Like goats on barranco wall

The following is the description of today from the tour company's info site:

"DAY 5 BARRANCO CAMP TO KARANGA CAMP, Dec 11

Hiking Time: 4-5 hrs
Total Distance: 8km
Starting Altitude: 3950m
Final Altitude: 3900m
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Today we tackle the Great Barranco Wall – an imposing face above your camp. A steady climb up the eastern wall takes us just below the Heim Glacier, where we may have some awesome views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our trail continues down into the alpine desert of the Karanga Valley, where we finish this acclimatization day at Karanga Camp at 3900m. (Hiking time: 4-5 hrs)."

I feel quite good. It must be diamox. I actually enjoy Barranco wall. My goat DNA comes alive and really has a ball. The fact of the matter is, it is not as scary (and as perpendicular) as it looks. Anna starts crying right before we take off. We all try to calm her down. We look out for her all the way up the wall. I see her cry and climb at the samet time. It is heart breaking. I know they are family, but at that moment we all feel like one big family. The wall has its dangerous moments but the guides are very careful and protective of us just like we are of each other. We climb together like one entity, minding each other, minding every step.

ON THE WALL!!

After the wall, we walk at the same altitude for a long time. The views must be amazing but all we have is rain and fog. Then we descent to a valley only to climb another “wall” that doesn’t get mentioned in any info on Machame route. The well-kept secret! 

THE SECOND WALL OF THE DAY

Each day ends with an unpleasant surprise like this. There is either a difficult ascent or descent. Today is no different, but we make it to camp. 

We sign our names on the camp book as we do every day. 

During milo and popcorn feast, we give a medal to Anna for her brave attitude that I cut out of a cardboard box.  

The weather clears a little so we go out to see what is around us. The snowy peak is behind us as usual, but in front of us, or right under us, is Moshi town, Mount Meru, and AFRICA. As far as the eye can see. Clouds and setting sun play light games over the whole thing. It is sunning. 

I wish we had more of these clear moments. I wish it was drier and clearer. The hike to 6000 m is very challenging and demanding as it is. You do not need the rain, the snow, and fog on top of it. You want to be able to lift your head and look around as you climb and say to yourself that it is beautiful. But no. We walk with our heads down, because it pisses down with rain and we would get wet if lift our heads. And what is there to see anyway? Just the fog. Nothing else as you can see in the following photos:

This momentary bliss is of course followed by rain. We never get a clear and dry day, let alone an hour. 

NOW YOU SEE ME

NOW..

..YOU DON'T!

But we adapt to our conditions. After the initial shock, two nights of really bad sleep, one day of moaning about how dirty we are and three showers of rain, we are better at sleep, nobody minds the unhygenic conditions in our tents or the kitchen tent and we are used to being constantly wet. Except me.. I send my boots to kitchen along with my rain gear to be dried over fire at night so that I start with dry boots the next morning. Andy still wears plastic bags between his socks and boots. Meg moans every morning when she has to put the wet boots on, but then she lives with it. Everybody is suffering except maybe Andrew because his boots are the only real water-proof boots within 100 miles.  
Dry boots are everything at that moment in our lives. 
And I have them.. 
OK they burned my boots too while drying but they are just burn marks, no holes no problem..

tent life: