Part 1: Day Before Bandas Camp/Chogoria Gate to Lake Ellis

Day Before: August 31, 2023

This was a very busy day at work. I got home at 8:30 pm. I had not packed and packing last minute is dangerous. My husband Walter and I had to pack and prepare to leave home by 4:30 am to be in town for departure by 5:00 am the next day. The only solution was an elaborate packing list. I wrote it with the following categories: head, upper body, lower body, footwear, and personal effects. I really wanted to make sure we did not forget anything since the cold is not something I want to toy with. And of course, we know there are no shops up there, what you carry is what you use. The packing list really helped. We packed everything we needed. Alarms were set and clothes to be worn the following morning were laid out.

Day 1: September 01, 2023 – Bandas Camp/Chogoria Gate to Lake Ellis

The alarm rang at 3:30 am but because of body fatigue I snoozed so we woke up at 4:00 am. We were supposed to be in town by 5:00 am for departure to Nanyuki. This is where we would meet with part of the team, our Guide and Porters. We would also pick the gear we were hiring here. Hiking gear can be hired for the ones you are not able to buy. The full hiking gear is quite an investment so don’t bother buying everything if you have never hiked before. Build it up with time until you own the most crucial items. I had intended to take breakfast but this was ruled out due to time. After all, our itinerary said that we would have breakfast in Chogoria town and that was fair enough for me. We would be using the Chogoria route that is considered the most scenic on the mountain. It has no huts and requires hikers to be self-sufficient for camping.

We were ready to leave the house by around 4:50 am. We got to town to find Shirleen patiently waiting for us at the stage. We boarded a matatu and left by 5:30 am. My mind was racing all over and I could not imagine that the day was finally here. We had really planned and invested for it. Personally, I was mostly invested emotionally. Hiking Mt. Kenya was simply a childhood dream. Having grown up in Nyeri, I would see it every morning as I walked to school. Sometimes I would even see some snow at the peak. It always fascinated me. This was it, this was the weekend I would get to the top (hopefully). They say that the best summit is the one you come back alive and I was alive to that fact. There is no need to summit and spend the following days in a hospital ward. Due to this, I knew that if altitude sickness got me I would not force it. I still prayed to be able to summit. Symptoms of altitude sickness include lack of appetite, nausea, or vomiting, exhaustion or weakness, dizziness, insomnia, shortness of breath upon exertion, irritability, feeling sleepy, swelling of the hands, feet and face among others. In rare cases a life-threatening condition can develop. Loss of muscular control, blurred vision, hallucinations, and mental confusion are signs that warn you to seek medical help immediately and get down to a lower altitude. We were advised to communicate if we experienced any symptoms. It is also advised that you see a doctor if you have a pre-existing health condition before attempting to hike Mt. Kenya due to the low oxygen levels in high altitude. Normally when your body needs more oxygen, you automatically breathe more heavily and fill the need. So, panting will most likely be there, but speak up on any symptom experienced.

For the past 14 days we had a workout challenge and I managed to do 13 out of the 14 days despite a busy schedule. I was determined. We had also done Longonot the previous week and it went really well. It was a simple tester because, little did I know what awaited me in Mt. Kenya. I digress. The driver was really ready to take us to Nanyuki because by 8:30 am we alighted in Nanyuki town. We met with Robert who was the team leader. He took us to the shop where we would meet the rest of the team as well as pick gear. The shop is known as MohaKin Climbing and Safaris. They sell hiking gear and hire as well. They also do Mt. Kenya bookings. Let me introduce the team. The hiking team was made up of 6 members namely: Robert, Shirleen (Robert’s wife), Leo, Bryan, Walter and I. Our guide for the hike was going to be Lawrence Muriuki AKA Mbuyu as we later learned. We hired what we needed and left the few items that we did not need for the hike in the office. There was a ready vehicle for us but before then we bought spare batteries for the headlights in case we needed to replace. Some sweets were also bought in case we needed some energy boost before ‘breakfast.’ It was already 10:00 am by the time we were ready to leave. My stomach had started to complain but I was too excited to focus there. The journey to Chogoria was great, knowing the other members of the team whom we had not met before, that is Leo and Bryan, and sharing our expectations. We were highly expectant of a successful hike. Shirleen and Robert had summited severally so it’s the four of us who were monos as Leo would frequently put it. I am glad that the two did not overshare on what to expect because our morale might have dwindled.

