A Walk to Remember

By Dale

I had mixed feelings as the week began because on one hand it marked the last several days of our stay in Kenya while on the other it was time for the much anticipated hike up Africa’s second tallest mountain.  The threat of altitude sickness is very real and the chance of rain during April is extremely high.  It would take close to 40 miles of hiking and approximately 16,000 feet in total elevation change (up and down) to claim Lenana Peak which stands at 4,985 meters above sea level (third highest peak of the mountain but the highest obtainable without technical climbing gear).

Blissfully undaunted by the feat ahead and undeterred by the beginnings of a head cold I set out on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure with my son, Isaac, my brother-in-law, Dan and eleven other men of Rift Valley Academy.  Our 4 day / 3 day trip began at 7:30 Tuesday morning as the 14 of us gathered to meet our vans.  A light rain saturated the air as we loaded up but it didn’t dampen our spirits.  Excitement among the men was thick for it would be the first attempt at the mountain for all but two of the group.

By the time we arrived at the gate the rain had been long gone and the way ahead looked clear.  We had a light, but fairly steep, hike up an access road to Old Moses Camp, our first lodging site, where we began acclimating and shared an evening meal.  Sleeping in tents with the tip of Mt. Kenya (top-center on second picture) on the horizon afforded us the sweet anticipation of the morning ahead.

Morning dawned with more clear skies and after taking breakfast we made our way through the hills and valleys leading up to the mountain.  Apart from the summit this may have been my favorite part of the hike.  It was a moderate couple of miles covered in grasses and other African greenery that brought us past a clear brook to a long valley.  The views along the way were simply spectacular in every direction.  It felt like something out of the Psalms; “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness  For His name’s sake.”

We would follow this valley all the way to Shiptons Camp at the very base of our aspirations.

   Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photos by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

  Photo by Dan Schmidt

Morning of the third day came very quickly!  We were up at 2:30 am and on the trail by 3:20 with hopes of summiting at sunrise.  Darkness and a near vertical climb slowed our pace such that the sun rose faster than we did.  However, witnessing the eastern horizon ignite with reds and oranges as we ascended brought as much satisfaction as watching it from the peak.

  Photo by Joe Riley

  Photo by Joe Riley

  Photo by Taylor Hemphill

  Photo by Taylor Hemphill

All 14 of us made the summit and no one suffered more than minor symptoms due to the elevation.  This was a real blessing!  Though, as any climber knows, once you’ve reached the summit you are only half done with the hike.  Ed Viesturs said, “It's a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory.”

To put it mildly we had a long, arduous descent off the mountain to our next and final lodging accommodations.  We registered a minimum of 17 miles this third day and felt every inch!  But we were rewarded with hot showers at the Chogoria bandas and slept in beds with mildly comfortable mattresses.  The final day consisted of a 6 mile hike down a different access road on the other side of the mountain where we met our transportation.

If it were not for my aching calves, I would think that this also was a dream.  What an enormous blessing to be able to hike this mountain with my son, by brother-in-law and a great bunch of guys!  We took several photos but they don’t do justice to what we saw and experienced. They will, however, serve to spark the many memories made on this trip after time has diluted and distracted my mind.