It took us about one and a half hours drive from Nairobi to Naru moru town. We hanged around to adapt to the climatic conditions of the area. We met our climbing team who presented us with the necessary climbing gears and briefing. We spent our first night in Mountain View Lodge.The following morning our guide, cook and potter came to pick us from the hotel in readiness for the day. We took a taxi from town to the main gate. We checked in and arranged our stuff into various back packs. The four days three nights-trekking began.
The weather was friendly in the sense that it wasn't too cold and not as hot for trekking. It wasn't so easy for me with all the clothing and footwear and a backpack walking for more than two hours.We would see wild animals tails and dung on the way so we were aware of their presence. We took a break in between before another three hours to Met station where we spent our first night. The sun set over bamboo vegetation at 3000ft altitude was just another world to me. Our cook had something ready to warm us as we waited for dinner. We were advised to be watchful when walking to the toilets during the night for the roaming buffaloes around the place. It was so cold that inside a sleeping bag and with my clothes on I was awake almost the whole night! A strange feeling.
Morning shower turns out to be unnecessary here.Brush your teeth and wipe the face. We had our breakfast to re-energise for the second day of climbing. It got colder, misty and foggy as we went higher and no more sight of bamboos but shrubs and mountain grass and flowers. We had a lunch break by a huge rock where I was feeling so worn out and exhausted that I wished to embrace the unusual beautiful vegetation and landscapes on a mountain. I didn't feel like doing anything though I desired to capture everything with my camera, but had no energy for this, I was finished and felt weak and sick. They told me this is Altitude Sickness!!
Our guides were so used to this that the big load on their back packs was equal to nothing with their quick and sure pace. I would stop time and again to gaze at this wonderful creation to make pictures of what I see or my team meandering through rocks, mash and streams. So beautiful a world till we arrived at Mackinders camp(4000m) for the evening and overnight. I was so tired and all I wanted was lie on a bed to sleep. The cook woke me up for dinner but I couldn't eat. He forced me to have something at least to boost my energy but only managed a couple of spoonfuls. I envied people drinking beer and making merry in the dinning hall. Went to bed again in my clothes on into a sleeping bag for another sleepless cold night. I had no energy to wake at 3:00am to proceed up to Lenana summit. I was so happy for my colleague because he did it to the top. It was his most difficult adventure he had ever done. This is a dream to many and a once in a life time adventure.
On the third day I was a bit cheerful and feeling stronger. I had adapted to the mountain climate to some level and would have climbed to the summit had we not been descending. I tried to keep the potters' pace but they were damn too fast for me and I had to slow down to wait for my colleague and guide. Still the surrounding was all I wished to see more and more. Wading through the grass, rocks and soggy ground was now easier. We arrived back at Met station in the late afternoon for overnight. My colleague was more exhausted than me this time round due to the early morning summit climb. We would have long talks about anything and everything in this life and cultures of the Kenyan people, we dwelt more on the local Kikuyu, life before and after the colonial era, etc. Still night with only the sound and smell of nature.
My appetite had improved so I had good breakfast following morning. We headed downwards through the rain forest to the main entrance. A Jeep was waiting to take us back to town. We needed a shower and a rest. The team congratulated us the success. It was a great achievement and I will do it again someday, this time to the very top- the Summit.
We drove to Ol Pajeta Conservation Ranch the following day where we saw lots of animals: black and white rhinos, lions, common and gravy zebras, giraffes, chimps, buffaloes, warthogs, elephants, kudus and water bucks, oryx, ilands, gazelles,etc. This is a ranch/park to visit. The staff guides are so knowledgeable and willing to take you through the history of the ranch and various animals' life.
We drove back to Nairobi after a memorable six days as heroes, mountaineers!! Back to Mombasa by night.