We got to Chogoria town at around noon. At this point, I just wanted food. This was now a combination of breakfast and lunch or do we say brunch. But this was a tight balance since Robert informed us that we would have a light meal at Bandas camp at the Chogoria gate. That was about 23 kilometers from Chogoria town. We got into a hotel near where our vehicle was parked. This hotel was such a joke even though it had good food. At the entrance, there was a display of a menu. When I saw ndengu on the list, I knew I would eat chapo and ndengu. Simple meal before the light one at Bandas. One good thing about the mountain is the good food. We’ll come back there. We found a table for six and sat to order. The waiter, who I will call Peter for this story, was somehow overwhelmed by our orders. Fear hungry people because they want to eat everything. I asked for my chapo ndengu and he said ndengu was not available. I was perplexed. His response was, “wewe umeangalia menu ya jana.” Walter wanted fried eggs and the response was “hiyo siwezi kupromise.” At this point, Bryan advised that we ask for what is ready because we had 30 minutes to eat and leave Chogoria. That is what worked. Some other team members wanted to change their order and he motioned his hands to just say ‘calm down,’ I know my job, so to speak. He was indeed training us patience, and we needed it where we were going. It’s like our day had not even started. I took tea and 2 chapos, because yes, I was that hungry. I could not risk beef by all means since I had had a food poisoning bout in the previous week. So, it was either tea or a plant-based meal. The rest of the team was fine with most taking chapo, beef stew, and pilau. We were now ready to leave Chogoria, still highly motivated and sort of wondering, when will this start?

We left for Mt. Kenya National Park, Chogoria gate. The road was dry and favorable because if it rained, we were doomed with no tarmac and a vehicle heavily loaded by our supplies and us, of course. We got to the first point and alighted to register and pay. This was at the 2000m altitude level. The air was cool and fresh. The officer at registration asked for our national IDs as we registered. As I filled the registration book, he asked if I was ready, and I told him I was very ready, excitedly. He must have smiled at heart. Back to the vehicle, and we started our 21km drive to Bandas camp. The road passes through dense forest that is a combination of tall bamboo, cedar, yellow wood, and others. We were glad it had not rained. We saw a Sykes monkey along the way. We got to a steep point and we had to alight for the vehicle to move. Other teams alighted too, apart from one group that decided they had not paid to walk to the gate. Their hiking experience had to officially start at the gate. Ours started way earlier because when I thought that the driver would wait for us at a distance past the steep point, he drove away all the way to Bandas camp. He went with the porters and we were left with the guide. The trek for about 2km started. It was steep. The Guide, Lawrence, advised that we walk close together because elephants and buffaloes abound in the area. Robert asked what one should do if we encountered the animals. He said that one should always spot an animal first. The buffalo will waylay you if it spots you first. The climb was getting steeper and I kept wondering how far we were from the gate where the hike would start. Anticipation is that you? I should have soaked it all in because the mountain was not going anywhere.

After a few minutes, we got to a place that had network because at the earlier points phone network was at zero. Two ladies were coming down from Bandas to make a call. They stood at some distance. They had seen a buffalo. Lawrence saw it too. I froze. We saw the second one and a third one with its calf. I guess they were a full herd. You should have seen me move swiftly from left to right close to where Walter was. We all stood there, jokes gone, and waiting for Lawrence to guide us. He did beyond that. He made some sounds close to the barking of a dog, and the buffalos turned back to some further distance. A sense of calmness engulfed the team, and we continued walking. The two ladies turned back with us, because what if you mimic Lawrence’s voice and the buffalos detect a fresh mountaineer? I advised that if the phone call was not an emergency, they should just turn back. I tried to put myself in their shoes. Two ladies and a growing herd of buffalos and no guide. I was wowed because what would we have done if we did not have him? Run? Maybe not, my boots were heavy, a good one. The over six-hour travel (Nairobi-Nanyuki-Chogoria) made me exhausted too. We knew we were in good hands. Lawrence started out as a porter in 1997. He quit the mountain job for three years, but his heart came back home—the mountain. He was now an experienced guide.

We finally got to Bandas camp at around 3:00 pm. The hike was yet to start officially, but we were being patient. The team that went ahead of us with the vehicle had prepared a light, delicious meal. When I say delicious, I mean it. It really was, and everyone wanted the recipe. It was chapati made with carrots and served with a beef stew with mixed vegetables. Served hot and tea by the side. We really enjoyed the meal. This was the beginning of spoiling with delicious meals by the able team—the super team. Let me introduce them. They were seven: Mathenge the Chef, Julius Ndereba, Desmond Mbugua, Patrick AKA Pattie, Gitonga, Agnes AKA Amazon, and Mugendi. We wouldn’t have had it any other way. We arranged our luggage to put items in our day bags for what we would carry and others in the hiking bags for what the porters would carry. At this point, it was very cold, and a cloud was around the camp. Imagine that, being on top of a cloud. This is common in Mt. Kenya. The altitude here was 2950 meters. We layered up and made sure we were warm. We also took some photos at the gate for the “before hike” memories. Lawrence signaled it was time to leave. It was getting late, and we did not have ample time for a thorough briefing. We had a brief one on what to expect and how to dress. We started off at about 4:30 pm.

