The October Kilimanjaro team trekked up to over 15,000 feet today, passing the landmark Lava Tower, where they stopped for lunch, enjoyed the views from their high point of the day. They continued traversing around Kilimanjaro after lunch and actually descended a bit down to the Barranco Camp at about 13,000 feet, where they are staying tonight. This is a great acclimatization strategy, to climb a bit higher and stimulate acclimatization, then descending a bit to sleep at a more comfortable altitude. The Barranco Camp sits at the base of the Barranco Wall, which is a steep scramble they’ll ascend first thing tomorrow morning. It’s a bit intimidating, but this crew won’t have any trouble and they’ll enjoy it.

Here’s the evening Kilimanjaro dispatch from Dasean, calling in on the satellite phone from Barranco Camp.

Kilimanjaro Expedition Dispatch – Day 4 Barranco