Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

After eating white breakfast, we did the usual med check, (blood oxygen 90, heart rate 94, self rating 1-10: 8), we received instructions in climbing the Barranco Wall. This would not be hiking per se, so we needed to put the hiking poles away. It was more of a bouldering scramble. We could see other teams making their way up the side and it looked a little scary but also…fun?
And so we began to climb. And it was really hard but also such a change from the usual- looking for hand holds and foot holds. We were frequently interrupted by the passage of the porters, which I for one welcomed! And then would continue along the narrow trail hanging on to the rock.
I have no idea how long this all took. At one point we came to a very narrow passage called “kiss the rock” and I thought we were near the top. But as I’m sure you know the mountains are often deceiving that way. Just when you think the top is in view, there is a whole new face to climb. And it seemed to go on forever! What had been sorta fun at the beginning became just torturous, exhausting work. But after several hours we did reach the top and this was our acclimatization point for the day so we had- you guessed it- white lunch - up on top. By this time all the white food combined with my mountain sickness symptoms was beginning to repulse me and I had no appetite.
In our briefing the night before, Rama, the chief guide, said that after we climbed the wall we would just have a couple of minor ascents and descents before getting to Karanga Camp. Rama was a big fat liar, as were all the guides at one point or another, telling you whatever they thought they needed to keep you going.
These were no gently rolling hills, but major climbs and descents. At long last we spied the camp at the top of a hill. Unfortunately we had to descend at least a couple hundred meters and then back up before we could reach it. I think at this point Tina started to cry. I myself was beyond tears. Cynthia’s face revealed stoic resolve.
The down was brutal and the up even more so. I was trailing everyone snd struggling to breathe when Samson- one of the porters came down and relieved me of my pack. He did the same for Tina. I’d probably still be climbing were it not for the help he provided!
That night at dinner I got an epic nosebleed. It would be the first of several. In ordinary circumstances I would have left the table to go take care of it, but the dining tent was really tight and besides, I just didn’t have the energy to get up. So I grabbed a handful of napkins and tried to mop up where the blood had gotten- it resembled a crime scene- and thought I had gotten it under control. Put the napkins down and went to take a spoonful of watery soup and…plop! Right into my soup. Hoping against all hope that no one had witnessed this- I looked across at Hamdi, who was struggling to contain himself. Ah yes. A fitting end to the day.Read more