The start was slow and simple. As we continued, there was an ascent, and at this point, I was not sure I was ready. We all started sweating, and we were advised to unzip our jackets to regulate temperature. Lawrence says sweating in the mountain is evil. Why, you may ask? Because as the sweat cools off on the skin, it makes the body colder than it was. We found lemon grass along the way, growing unattended and unbothered. We wished we would be going through the same route. But no, we would use a different route on our way out. The hike was tough for me such that during the ascent, I did not want to talk. It was mostly an ascent. We would take short breaks to rest. I lived for those breaks. All through the three days. At some point, it started raining. We geared up for the rain with raincoats and bag covers. We continued with the trek until we got to Lake Ellis close to 7:00 pm.

We stayed on one side of the lake. We were glad we went there because we were about to make a friend. Our porters were yet to arrive, and that meant we would not set up the tents since they had them in their luggage. Good enough, there was a fire. We needed it badly after being rained on slightly, so parts of our day bags, bag covers, and raincoats could do with some heat to dry them. This new friend was a porter who was with tourists from Poland. They had used the Kamweti route, which I understand is tough to the core. I thought this Chogoria one was the toughest, but apparently, I was wrong. Lawrence said he avoids it like the plague. Then I knew it was a tough one. They had descended from a higher point since the tourists were overcome by altitude sickness. This was a reminder that none of us was immune to it and that health comes first.

His name is John Muriithi AKA Cutasey. He made the evening around the fire ten times better. We sat and stood around the fire, with everyone wanting to dry items that were wet and heat up. The lake was magnificent at night. No explanation here will do it justice. The reflection of the camp lights from the opposite side against the lake was wonderful. The moon also showed up. As its reflection hit the lake, the water in the lake seemed to evaporate. That was such a beautiful sight. After some time, our porters arrived. The guide coordinated the setting up of the tents. Cutasey entertained us with many stories. His colleagues were with him, but he spoke the most. He was very jovial and kind. Everyone liked him. We asked him so many questions about the mountain. He started out as a porter in 1992. 1990s babies, hello?! His experience with the mountain was unmatchable. To say it was cold is an understatement. To think that Cutasey warned us that where we would camp on day 2 was colder was chilling. He kept laughing when he mentioned Mintos camp. This is where we would camp on day 2. He said the energy we had to talk would be unseen on day 2. Looking back, he was perfectly right.

After about one hour, we were informed that our tents were ready and tea was ready. We took our items into the tents and had tea. The tea really helped with the cold. We had tea with nicely done popcorn. Spoiling continues. We went back to the fire. Cutasey was like a magnet, and as long as he was there, we all seemed to go back there. We really enjoyed his company such that after the hike, Bryan requested that Robert make sure to include him in our next hike. Please, team, give me one month to process before we decide where next. His colleagues left at some point, but he stuck around. At around 10:00 pm, dinner was ready. Dinner was fried fish fillet, fried potatoes, mixed vegetables, and cabbage. You will excuse my elaborate description of food. Food and I are friends, and even altitude sickness spared me the lack of appetite symptom. Again, we served and went back to the fire.

Cutasey said the mountain life is hard but “mwanamume lazima atafute, unakaa hapo na mama ukifanya nini?” It’s how he said that was funnier than what was said. He had educated his children with his porter’s job, with another one joining university this month. Once we were done eating, the firewood was also running out. We said kwaheri to Cutasey and went to sleep. I was freezing. The hot water bottle helped a little. It was my first time sleeping in a camp tent and a sleeping bag. I suffered, but I was focused on the goal. I got so cold I could almost not feel my toes. Walter came through with his hot water bottle, and now I had two in my sleeping bag. That helped a lot. I slept. At 4:00 am, an insect was buzzing around the tent, and it woke me up. After that, my mind started replaying what had happened on day one, so I slept on and off until my alarm rang at 6:00 am.

Continue to Part 2 (Day 2): Lake Ellis to Mintos Camp