24. The Barranco Wall – August 12

The morning came soon enough, and it was time to rise and shine and get going. We didn’t have as far to go on this day, and we weren’t making a big elevation change to the next camp but getting there would require some dramatic up and down segments on the way. To start, we would have to climb the famed Barranco wall which is a very steep zig zagging trail that would require using our hands to scramble in some areas. We would be trekking above 13,000 ft. which makes every step a big effort. We gathered at the gate post to get the group photo at the Barranco Camp before starting out and then began the hike. We crossed a bridge over a stream with a pretty waterfall and I could not miss taking a photo of this sight. Not far up the trail, we saw a group of crew members from a different group carrying a stretcher with a crew member lying on his back and being carried down the trail back to Barranco Camp. I could see one of his legs had a splint on it and knew he had injured it and would need to be helicopter lifted off the mountain. It was a stark moment of realization that there was real danger doing this expedition, not just to us but to the crew members who make every journey of many hikers possible. It was a reminder that there have been deaths trying to conquer the mountain and we needed to be careful and use caution. Ahead and looking up I could see the single file of hikers making their way up the wall and felt a mix of excitement and dread. I was so glad that Abel had assigned Matthew to guide my every foot placement and handhold as I knew he would keep me safe. I was the first in line on the steepest places and got to watch the others make the ascent. Once the group was up the steepest part I had a sense of great accomplishment and took a video of my exhilaration. It was here we saw the helicopter fly in, land, and pick up the injured man from the Barranco Camp down below. The next feat was to pass by the “kissing rock”. This is a very narrow spot where one must brush right up against a large protruding rock with the trail dropping off steeply on the other side. We literally kissed the rock as we slid by it’s hard surface. Not far from this place the trail leveled off and had a spot with large boulders great for resting and taking a snack or nature break. We could see the peak of Kilimanjaro also known as Kibo because that is the name of the highest of the three volcanic cones making up the mountain. The Shira peak on the western side creating the Shira plateau where we had come and the Mawenzi peak to the east are the other two cones. We were getting closer to our goal, and we could see the majestic peak. By this time in the trek, we were getting quite well acquainted with our fellow teammates. We shared stories of our life, our families, our current situations, our connection to Parkinson’s disease and our motivation for signing up for this epic trip. There were moments of laughter, sadness, happiness, and revelations of hopes and fears yet ahead in our lives. The mountain is barren and desolate, and it was hard to hide or have privacy both physically and emotionally such that I felt exposed often with the loss of dignity and had to trust my fellow hikers to respect boundaries and secrets revealed. I know that for each of us there are things that will stay on the mountain forever and thus the bonds of friendship and camaraderie got stronger with each day and each advancement along the way.

We had been ascending in elevation but our camp for the night was close to the same elevation as the previous night. This meant we were going to have to descend the trail. That was good news as it was more difficult for me to go up than to go down. Each step took a lot of energy and left me panting and feeling out of breath. The guides frequently would tell me to drink more water to help prevent altitude sickness. I wondered how they thought I could breathe and drink at the same time as my body wanted air more than it wanted water. The recommended amount of water to consume is about 3 liters a day. I was never able to get that much down and I think they finally gave up trying so hard to keep me adequately hydrated. Yet, while others around me were feeling the pangs of altitude sickness, I still had not had a headache, nausea, or vomiting. I feel certain that the prehike conditioning I had done many with my group of hikers back in North Carolina and often at elevations above 6,000 ft. had helped. I was also taking Diamox as prescribed twice a day and eating the high energy snacks to provide fuel to my overworked cells. As we descended the path, we came to a section that resembled a set from Jurassic Park. It became very steep, and the terrain was very rugged with deep grooves in the sides of the mountain. There were fairly large trees with moss hanging from bare limbs. The varied hues in the rock and soil were red, green, brown, and gray. There was a large section that was charred from fires that had occurred about two years ago. There were beautiful desert-like flowers and plants. It was dramatic, stark, beautiful, and eerie all at the same time. The trail was a hard surface with the typical volcanic gravel making it easy to slide and lose your footing. Once again, Matthew watched my every step keeping me safe on the way down this section. We rounded a curve in the trail when Matthew pointed to a place across a ravine from where we were and said that was the camp for the night. I could see we had quite a way to descend before crossing the bottom of the ravine and then hiking back up to the camp. I wanted to sit down and not budge. I was tired and this looked like a long way off yet to go. But the other side of my brain kicked in and told me to take it one step at a time and get there. Matthew and I were lagging a little behind the group, but we caught up as we ascended the trail to the camp. It was a welcome sight to have the crew members greet us on our way up, take our packs, and gather around us to sing the ritual welcome song as we made it into Karanga Camp. Though the evening fog and clouds were rolling in there was still light to get the group picture at the gate and then look for a spot to find connectivity on our phones. The White Napped Ravens searching for crumbs from the camp looked rather ominous in the mist. The usual tasks of setting up our gear in the tent, freshening up, having a hot meal, gazing at the spectacular starry sky, and settling in for the night seemed routine now. My body yearned for rest night would bring.