The second highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kenya, rising over 5 kilometers. In terms of beauty, it is the first, according to Kenyans. It has three peaks, Batian (5,199 meters (17,057 feet)), Nelion (5,188 m (17,021 ft)) and Point Lenana (4,985 m (16,355 ft)). Batian and Nelion are technical climbs needing crampons, ice-axe, harnesses, cables, hooks etc. The Lenana peak can be climbed with a hike.
I planned on a 4-day trip which would allow me to climb up the Sirimon gate route and down the Chogoria route.
The first day, I was driven from Nairobi at 6:30AM and I discovered that my group only had one other hiker. After the hiker pickup, we drove to get our guide, Daniel.
The road was pretty, green, with lots of trees and fruit vendors by the wayside. I saw a tree laden with mangoes and could take its picture as the car sped along.
The four of us hit the road and passed highways with beautiful green vistas. After an hour, a coffee break was next.
The driver stopped at a handicraft place with beautiful wood carved items for sale.
At the next break, we passed through a town that boasted to be on the equator and many tourists were gathered to take a picture.
The Mt. Kenya was visible from this spot, and it did not look too daunting.
More coffee breaks and four hours' drive later, we were at the Sirimon gate. We had to sign in, give our emergency contacts, and wait for the gear check.
We started walking at around 3:30 PM and the trail was steep. It was paved and cars could go on it. I started feeling the effects of altitude, even though it was only 9,000 feet at that point. I walked slowly, had some snacks, drank water.
There was another board proclaiming we were walking south of the equator at that point.
Just a bit further, the Sirimon gorge was visible. It had dense trees and was a marvelous sight. There were a lot of beautiful flowers all around, and birds were chirping. I was with the second guide named Stella, and even though my group was supposed to have six teenagers, they had not shown up.
Mike, whose company was providing the support for this hike, had said that a European person, Jodi, was going to hike with me. The prior day, I had wanted to meet up with Jodi to coordinate the snacks we could take together to ensure a good variety. However, Mike could not get in touch with this co-hiker. I had told Mike that Jodi is a woman's name while he was insisting it was a man's name.
I was proven right, because Jodi was a woman from Alberta. She was very fit as she kept walking without feeling any effects of altitude.
After a while, we saw a large family of baboons. Some mothers were carrying babies on their backs. There were so many of them grazing, walking, and I could take many videos and pictures.
There were also different types of birds. The black birds with yellow feathers looked very beautiful. They were difficult to capture in a picture as they were small and far. But I was able to take a photo with the 25X zoom.
I resisted using my new shoes for this hike, so I rented shoes in the town enroute named Nanyuki. I wasn't sure how good a fit they would be, because the guide just gave me one pair and I didn't get a chance to try on multiple shoes for ensuring a proper fit. I had decided to use them on the last day and suffer if they did not fit. The Keen sandals, which I had used in multiple prior hikes and trusted, were the one I wore, and they performed very well on this paved road.
The altitude was affecting me in multiple ways, although I had no headache. I had taken three150mg tablets of acetazolamide (Diamox) and my hands trembled and were numb. My feet and knees were also buzzing. However, it was manageable.
Stella told us snippets of life in Kenya. Her daughter had just finished a degree in procurement and didn’t have a job. She was learning French with the hope of distinguishing herself. Stella told us about her laborious efforts to earn money, to feed and support her kids’ education. The people in Kenya are hardworking and very polite.
As we walked, we saw the camp for tonight in the distance. In a matter of 2.5 hours, we had climbed the 680 meters, i.e. over 2,000 feet, and came to the camp. It was a structure with nice tables and chairs, where we could stay for snack and dinner. The toilets and running water were available. We got hot coffee, popcorn, and biscuits to munch on while awaiting dinner.
A Swiss man from Zurich, a Kenyan man and his 12-year-old son, three young women plus two men from Ghent, Belgium were also with us. Everybody was in good spirits.
Dinner included a hot soup followed by a delicious vegetable curry. There was dessert in the form of sliced mangoes, tree tomatoes, and bananas.
