Kenya 093, originally uploaded by Kattaka.

I just got back from climbing Mount Kenya. My feet are covered in blisters and sores. I can hardly walk. It was fun.

It was basically a 4-day journey with 13 other Mountain Club of Kenya people. We organized it ourselves rather than going through a tour operator (although knowing the hassles we went through I think I would recommend going through an operator). We took the Naro Moro route (the shortest but steepest) hiking through a bamboo forest and spending one night at Met Station Huts (3000 metres altitude), then hiking up the “vertical bog” (a very steep swampy section) with stunning views of the rift valley. We crossed over one peak and into a valley with a strange desert-type landscape with labalias and cactus littering the mountain side and the summit of Mount Kenya peaking through the clouds as we approached the hut where we spent our second night – McKinder's Hut (4200 metres altitude).

That morning at 1:30am, 7 of us woke up, put on all the clothes that we had with us (it was below zero at this point) and head up the mountain with a porter to guide us in the dark. It was very cold and very difficult. By the time we reached the highest hut (Austrian Hut – 4800 metres altitude) I could hardly walk and decided to view the sunrise from there rather than scrambled up the rocks to see the view from Point Lenana (4900 metres altitude) with some of the others. The sunrise was clear and amazing and when looking directly south you could see Mount Kilimanjaro peaking out of the top of the distant clouds.

Each of us nursing some side-effect from the altitude, 4 of us head down the mountain slope back to the camp while the other 3 went with the guide to do the circuit around the highest peaks of the mountain. It was a gorgeous sunny day but that didn't stop us from heading directly back to bed once we were back at camp. We played cards and ate dehydrated food and tried to stay warm. Remember how I said I missed winter? Well, I take it back!!! Using an outdoor toilet in -10'C weather will make you appreciate warm weather!

The walk down the mountain gave me blisters on the tips of my toes. I was happy to get back into that matatu and head back to Nairobi. It was a great journey but an exhausting one and it made me ready to go back to work.

Total distanced hiked: 56kms. Total altitude ascended: 2kms.
Total photos taken: 115 (I will upload some soon!!)