Is it really the Pebble in your Shoe?

Or is it in fact the mountain you climb.....

One of the greatest philosophers of our time Mohamed Ali,  talked about small challenges in life preventing us from attaining enduring happiness. That little things compete for focus and attention and prevent us from accomplishing our goals......our dreams.... our wishes and desires!  Well - far be it for me to try and understand the man who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, but I think that's what he meant. And I guess I shouldn't take my interpretation and assume all behave and think the same way, but those are the things I think about when  hiking for hour after hour training for a major ascent. In this case, the training and the attempt on Mt. Kenya is all about the mountain you climb.






In 2 weeks, April 1 2 3 4 - Irene, Andy, Chris and I will attempt to summit 5000m above the sea at what will be my second highest climb in my life. Kilimanjaro is the highest at 6000m summited last year. Mount Kenya is the highest peak in this country and a much tougher climb than Kilimanjaro in terms of the technical aspects though mercifully, it is at a significantly lower altitude. I had horrific altitude challenges at Kilimanjaro so am glad that we are 1000m lower on this climb.

Mt. Kenya beautiful in morning light  - usually a 5 day climb but we will attempt in 4.... just because :)

Chris, in the best shape of anyone I know and unfailingly cheerful regardless of how tough it gets. Irene poses in the background....

Andy - climbed Kilimanjaro with me last year. Mentally very tough and wouldn't say shit if it was in his mouth.

Irene: An exceptionally strong climber with an unshakable desire to achieve

Training has been ongoing for some time now with both short hikes and a regular weekly cross-training exercise program. Now though, with the climb only weeks away, we must spend some time at altitude getting our bodies ready for the punishment doled out when you're so far above the sea. Available oxygen drops from 21% to 11%....which is almost half .... and that changes everything!!!!

So we went up high, climbing Mt. Suswa ( 2350m) Mt. Satima (4008m) and Kinangop (3856m) on this, and the previous weekends. Satima nearly crushed me only a couple hours into the 12 hour hike. Just after 3000m my stomach went out and then all the other inside stuff starts to complain making life - well - uncomfortable. My head was pounded so hard I could barely think! I was so relieved to roll into my bed 18 hours after leaving the house but with now some lingering doubts about handling another big climb.....

On the way home our transporter came across a single male Buffalo who took serious exception to our presence in the region. He feign charged a number of times coming within a meter of the big glass windshield. It was so eerie in the dark watching him charge angrily into the lights of the bus. Solitary male buffalo are the most dangerous animal in Africa...and there are some pretty nasty other characters. In the end the ranger (you must always accompanied by rangers on hikes) shot over the head of the animal eventually scaring it off.  He shot out the door of the transporter.... would that happen in Canada? Haha - doubt it. Later we ran into a whole herd intent on ramming the bus and again thankfully we got through the ill-tempered group without incident. It was as if Kim Jong-un and Philippine president Duane had a family Bar-B -que. 😉

This week we summited Kinangop (pictured below) - and well, that was a different story entirely. The peak is obvious in the picture below but what does not show is the valleys along the way. It was 18 hours of hiking altogether over 22 kms (x 2) of very rough terrain featuring a 500m drop into a valley and near vertical decent and then climb back out. Making it even way more fun was the thunder storm that rolled into the valley on our way out. It dropped a lake-full of rain on us and a bunch of hail for good measure. If that wasn't fun enough, it slowed us down enough that we ended up coming out in the dark. The lower part of the trail is a bamboo forest with a muddy floor. We fell so much it looked more like a Vancouver Canucks hockey game than hike. 

On the peak you look down a couple hundred meters straight down. Damned cool!!!!

Video of the trip to Kinangop by Africa Adventures

A note on Irene mentioned above. We've know one another for quite some time now having been introduced by Chris somewhere along the way. Quick to smile, thoughtful witty and bright, she is a great companion on the hillside or an evening with friends. She gives herself tirelessly to Kenya wildlife outreach education.  I'm really grateful that she is a part of my life and hope that our friendship continues through the upcoming hike to Mount Kenya and adventures well into the future.

This week I received a care package courtesy of Canadian donors to MSF. In it was a chocolate bar some lip balm, a book, some moose stickers and a bunch of candies etc... but best of all was a series of post cards thanking us for our work out here. It was touching and greatly appreciated. I note it was mailed in November to get here in time for Christmas ... well almost 😊

Thanks for Reading Layno!!!!