Day 12

The sound of tent zips awakes us at 6am. Time to get going as today is a long slog. Breakfast is at 7.30, and we are soon on our way for the third day of our climb.

Hashim's pace is excellent, but we still find it a tough climb. Our first water stop is after1 1/2hrs. Here a couple of American women pass us, remarking that we must have been up early. Not knowing quite what to make of this, I replied that indeed we had got up before we went to bed - all a bit Monty Pythonish! Then on we go through short arboreal erica and helycrisum.







2hrs later we reach a junction - up over the pass, or, as the porters do, straight to Barranco. The whole point is to get a bit of height acclimatisation, so we choose the Lava Tower route. Unlucky for us, the mist is down and we only see the towers as an ethereal shadow, when we finally reach the top of the pass (4750m).

We join another couple sitting on some rocks and the husband remarks that it’s like a summer’s day on the top of Snowdon! There are lots of cute robin like birds around us, which Hashim informs us are alpine chats. They are very tame, but are not begging for food, just friendly. The landscape has really changed as we enter the alpine region, a sort of prehistoric landscape with the giant groundsel plants dotting the hillside.

It starts to rain and then hails, as we climb down the other side of the pass and walk into Barranco camp at 14.10 (3950m). Unfortunately a puddle forms under our tent and starts to seep through the ground sheet. The lads dig out a trench to drain the water away and we position the thermorests at an angle to avoid the wet patch. The mess tent is completely porous and we sit in a spray of water to have tea and popcorn etc! Not very satisfactory. I try keeping the bowl of sugar dry by putting the tin of coffee on top of it, but each time we go back to the tent, Manas comes in and rearranges it all. I fear it will turn to liquid! We rest after the effort of climbing up to the Tower, then Manas calls us for dinner,which tonight is rice and sauce after a delicious pumpkin soup. The avocado dessert is still going strong, so we decided to eat it with main course. We retire early, then need to go to the loo about10pm. Climbing out of the tent, I see it is a beautiful night with a crispness and clarity to be seen. The view of the mountain in the moonlight is stunning and we both stand for a while admiring it.