Oxygen Decreases as Team Ascends Higher
Thursday, August 23rd, 2007The team climbed to the 14,800 barrier, crossed the ridge, and viewed the plains far below. They ate lunch while admiring the ancient glacier ice of the Breach Wall before dropping to their 12,800 feet elevation campsite (for sleeping and acclimization purposes) at Great Barranco.
The next morning, FGA, AA, and porters awoke to begin their climb up over the Great Barranco. The team topped out at about 14,500’ before dropping to their camp at the Karanga River at about 13,000’. This completed another day of acclimatization as they passed below the largest ice and rock face in Africa, the famous Breach Wall. The Breach Wall climbing route, known as ‘The Icicle’, was first climbed in the early 1970’s by Reinhold Messner. Daytime temperatures can reach (80°F), while evening temperatures often drop below freezing.
As the climb continued, the team hiked for about 6 hours from the Karanga River to their high camp at Barafu (14,650’). As they made their way through beautiful and rarely traveled regions, the group entered a high desert plateau, littered with volcanic boulders. Looking to the south, were the desert plains as the pinnacles of the towering Mawenzi Peak. At Barafu, the team began the preparation for the summit attempt. While their cook staff prepared food, the climbers spent their time packing and preparing for the early morning, 2:00am departure.