My tent was set up already, the thick sleeping mattress, and the rental sleeping bag made it quite comfortable. By 9 p.m. it was lights out and I slept soundly. Waking up in the middle of the night, I was treated to a fantastic view of the beautiful starry sky. I could see the well-lit Nanyuki town below. At 5:30 a.m., I woke up and got started for the day. A good breakfast of porridge, fruit slices, omelets, and vegetables followed.
The guide and his helpers packed up my tent and by 7:15 a.m. on a beautiful sunshiny day, we ventured out again. I wanted to wear the same Keen sandals, but my guide recommended the rented shoes. I reluctantly agreed, and they turned out to be a good fit. Jodi was very generous in sharing the many essentials she had brought. She gave me her gaiters and offered the medication for blisters, acetazolamide and pain medication. I was so happy and grateful.
In the morning light, we could see our camp site better.
The walk was rocky and muddy.
Water flowed through ruts in the mud and birds chirped. Daniel, our guide, was our companion for the walk today.
Daniel has been working in this career for 20 years and has two brothers who do the same. Unfortunately, last year one of his brothers lost his life falling 200 feet during a Batian technical climb.
Looking backwards, I could see the beautiful view of the Mosi camp from the prior night.
Soon we could see the weather station and four peaks that were about 4,500 meters high, while Lenana summit is almost 5,000 meters.
Today my hands tingled and so did my feet. I had not taken acetazolamide yet but planned to take one 250 milligram tablet at the weather station during the rest stop. In Nairobi, I had found a store named Zucchini selling healthy protein and energy bars. I ate one with the peanuts.
We passed the weather station, and the vegetation changed. It had more shrubs.
For the first time, I saw the Lobelia bush on which birds sit and drink water that is captured in its structure.
We came to a sign saying Shipton was 15 kilometers away. A pure water stream was running next to it. It was quite serene, and unspoiled. It made for a very peaceful time.
We were at 12,000 feet altitude now. My hands and feet had stopped tingling. I was enjoying the shrubs, the scenery, the rocks, the mountain peaks, the Nanyuki village visible at a distance, and the bright, pleasant sunny morning.
I removed the gloves, the jacket, unbuttoned the shirt, and with some sips of water, proceeded ahead. The gentle breeze was soothing, the flowing water had stagnated at certain points, becoming icy and crunchy when one stepped on it.
There were beautiful flowery bushes, and the path was through dense, fluffy grass, each bush tall with thick branches coming off it, creating a very narrow path to walk between these.
After a bit, we encountered a delightful small bridge, over a stream of clear water. By this point, many hikers had caught up with me. The young 12-year-old with his dad, Peter, the Swiss hiker, as well as Dominic, from Innsbruck in Austria.
The Cotton Lobelia plant, which takes about a year to grow, and flower was abundant and that made the path very beautiful.
In front of me, Jodi and Daniel walked at a brisk pace.
I could see a large group of people descending down the trail from the opposite direction. These were students who just summited and were returning via the Sirimon gate. As we proceeded, there was another area with beautiful views of Lenana and its neighboring peaks.
There was a waterfall near us. By now we had climbed to almost 13,000 feet and walked for four hours and a lunch break was expected. I was walking fast, getting winded and frequently stopped to take a break allowing my heartrate to stabilize. Stella, who walked behind me, asked me to follow her and walk slowly. That technique helped keep my heart rate stable and I carried on for the next half hour.
Birds and flowers on the hillside looked amazing.
The trail today had many ups and downs, after we climbed a local peak, there was a rapid descent, losing all the gained altitude. Subsequently, the route climbed steadily.
A ten-minute break later, we continued down a steep descent followed by a steep ascent. The two volcanic peaks had created a valley through which water was flowing, and beautiful shrubs dotted the landscape, very green and awesome.
It was not sunny and had gotten little windier and cooler, the sky was covered with white clouds, and we were hoping against rain.
