tiring day, and all to bed early. We had some clouds come in, which helped warm things.
Tomorrow the ominous Barranco Wall!