Morning Preparation
I woke up once my alarm rang at 6:00 am because there is no way I was going to miss the sunrise over Lake Ellis. It was beautiful, really beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed it though I was not fully rested. I went back to the tent to change clothes. Changing in a tent is an extreme sport. It got better with time though. Make sure you shower properly before starting day one because the next shower will most probably be when you go back home. In the mountain, it’s all about wiping and what Kenyans call passport showers. It ends there and you change into fresh clothes. You would freeze showering I promise you. Actually, no one prevents you from showering even though there are no bathrooms but the weather gives you the answer. Breakfast was ready at 7:00 am. There was oats porridge and again everyone wanted the recipe. It was really good. There were fruits to start with. As a Nutritionist I clapped about that. The main breakfast was pancakes, fried sweet potatoes, sausage, fried eggs, and bread. There was hot water to prepare beverages, that is tea, chocolate or coffee. The options were broad and there was enough of everything. We really needed the energy for this day. It was a long trek and hike to Mintos camp. We had a briefing once everyone had breakfast and finished packing since we missed it the previous day. Lawrence introduced the full team and we introduced ourselves to them. We would be family for the next two days and indeed we became family.
Starting the hike
We started at 9:00 am. It was a pleasure refilling our water bladders at River Nithi. The water is refreshing to say the least. It is the best I have tasted so far. Cool, unpolluted, and untreated, just the way God made it. Perfect! Water is one of the antidotes to altitude sickness. Keep sipping water as you hike. To assist in this, one of the key hiking gear items is a water bladder with a pipe that can be used anytime without having to open the bag and remove a water bottle. The pipe is directed past the neck to allow for access to the water anytime when hiking. Get one if you plan to hike.
After the waterpoint, we started to ascend. It was tough. At this point, I was not sure I would sustain this for two more days. I had to relax since I was not forced to come. I desired to come, voluntarily. Was there an option anyway? None, not unless altitude sickness told me to try next time. The good thing with Lawrence is that he gave us many breaks during our ascents. These really helped with acclimatization to the high altitude. We had what he called breather breaks and long breaks. During the breather breaks we just rested for a minute or so. For the long breaks we snacked. Bryan had a really good snack he had baked and everyone enjoyed it. Mine was enjoyed on my behalf since I could not chew it with braces. This recipe was highly sought out too. It was an energy booster since after they ate it I could see how energetic they were. Snacking is part of long hikes. Carry nuts, biscuits and/or dried fruits. Lawrence knew our bodies were not used to this. I guess he needed the breaks too. He had his hiking bag. The one which for us was to be carried by Porters. Bryan had his too. He was faster than some of us and I could not fathom how. Do we call him team Subaru? I guess that fits him. Bryan and Leo never seemed to tire when we were breathing fast. Shirleen and I did not even want any stories during an ascent. We were partners in this. We wanted to conserve any energy left by just ‘putting one foot in front of the other’. The men were okay, they would talk during an ascent. Lawrence kept saying: “pole pole, pole pole” and that was reassuring for me because a hike is not about speed but endurance. Underline that. If you are to succeed in Mt. Kenya you need lots and lots of endurance to keep going even when you feel like an extra step is hard work. Walter says that you cannot hike Mt. Kenya without a why. I concur. Have a purpose why you want to hike. I shared mine earlier, right? Another one for me was a fitness boost to my body.
Lunch Break
For the rest of the day, we trekked and trekked and trekked some more. We stopped somewhere for lunch. Each one of us had packed lunch with some crisps, an apple, boiled egg, a banana, a piece of chicken, 4 pieces of bread with peanut butter and honey and a packet of juice. I told you guys, one of the best things in the mountain is the food. Mathenge can cook really well. Of course, the Porters assist him, especially in meal preparation. Leave alone the Chefs in hotels. This one deserves an award. Carrying cooking supplies and cooking fresh and delicious food in record time. Lawrence advised that this was not the time to try foods that we were intolerant to. He had a bad experience with hiker who decided to try peanut butter when they usually don’t take it at home and had a reaction to it. He advised that we take only what our bodies were used to. I particularly enjoyed the chicken piece and the egg and bread with the juice. I wanted to load up on some protein source and energy. Leo admitted he did not feel like eating. Altitude sickness hallo? We encouraged him to bite even if he did not feel like it. He obliged. After lunch, we continued with the trek. We were halfway. Halfway people at 1:00 pm. I remembered my why and we continued. We had such a lively team. No complainer and no demotivator in the team. All optimistic that we would summit and step on point Lenana. I loved the whole team. Totally.
