Week 14: Peak experience

This week's blog post is a bit different as this past weekend was a bit different! A team from the office trekked Mount Kenya. I really feel like there are so many aspects of this weekend that I don't wish to forget. It was the most physically challenged I have been in recent memory, but I also experienced some of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen. You know I really think I have seen the best of Kenya: from snorkelling at Kisite Marine Park to watching the sunrise at the top of Mount Kenya, this country continues to take my breath away.

Mount Kenya is the tallest mountain in the country, and second highest on the continent, following Mount Kilimanjaro. This mountain is sacred to the Kikuyu people. As an office, we had been planning on climbing it for some time.

Spending a weekend away from civilization was exactly what I needed at this time. I had become extremely obsessed with US politics, and every time I opened twitter or reddit I would be shocked and enraged by one piece of world news or another. I was overwhelmed with the injustice in the world and yet media availed me with a constant stream of injustice. It was toxic. Spending three days with no network and in one of the most naturally beautifully places in the world was the best reset I could have. I felt like God was saying "I made this world. And nobody can destroy it without my consent."

Even on the mountain, though, injustice was not hidden: the guide pointed to a valley and said "There used to be a glacier there, but... global warming." I knew these glaciers provide water for the people below.
But the mountain still remained. It was large and strong and I think of the Bible verse that says "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.'" Seeing the majesty and strength of Mount Kenya, this mountain where people have disappeared without a trace, this fortress of stone and ice, this verse comes to life. The mountain nearly conquered us, and we were not moving it: just walking on it. Imagine that just a little faith in our God can move that mountain! It shows his great power.

So, let me show you some photos and tell you the story of Mount Kenya!

We had so much energy on Day 1. The road to camp was paved, so it was just a long uphill walk. The team consisted of six folks from Baraka and one Czech gentleman, along with our guide, cook, and porters. We were so excited and we just enjoyed the whole time. We arrived at camp early and, crazy as we were, decided to take a little jog and an extra hike up to a meteorological station. The below photo is taken from that meteorological station. If I would do it again, I probably would have chosen not to hike more than absolutely necessary. But at the time, I was just a mountain rookie, naively giddy and excited, with no idea what was in store in the coming days.

The first night was basically "glamping." The porters set up our tents for us and prepared an enormous meal. Unlike other times I have been camping, I was not responsible for anything: not cooking, cleaning, setting up the campsite, or anything. All we had to do was hike. At night, we warmed ourselves around a campfire, drinking hot tea and telling stories. The campfire was necessary, as we were at a high altitude, and the climate was cool. This coldness actually made it hard for me to sleep, as if I was camping in the spring or fall in Nova Scotia. But I did not complain when I woke up for this sunrise.

 

Day 2 began with this incredible sunrise, and continued to give incredible views throughout the 14km of hiking. We meandered through valleys reminiscent of the moors I had traversed in England just a few months ago.

 

Then there is this amazing place, where we emerged out of the valley to see our first real glimpse of the mountain peaks. I will just let the photos of the viewpoint speak for themselves.

After constant uphill walking and little sleep, rest points typically looked like this along the way. It was such a relief to sit down for a minute, and take some water. Even if I was in shape (which I wasn't, let's be honest), this would be a tough climb because of the altitude. The oxygen in the air really is reduced the more you climb, and many people on the team felt various symptoms of altitude sickness. So in fact frequent stops and water breaks were absolutely vital.

 Here's a view walking through the valley.

We finally reached camp just as we felt snow and hail falling. In this case, we were staying in the lodge. I cannot imagine if we tented that night, as the cold was unbelievable. I was worried for my Kenyan colleague who had never experienced cold like that before. But he survived, as did we all. We drank lemon tea and ate a hearty meal and went to bed very early. I slept in a huge down jacket: that's how cold it was! I love this photo of the whole Baraka team at the camp.

Day 3 began at around 2:30am, when our guide, Mohammed, woke us up. We groggily took some tea and checked our equipment before exiting the relative warmth of the camp. It was 3am, and I was cold and sore and dirty. But when I saw the stars, I forgot about all that. It was the dead of night. I was in one of the most wild places I have ever been, and all was silent. The black silhouette of the mountain rose in front of me, surrounded by thousands of stars. "Wow," was all I could say, and I know it was not enough. Sometimes words just cannot express the beauty of the stars. 

The next three hours were a blur: my headlamp illuminated only the steps in front of me, the only sound was the trudge of many boots on rocks and snow. My breathing was heavy and methodical: first "Hal-le-lu-jah," but then quickly changing to "Oh-God-Oh-God." Every step was like a stretch to muscles I had forgotten existed. I felt only primal needs: to breathe, and to drink water. I wondered if we would make it to the top. I wondered if it was worth it.

But then, all of a sudden, we reached the top. We climbed to the summit and there, the sun was rising beyond the clouds. I started crying. The beauty overwhelmed me. I was crying in part, I think, because I had not thought I would make it. I was crying because we had, and it was totally worth it. Hakuna mungu kama wewe.

 Here's a photo of me and my enormous coat at the top of Mount Kenya.

 The way down was as much of a challenge as the way up, for someone with knees like mine! But as the way had been dark on the way up, I got to enjoy the scenery on the descent, slow as it was. Again, I really feel like this blog post cannot express the beauty of this place. The best words to describe how I felt about this place are "wonder" and "awe."

 And then, we had breakfast. It's not every day you can say you climbed to 4,985 metres before breakfast. On Sunday, this was the case for us. After breakfast, we walked all the way back to the first camp!

 Here is the whole Baraka crew, minus Donald, who is taking the photo. We look remarkably good for having just climbed a mountain and walked a few kilometres besides. I think we were just happy to be sitting down.

 Some members of the team still had energy enough to capture this sweet shot!

So friends, that is that. We climbed a mountain this weekend. I look at that mountain every day from Nanyuki, and now I can look it and say "I was there." I am still in a lot of awe from that. I am thanking God for creating that place, and for allowing us to see it.