Kenya with Langley Park Girls Part 2

Well, a lot has happened since I last blogged. It has certainly been a rollercoaster ride! I left you all in the town of Nukuru following our exciting game drive to see Rhino. From there, we did a trip to the Menengai Crater, a 90km square cauldron with black lava flow winding through like a massive tongue. The walk down into the crater was fun. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the ascent. I think I managed to break half the group! However, once at the top, after many tears and requests to be flown home, the group settled back to normality and some local jewellery was purchased. There’s nothing like a bit of retail therapy ;)

So, all preparations done, it off to face The Mountain. Mt. Kenya’s highest peak, Batian, stands at 5199m but can only be reached by technical climbers, as can it’s second highest peak, Nelion, at 5188m. Our goal was Point Lenana, the third highest peak, standing at 4985m.

The jaunt (ha ha ha) up to nearly 5000m (I’ll get there someday!) took us five days. First day we headed from the Naro Moru Gate at 2500m, to the Met Station at 3050m where we had an interesting encounter with some sleeping bag liner stealing cheeky monkeys. The next day was a long day, taking us all the way to Mackinder’s Camp at 4200m. We stayed here for a couple of nights, taking in an acclimatisation trek to Two Tarns on the 3rd day. We also met our summit leader, Al, at Mackinder’s.

Day 4 saw us attacking the scree slope for five hours, arriving at the Austrian Hut, 4790m, just after lunch. Everyone was tired and emotional, we had one suspected case of HACE (thankfully only suspected!) and it was bloody freezing!! The sunset was amazing – I think the girls were too busy playing cards to notice so I took some quiet time to watch it and take a couple of snaps.

Summit day we were up at 3.54am, having tea by 4.30am and away by 4.55am. Our path was illuminated by the moon and the stars (and our headtorches) and the peaks of Batian and Nelion looked majestic in the night sky. It was a steep climb up, once having to use the rope for assistance, but we arrived at the summit triumphant and in plenty of time to see the sun poke his head above the cloud inversion. What a spectacular 360 degree view. It actually brought a tear to my eye. There are times, usually when I’m dragging a group of petulant teenagers around Snowdonia in the pissing rain, that I question my career choice. Being there, however, at the top of the world, there was no doubt in my mind. I am a very lucky and privileged person and I love my job :)