On Wednesday morning, the time had come, our Mount Kenya adventure was about to begin. Kenneth (Kenyan-style: Kenneth-i) came to pick us up in Nairobi at 8am and the 5-hour trek to Chogoria got underway. Once there, we were first given a lunch of our choice at a little restaurant at the foot of the mountain, after which we changed to a four-wheel drive and headed up the mountain.
First overnight stay
On the way, we picked up our porters and in an hour we were at 3000 metres at the meru bandas, our first place of accommodation. We immediately noticed that we were a bit higher at the lungs and so it was nice to do nothing the first night and spend the night already there. Alfred (Alfledi) cooked a delicious meal for us and we drank our ‘chai’ by the fireplace.
The first hike
The following day it could then really begin, with a big breakfast behind our teeth (two courses is normal here), we set off up the mountain. The three of us had opted to take two backpacks, a large one and a small one, so that we could alternate a bit along the way. The first hike was up to 3300 metres!
Sleeping in a cave near a waterfall
Around noon, we arrived at a cave: our sleeping place for the evening. Really super super nice, there was a waterfall, a campfire, and the view was really beautiful. There the porters put up our tent, Alfred started cooking again, and we left with Kenneth to take a closer look at the waterfall and, later, a mountain lake. In the evening, we ate our meal in the cave, after which the three of us fell asleep in the tent, exhausted.
Like being alone in the world
The next day, we left for 4300 metres, so this time we had to climb a lot. Nice to see the vegetation change more and more. Where we first walked through forests, these became increasingly barren plains. You really have the idea that you are all alone in the world up there, a very special experience. Halfway up there was a viewpoint, where we could rest for a while.
The summit in sight
Meanwhile, we could see the summit, where we would go the next day, getting closer and closer. That night, we slept in a valley below the summit. Altitude sickness was already starting to strike some of us, but fortunately we were well looked after by our men who made delicious chai with ginger and lemon for us. Quickly we crawled into the tent, because that night we would start again at 2.30am.
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Climbing in the dark
We woke up at 2 am and left half an hour later. In the dark, we trudged along at a slow pace. Just below the summit, we met more and more other people who had come from other gates. Kenneth said ours was the most beautiful, but the most difficult. Towards the top, it got tougher and tougher, we had to climb over rocks and it started getting quite cold.
What a view!
How happy we were when the summit sign came into view: 4985 metres!!! We had to wait another 10 minutes until sunrise and the first photo shoot for the home front was already underway. Unfortunately we were unable to see Kilimanjaro, due to the clouds over Tanzania, but WHAT A VIEW!
Time for the descent!
Then it was time to start the descent which, of course, went a bit faster than going up. At the tents, the team was ready with a delicious breakfast, after which we made the whole descent to the bandas again. Finally a nice shower again, a normal toilet and, of course, a beer by the fire, where we enjoyed some African hits with our guide/porters/cook.
In short, what a great adventure!
We were already fairly Africa-experienced because we had done an internship in Tanzania for 3 months, but we were still glad that we had arranged this through Charlie's Travels. The contact with Simone in the Netherlands was very nice, she was often available for questions and because she had walked the route herself, we could ask her for many tips. Also in terms of payments and money transfers, I found this a nicer experience than with other African companies.
You don't need to be an experienced mountaineer
The team that went up the mountain with us was also very experienced and knew exactly how to get us up the mountain as well as possible. In addition, they were very sociable and had the greatest fun with each other (eeeh-eeeeeehhhhh). All three of us are not experienced mountaineers and had only done some hiking in the Usumbara mountains the week before, as training. Still, all three of us managed to get up the mountain quite well, so much training is not required. In short, a top experience that we would recommend to anyone!
Geraldine Kemper discovered beautiful Kenya with her boyfriend
"From vast hilly landscapes in Masaai land to the dry desert and hot springs at Magadi, staying with a Masaai family and sleeping in a tent among the wildlife, having breakfast with fresh pancakes in the morning sun and going to bed after a beer by the campfire, it was an unforgettable holiday within a holiday. "
- Geraldine & Freek
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