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Published: July 28th 2006
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Mt. Kenya from Shipton
Mount Kenya's highest peaks loom over Shipton's Camp (4200m above sea level). On the extreme right is Mt. Kenya's highest peak, point Batian (5199m). To Batian's left is point Nelion (5188m) and farthest left is point Lenana (4985m). Top of the Morning
By six in the morning my guide and I had reached the top of Point Lenana, which is the third highest peak on Mt. Kenya, reaching a height of 4985m above sea level. The previous three hours had been spent slowly fighting our way up a steep incline, covered in loose rocks. It was pitch black except for the light from our two flashlights, since the moon was not out that morning. The climbing had to be slow, so I wasn’t out of breath. Instead, I struggled against the cold and the altitude. Each time we stopped for a break the sweat that had soaked into our clothes cooled our bodies quickly. Also, I fought against a constant, altitude-induced headache. I felt quite a bit better about my body’s reaction to the height when my guise later told me that at one point during the climb he almost vomited because of the altitude. Nevertheless, we made the ‘summit’ in time for sunrise and for some reason, even though, the wind was strong at the top, I forgot completely about the cold. It was incredibly gratifying to have reached the top and to sit back and enjoy
Mt. Kenya at Sunrise
Clouds wisp around Mt. Kenya only exposing its highest peaks in the early morning light. the view.
A Not So Epic Climb
Before I get too excited, I really can’t brag about what I did. Before the climb I learned that a 7 year old from England did it, a 78 year old from Korea did it and one man from Austria ran from the park gates to point Lenana and back within 7 hours during something called ‘Charge the Mountain’. Also, at Shipton’s Camp I met a group of technical climbers that made the true summit, Point Batian, the day before. Not only that but two of them went from Shipton’s and back in a single day. Taking all that into account, I’m still fairly proud of my effort.
It’s true that inexperienced trekkers can climb to Point Lenana, but that doesn’t mean anyone can do it. One person that began with me had to turn back before reaching Point Lenana because it altitude sickness (later successful on a second attempt). Also, some cardiovascular training would be advisable before an attempt even though the guides are accommodating and will adjust to a slower pace. As well, extending the trip from the minimum four days to five or six days will drastically
Flags at Point Lenana
A few lonely flags welcome trekkers when they reach the top of Point Lenana. reduce the chances of developing altitude sickness by giving your body a chance to acclimatize. Some tips from my guide included drinking a lot of water (because you lungs need to humidify the dry air), and staying away from milk, eggs and greasy food before climbing (making altitude sickness less likely).
Trip Summary
Our group took the Sirimon route up the mountain and the Naro Moru route down. These are the distances for this itinerary.
Walking Distance Vertical Distance
Day 1 9 km 650m up
Day 2 14 km 900m up
Day 3 20 km (4 up, 16 down) 785m up, 1937m down
Day 4 14 km 1348 m down
The first day was an easy walk since the path is actually a road all the way to Old Moses Camp. The only thing that made the hike unpleasant was the fact that it rained for two hours. Then, luckily the rain stopped...to give way to hail for another hour. Apart from the weather the walk in scenic and easy. From this camp Points Batian and Nelion are visible if the clouds part.
The second day is definitely harder than the first. On the
Point Nelion
Point Nelion at sunrise as seen from Point Lenana. From this angle Point Batian is occluded from view. way to the second camp, Shipton’s, we had to cross three valleys, which means the climb is longer than it sounds. It could be for this reason that people say Mt. Kenya is a harder climb than Kilimanjaro, even though Kili beats Mt. Kenya substantially in height.
The third day is the climax literally and pertaining to difficulty. We covered the largest distance over the toughest path. Both on the way to the summit and back down the path are covered in loose rocks. Also the path is much steeper than anything we saw in the previous two days. The break at Mackindis Camp is very welcome although it’s relatively short and the path afterward is really bad. From Mackindis to Met’s Station the path disappears into a muddy swamp. Apparently, at this time of year its ‘dry,’ which means that there’s enough grass mounds and rocks that a person can hop/stumble their way downhill without getting their boots completely soaked. The effect of jumping from one mount to another while traveling downhill is heavy impact that transferred mostly to my knees.
The fourth day is a gentle walk downhill on a road, however, after the previous day my knees were quite sore and the hike seemed longer than it was. Regardless, the surrounding bamboo forest complete with Colobus Monkeys was very cool.
All in all, it was very worth the expense and effort. However, I would recommend spending a longer time on the mountain to do some of the optional trails and to take more time to relax.
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