Many porters carrying big bags came from the opposite direction, having served their clients in their recent climbs. I was thankful that my head had stopped hurting, hands or feet were not tingling. I continued walking polé-polé (Swahili for slow), while the sun played hide and seek. The path had more water, so we walked around it.
We stopped for lunch at a place which was like a little paradise. They were beautiful Lobelia trees covering the whole mountain. and various birds chirped on them, a waterfall next to it. The lunch was served on a rug consisting of noodles, baked beans, and vegetables. We had a rest for a half hour and started walking again.
The whole hillside was covered with Lobelias.
Birds were everywhere.
The birds anticipated that hikers stopped here for lunch and also enjoyed the daily crumbs that hikers threw at them.
Some birds came close to us and some we could admire from afar.
We waited for a half hour to relax after lunch.
A black bird was eyeing our leftovers.
It had the yellow underbelly white and black head and black body.
We continued the hike after the nice break.
The views were quite unique due to the endemic vegetation.
A colorful hummingbird was nearby.
The clouds were gathering, and the blue sky was rapidly disappearing.
The giant lobelias were everywhere.
Coming to a small bridge over a calm spring, after walking for almost an hour, the guide said it was another hour before we concluded the walk for the day. The plan was to reach by 3 PM, rest and relax, wake up at 2 AM and attempt the summit. The altitude goal today was 13,900 feet and we were very close to it.
The hill I saw in front of me looked beautiful but daunting. I could see a few people climb ahead and it looked relentless.
I could feel droplets of water falling and the white clouds were turning dark. I climbed the steep hill; with every 40 steps I had to stop as my heart rate accelerated high. It felt as if my heart would jump out of its cage.
Daniel, the guide was patiently waiting for me as I struggled. I put on the rain poncho and continued walking. I asked Daniel, hey, how old are you? He was 39 and asked my age. When asked to guess, he guessed 33 missing by two decades in my favor. He stared at me in disbelief, while I hoped he gave me extra rest times going forward.
After the ridge, the walk was flatter, and the overnight camp was visible. By now, the raindrops became tapioca sized hail, making a pitter patter sound on my poncho.
At 2:30 PM, I reached the Shipton camp, which is about 13,800 feet (4200 m) above sea level. My Apple Watch said it was 13,977 feet, so a discrepancy of about 177 feet. I was glad to be out of the hailstorm and into the warmer camp where there were already a many hikers gathered. A school trip of about 25 young students also occupied the space.
For a couple of hours, we enjoyed nice conversation while munching on popcorn and crackers. I was sitting next to the five Belgian medical students participating in an internship in a Kenyan hospital. They had a break and embarked on this adventure. Dominic, Jodi and Peter were also recounting their stories. Peter bought a car in Nairobi, planned to travel for five months in five eastern African countries and sell the car in the end. Dominic worked at an NGO serving 130 countries with social programs. Jodi worked on wildlife conservation in Alberta.
Dinner was served at 6 PM in a huge quantity, probably four times what we could eat. We got the instructions for tonight. We were required to sleep right away, wake up at 2 AM, come to the food tent at 2:30a.m., have breakfast and start the summit hike by 3 a.m. I was given 2.5 liters purified water to carry and a hot water bottle to keep warm in the sleeping bag. I slept but kept waking up periodically. Finally, at 2 a.m. I woke up and started packing my backpack.
I had noticed that the battery in my head lamp was fading, and yesterday Daniel had given me two batteries. While I put them in, the front panel of the lamp came off making it inoperable. As I tried to get out of the tent, its zipper broke. These were bad omens, but somehow, I got out of the tent and went to the eating room.
I told Daniel my plight and he gave his head torch. With some coffee and bananas, we started walking exactly at 3 a.m. I also bummed a 250 mg acetazolamide from Jody to reduce the effects of high altitude. We started together, and literally in 2-3 minutes, Jody was breaking away. Daniel and Stella were the two guides for both of us and Stella stayed behind with me.
