Barranco Wall

The clanks of the dishes for breakfast awoke me, along with Simon, one of the cooks. Simon was darling and each morning he would gently whisper “Good Morning” outside the tents of the climbers, alerting us that it was time to wake up and get ready for the day’s climb.

We bid farewell to our friends as they set off to begin their climb. We packed up our bags, got our water, lathered the sunscreen on and then were off too!

View from Barranco Camp

Setting off!

Mark had to say goodbye to a new friend

Looking back at our camp

At this time, our group took a brief break to allow the porters to pass us. The trail was so narrow that only one line of single-file people can climb. We all watched, in wonder (and a bit in shock) at the amount of items these strong men carried. From tables to chairs, duffel bags to tents and cooking items, we all were speechless as the men continued on with the items on their heads as well as strapped to their bags. Just moments before, I had struggled to get my footing between two pieces of the wall, carrying only my back which was no more than 30 pounds. We all learned to complain just a little less when we experienced moments like this, for we recalled the men who made our climb that much easier and more comfortable. Again, out to KPAP, the organization that ensures porters are well taken care of.

Spotted a water fall during our climb