Approaching Camp Mintos
We continued with the hike. At some point, we could see Lake Michaelson though it was slightly covered in a cloud. It was majestic. Next time I want to view it in close range. We stopped to wear our rain gear since it started to rain. All geared up we continued in the light rain. I was particularly keen not to be wet since we were assured that there would be no fire at Camp Mintos. The wood there causes headaches and if anything, fires are discouraged at the mountain. It’s only that the night at Lake Ellis was really cold but Cutasey made sure the fire was out before we slept. The rain did not continue for long. We trekked for two more hours. The last part of the climb was rocky and a Porter from another group who was behind us kindly supported me by guiding me on where to step. We finally got to Camp Mintos at 3:00 pm. It was looking dark, you would think it was 6:00 pm. I asked Shirleen if the summit path was as rocky and she confirmed it was. I was doomed. She said we would start with a long trek, then the final part to the summit would be rocky. I was still determined. Unwaveringly so. I needed such kind of determination, especially for summit day. The camp was extremely cold as Cutasey had promised. We were now at an altitude of 3850 metres targeting 4985 metres the following morning.
My Experience with Altitude Sickness
The Porters had arrived way earlier and had already set up the tents. They were now preparing tea for us. Immediately I got to our tent, just before placing my bag down, nausea kicked in. Fatigue was in high levels too for everyone. I panicked and just stood there confused wondering whether that meant that my hike ended at Camp Mintos. I said a silent prayer. I had come so far to turn. I decided to monitor my symptoms and take it an hour at a time. It was a matter of hours before we started our summit push. I got into the tent and shared how I was feeling with Walter. He had a headache too. We decided to take water and rest before tea was ready. Lawrence had said that was a beautiful gorge that we would see once at the camp. We were too tired for that. Only Bryan went. Team Subaru, remember? We took a short nap until we were alerted that tea was ready. We took tea hurriedly to find some time to rest. There was tea, popcorn, and biscuits. Robert also complained of nausea. We seemed to be affected by the high altitude. It helped to warm up our bodies. We went back to the tent to change clothes in readiness for the summit. After we changed, we slept like the hike was done. Lawrence woke us up at around 7:00 pm to alert us that dinner was ready. I would have skipped it but my nausea had subsided and I knew I needed energy for the summit. We forced ourselves to wake up. The word is forced because the fatigue was heavy. Heavier than the mountain that we intended to summit. As always, the food was on point. There was pumpkin soup. Our main meal was rice boiled with some peas, a beef stew, and green vegetables. The beef was soft and yummy just the way I like it. I forced myself to take every bite just for the energy of the summit. Robert tried too. We all ate and that was good.
Summit Preparation
We planned to wake up at 1:30 am, get ready in one hour and start the summit hike at 2:30 am. We wanted to be in time for the sunrise. All hikes will not be the same. A case in point, Robert had hiked Mt. Kenya four times but he had never caught the sunrise. Catching the sunrise was a big deal for him and all of us monos. Shirleen decided she had had enough of summits and she would go with the Porters to Camp Shiptons and enjoy the scenery there as they waited for us to descend for breakfast. I felt bad that she was not coming with us but I also understood her. I would be the only lady with the summit team. Sometimes we visit nature hurriedly but it needs time and calmness to soak it in and take the lessons. That is what she was going to do at Shiptons as we pushed our bodies for the summit. I set the alarm for 1:00 am and 1:30 am. The 1:00 am was a preparatory alarm because, in my whole life, I had never woken up at 1:30 am. This was new and I could not miss the summit because of sleep. My sleep was on and off. The anxiety of the summit kicked in. Would I make it? Would the nausea subside? I prayed about it and tried to sleep. Still slept on and off because the mattress and a sleeping bag are not equal. Don’t get too used to your springy and comfortable mattress. Try a sleeping bag once in a while. You will appreciate the mattress ten times when you get back home.
