Day 1
I am already tired. I’m not sure why that is considering we haven’t even started climbing the mountain, but I feel as if I could fall asleep. This makes me a little nervous about the trek ahead. We arrive at the base of Mount Kenya and are greeted by a very enthusiastic climbing company. Here we have lunch and are given the opportunity to, as the Kenyan guides say, “hire” some equipment. I wonder, however, what would happen if you tried to fire these shoes, gloves, or pants half-way up the mountain. Probably not recommended. We start out with a 3 hours hike to Old Moses, our first shelter. This hike would normally be very easy, but I can already feel the effects of high altitude on my breathing. The air is thin here, but it’s crisp and pure. It’s refreshing after living in the city air of Nairobi. We arrive at Old Moses as the cold is setting in. Up until this point I have been able to hike in shorts and a T-shirt, but that changes quickly as the sun starts to set and I stop moving. It becomes so cold that I drink three cups of hot chocolate and pour a fourth cup of hot water just to hold. Tea time (yes, Kenyans even need their tea while hiking a mountain) is followed quickly by a dinner of ox tail and brown onion soup, fish (with the head still attached of course), potatoes, and vegetables. I am so enthusiastic to eat that I fill up before the main course comes, but I stuff down most of the meal anyway. (Not to mention that the soup came first and I wasn’t sure if there was more. Who knew climbing a mountain would come with a three course meal! I haven’t mentioned this yet, but the usual way to climb here is to hire porters who carry your food for the trip. For some reason, it seemed like cheating to me at first, but it does make the hike a lot more enjoyable. One, because you carry less weight, and two, because you don’t have to worry about cooking a meal when you arrive at night.) For the sake of keeping warm, I surrender to my sleeping bag at 9 o’clock. I fall asleep freezing, but wake up relatively warm during the night. Thank goodness for 20 degree sleeping bags! I wake up gasping for air. Apparently some people experience sleep apnea at high altitudes. Good thing my friend told me about this after the fact...
Day 2
Rise and Shine! A cup of Miski (some sort of powered milk substances that we had fun pronouncing during the trip) energizes me. I am full of vigor this morning. (Strange considering that I woke up 3-5 times during the night, probably due to the excessive hot chocolate drinking the night before.) My pack feels lighter this morning, even though I know it’s heavier considering I’m carrying a full supply of water and my lunch. Today is supposed to be the longest and hardest hiking day, but it feels better than yesterday. I get a little dizzy near lunchtime, but that is solved by plenty of water and calories (not often that I’m desiring more calories, but it apparently helps prevent altitude sickness). We have lunch in the clouds...literally. We arrive at the top of a peek enclosed by a eery fog. Half-way through lunch the clouds fade a bit, and we can see the mountains that surround us and the drastic drop off we are beside. The food is great! (Either that or I’m so hungry that it seems great.) The only disappointing part of lunch is a rather strange tasting chocolate bar, but I eat half of it anyway. There is less and less vegetation as we gain altitude. There are, however, strange plants that look like something out of Avatar. I find myself captivated by the views that surround me. It is ridiculously beautiful. It starts to rain on us towards the end of the hike. Good thing I have rain gear (thanks Amanda!). We arrive at Shipton’s tired and wet, but the good news is that we’re in time for early tea! I limit my intake this time. I actually can’t wait for it to be later so I can curl up in my sleeping bag. And I thought Old Moses was cold...
