The Barafu hut camp also referred to as the Barafu camp is one of the last camps to the summit of the Kilimanjaro on the southern routes. The word Barafu is a Swahili word to mean ice.
The camp just like the school huts, Kibo hut and arrow glacier camp is right before you summit the Kilimanjaro. It a resting point rather than an accommodation point as you will leave it at midnight to start you trek to the highest point in Africa.
Like most of the other camps that exist before summiting the top of the Kilimanjaro, this camp has no basic facilities and you are required to carry your own tent. There is just one basic structure for the ranger that also acts as the office for this area. There are pit latrine and no toilets.
The camp is a bit small and when the traffic is high especially in the dry season, there could be a fight for spaces to pith your tent. The area is also rocky and finding a safe place is not easy.
The temperature the Barafu camp can drop up to about -20 degrees Celsius depending on the season. Usually the highest temperature recorded is about 4 degrees Celsius.
You are advised to carry a sleeping bag that can stand temperature of at least – 10 degrees Celsius. It’s also good that the sleeping bag is more of synthetic material as other materials may be heavy to carry to the top.
Location
The Camp is located on a ridge which gives beautiful views. It’s on the southern side of the Kibo cone of the Kilimanjaro. There is a lot of ice on this camp but there is scarcity of water here.
The porters will carry water for cooking and drinking and so that will be assured. Any other things will require that you use the available water sparingly. The elevation here doesn’t support plant and animal life.
You will be exposed to high pressure winds here as there is no cover. The camp is located on the ridge as well. The area is also rocky but mostly you will not find the huge rock but rather the smaller rocked called the Scree.
How high is the Barafu Hut Camp?
The Camp is found at an elevation of about 4,673 meter above sea level. You will have about 6 hours to reach the Uhuru peak. Which is the highest at an elevation of about 5895 meters above sea level.
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