After a while, I noticed Peter had come right next to me and passed me. After another minute, I noticed Dominic was passing me. Now only the five Belgian students were behind me. The route was quite steep right from the beginning. We had started at 13,800 feet and the summit was at 16,400 feet over a five-kilometer distance. The target was to witness the African Sunrise at 6:30 a.m.
We had three and a half hours to summit. Soon, the Belgian students passed me as well. I was the last hiker, and I the steep climb revved my heart rate very high. I had to stop to catch my breath every 30 steps.
At breakfast, the Belgian students were stressed thinking that they would not be able to summit. I had told them that they were less than half my age and they would surely make it. And now I was able to see them in action.
As I stopped to catch my breath, Stella told me to take a couple of deep breaths and resume walking. By now, my hands were tingling, the wind had been picked up and the climbing was harder. At some turns on this zigzag route, I could see the Belgian students occasionally, but for the most part, I was walking alone with Stella behind me. In an hour, the head torch Daniel gave me lost power. I started using my iPhone. It was windy, and my hand got numb, enough that my fingers couldn’t move, frozen in place.
Monitoring the Apple Watch, I noticed that we were at the halfway point with 2.5 kilometers more to go, meaning 3,000 steps. I counted my steps in increments of 30 steps, tracking the number in my head. After about 1,000 steps, I couldn't concentrate anymore. Soon, the dawn light made my phone light unnecessary. Putting my hands in the jacket pockets allowed my fingers to slowly thaw.
The dawn light was welcome and with it came some much needed heat.
Stella patiently waited for me to follow at each turn.
Peaks got lighted up one by one.
I could see glorious sunlight and shadows on peaks around me.
Just beneath were a couple of lakes.
After another turn, I could see the summit was near. It looked near but needed many stops and starts to get to.
After an hour of walking further, I could see the summit and saw the metal steps to reach the pinnacle. As I was reaching the summit when the 12-year-old child was descending, and it was quite astounding how fast he had finished the climb.
The last few steps to the summit were to climb over the metallic steps while holding on to the metal rope.
The sun was rising and light slowly spreading all over the area.
After taking some pictures at the summit, we started descending and it became very slippery. I could see Jodie falling many times. Stella fell a few times too as she had very old, broken shoes.
Slowly we continued our march and descended with a 6 km walk to the campsite where breakfast would be served.
I got progressively slower, had a pounding headache and my right knee hurt.
The view of the surrounding mountains and the shrubs was breathtakingly surreal.
I walked slowly and took many pictures and as a side effect, I fell only once.
The different rock formations and the lobelias continued to look beautiful.
Some places the trees were very dense.
On the ground, I could see ice in many patterns.
I was walking too slowly now and Stella just sat down at a distance waiting for me.
By the time I reached the camp, I was too tired and slept for four hours abandoning the idea of keeping the remaining hiking schedule.
The camp had many birds and the hyrax, that is similar to marmots.
We started our walk back to the last camp and saw many types of flowers including the protea.
The hike was 16 km long to the final camp and had three climbs and descents followed by a long descent.
Finally, I was at the Chogoria road, which was a mud road, seven km long that lead to the last camp.
After waking up from the 4-hour nap at the breakfast camp, I had been good as new and surprisingly made it to the campsite 16km away in a matter of 4 hours non-stop walk, contrary to Daniel's expectations.
As we neared the campsite, the trees were denser and had more variety.
The last campsite at Chogoria was beautiful and large. It had electricity and Wi-fi via Starlink. It was surrounded by trees and bamboo forests. I saw two giant elephants, water buffaloes, and waterbucks nearby. After dinner, I slept soundly and woke up in time to get ready for the Nairobi trip.
The road from Chogoria was extremely bumpy and filled with huge potholes but some areas presented great vistas. From there, the highway to Nairobi was slow due to traffic. With 10 hours in the car to cover 200km, I finally reached the hotel concluding this hiking adventure.
Despite its challenges, the Mount Kenya hike was very enjoyable for me and I made some good friends during the four days. The guides, chef, porters were polite and helpful, making the whole journey very pleasant. I was sore for the next few days, something I enjoyed, as it reminded me of this accomplishment.
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