Day 3 - Machame - 1 July 2014

We had an early start - getting away while other groups were having breakfast.  It was difficult.  Breathing was becoming an effort and from this point, we had rocks and more rocks around us.  Our goal was to get to Lava Tower.

The temperature was not hot nor cold - however, sunburn would be a danger - we applied and re-applied twice a day.

A buff around your mouth is a good idea if you want to keep the dust away.  The path is long and not very steep but at stages, you can really see how high you are.

Usually, groups climb Lava Tower but our guide told us that it was not safe.

Lava tower is 4642 m above sea level.  It is an impressive piece of rock towering above the rocky desert.

We had lunch inside the tent on this day - it was welcome.  I was glad to see the lunch tent each time.  Slap chips and saucy vegetables with the usual soup and tea.

After lunch, we had about 10 minutes to sit and rest and off we went again.  This time we reached a valley and it felt like we were going down for once. It was another very long and tiring day and my feet started to "make mistakes" by stumbling... I felt exhausted.

Finally, we reached Barranco Camp (3984 m).  This was by far my favourite camp.  We got to sort out our bags outside - no wind - no downhill. I got to wash my feet and also do a hospital bath (hence the small face cloth).  The toilets were actually in a good state and one could even squat in piece. You still need to catch your breath after zipping open the tent but at least the camp was like a holiday :)

After dinner, I felt ill for the first time on the trip.  I took some pain medication and another Diamox and passed out.  I slept very well and felt great the next morning. We would once again get up even earlier to beat the main traffic.  Barranco wall would be difficult and technical.

Read more Day 4

Route Overview:
Distance:  10 km
Duration:  6-8 hours
Gain:  166 m

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