Day 3
It is colder in our room than it is outside. Therefore, breakfast will be served outside this morning. Not a bad deal considering the clouds have lifted to reveal a perfect view of Mount Kenya’s peak. We set out for Austrian Hut. This is a shorter hike than yesterday, but the steepest climb so far. I enjoy the parts of this climb where we have to bound from rock to rock. It reminds me of when I’d go hiking with my dad as a kid and my favorite part was jumping from rock to rock. It begins to snow/sleet on us. I much prefer this to rain because at least sleet bounces off of you. I’m really starting to feel the effects of the altitude. Things that might not be funny at a normal elevation appear hilarious here. The last 400 meters of the hike pose the greatest difficulty for me thus far. I start to feel dizzy and my face feels slightly feverish. I force myself to drink some more water (even though I’ve gone through close to 3 liters already today) and pull a granola bar from my pocket. We haven’t eaten enough today, and I know this is the reason I feel this way. As soon as we arrive at the Austrian Hut I inhale a late lunch and tea and lay down. My energy and sense of normalcy begins to return to me quickly. Not everyone stays at the Austrian Hut because it’s so close to the peak, but I’m excited to be here. Our guide bids as goodnight and warns us that sleep does not come easy at this high of an altitude. At least it’s warmer here than Shiptons.
Day 3 turning to Day 4
As our guide warned, sleep is difficult tonight. I venture outside at one point and am almost knocked over by the shear force of a stunning view. (Okay, so part of the sudden dizziness might have been the altitude, but mainly it was the view.) I’m not sure I can explain or fully grasp what I saw. It filled me with delight, reverence, and terror all at the same time. I am in awe of God’s creation. It is no wonder that the Kikuyu people believed God lived on Mount Kenya when he came down from the sky. The air is so thin and pure that objects seem to radiate, without vision being hindered by smog, clouds, pollutants, or dust. The sky seems to be encircling me, overtaking the land which I stand upon. The stars seem close enough to touch. The moon shines so bright that the earth appears to be glowing. The ground is still, yet the world around me seems to be constantly moving. Except for the howl of the wind through my jacket’s hood, the mountain is in complete silence. I too feel the need to follow this mountain’s vow of tranquility. There is the outline of the peak: looming in the background, beckoning all climbers that have ventured this far to call upon it at daybreak’s first light. I return to bed anticipating the acceptance of that call.
Day 4- Game Day
The day starts at 4:45. It’s summit day. I feel pretty good and am immediately thankful for the stay at Austrian Hut and the opportunity it gave me to adjust to the altitude and ward off sickness. I woke up several times during the night, but my reaction was actually one of excitement. After all, waking up meant at one point I had been asleep. The hike is steep, but short this morning. We climb on the west side of the mountain and don’t see the streaks of sunlight until we reach the peak. The sky is beginning to show signs that sunrise is on its way. The icy wind howls and burns against my face, but the view makes the cold worth it. It is beautiful. The tip of the sun appears in the sky, as if out of nowhere. We watch the sun rise into full view, faster than it ever appears to move during the day. After a group picture, the need for warmth forces us back down the mountain. We take breakfast at the Austrian Hut and begin our descent. We must now come down the steep slopes that we ascended yesterday. This actually turns out to be one of my favorite parts of the trip (besides summiting of course) because I simply let gravity do the work and take off running. I speed down the mountain, bounding over rocks and watching my steps to keep my balance. I seem to amuse the guide and porters that run beside me. We are going back a different route than we climbed up, and I appreciate getting to see another part of the mountain. It helps not to know how much longer we have left. :) We stop for a snack break just as the clouds roll in. It literally looks like we are being overtaken by some sort of smoke being. It’s funny how fast the weather changes. One minute, clear blue skies and the next, we are watching a storm form while we are literally in the clouds. The thunder rolls in the background and I prepare myself for a downpour. But our guide seems not to be worried. He tells me that he is watching the pattern of the clouds and he thinks we can stay ahead of the storm. He glances around and listens as if his friend is telling him a secret. It’s like he speaks the language of the mountain. And I suppose after 20 years of climbing this mountain close to once a week, this is more of a home than anywhere to him. He’s right: the rain stays behind us. We pass through what is known as the vertical bog, which basically looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss story. We finally arrive fairly exhausted at Met Station, our final camp. I feel accomplished, tired, and ready for a shower. Mount Kenya is now part of my story. It’s another part of my life here that will follow me back to the States.
Avatar plants ;)
Breakfast with a great view!
Austrian Hut
Summit Sunrise
The Vertical Bog
You are so cool! I really felt like I was there! :)
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