03 November 2009

Above the Clouds

I just lived a great story.

For the past 3 days, I had the opportunity to hike up the 5199 meter (17,057 foot) Mount Kenya. I for real climbed a mountain. I mean, we had it all: a guide, a cook, porters…we walked in and above clouds, through rain and snow, and loved every minute of it. We walked nearly 45 miles in the 3 days…from the Mount Kenya National Park gate at 2650 meters all the way to the summit of Mount Kenya at 5199 meters. It was an incredible experience.

On Friday, we hiked a consistent uphill trail about 5 miles to Old Moses camp to spend the night. Saturday we left and hiked a rainy, muddy, and difficult 15 miles until we reached Shipton’s camp at the foot of the snow-capped peaks. We began in the dark hour of 4 a.m. the next morning, and we reached the cold summit at 7:30 a.m., climbing through the wind and snow.

We spent a few minutes taking pictures and reveling in the idea of being on a summit before playing in the snow and having a snowball fight with Simon and David, our Kenyan guide and one of the porters with us on our hike.

Following a nice, warm breakfast at the foot of the peaks, we began our seven hour hike on tired legs back to the gate where we rode a matatu (cheap and ridiculous form of dangerous Kenyan public transportation) back to Naru Moru and caught a cab back to Nairobi.
But basically the point of all my hiking boils down to this: I walked above the clouds…it still blows my mind.

7 comments:

  1. 100% cool. for real. I'm jealous. I feel... adventure competitiveness. I might go skydiving this weekend or something...

    :)

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  2. Seriously incredible. And this was just your first weekend adventure!

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  3. Sounds amazing!! :)

    -Leeann

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  4. i love mountains. oh yes. i know what you are feeling and i am so happy you have this oppportunity!

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  5. Finally putting your hiking gear from Dick's to use? Great. GREAT. Well, when you get back we'll go hiking, but unfortunately it will not compare to what you just experienced. :)

    Miss you my friend.

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  6. Hi I think that was so nice of you to do this for us
    -♥-
    keylee

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  7. that sure is a lot of walking alan


    now come on, you knew i was going to say that, it's like you wrote this post specifically for me to make a "fenew comment"

    i'm sure it's your cup-o-tea though!! :)

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