Mt Kenya and beyond....

Yes, we slogged our way up Mt Kenya through prehistoric forests and misty mountain tops, although the magical experience was definitely magnified by the fact we had porters lugging our backpacks up the hill.

The adventure began when Rusha and Guy Lev, friends from medical school who have been living in Uganda, flew into Nairobi a few days after I arrived. We rustled up a mountain guide on the recommendation of a Swiss guy and visited the only outdoor store in all of East Africa run by a French guy before hopping on a matatu (read: squished public transport minivan) for the four hour journey to Nanyuki, ie. base camp.

After we convinced our guide, Dickson, that we normally carry our own backpacks, cook our own food, and read our own maps, he reluctantly agreed to our terms--we did not want the big caravan of support people that normally accompany these treks, often 4 Kenyans to one paying customer! We only wanted one porter for each of the three of us to carry our bags, which were relatively light at less than 30 lbs each, and we would do all the rest.

The first day was mostly travel from Nairobi, park entrance logistics, and an easy 6 mile hike to the first hut. The accommodations are basic, but give protection from the torrential rains in the afternoon and evening and definitely beat a wet Bivy sack. The next day we made significant elevation gain to where we staged our summit attempt at 3am. With headlights and rain coats, we hiked to Point Lenana, the top elevation for non-technical assents. We made it for a chilly sunrise before hiking down 6000 feet and 20 miles to our next hut. Here we had a hot shower after the water was heated with firewood in a 50 gallon drum! The last morning, we did a 20 mile hike out to the small village of Chogoria through rain forests and lush tea plantations. We saw monkeys and African buffalo and lots of elephant poop, but no sightings of the mammoth beasts themselves.

If the internet connection was better, I would post some of the stunning photos, but no luck. Will share when I get home :)

"that is very African..."

So I arrived safely and without incident....except for the ride through the dark streets of Nairobi by the Mwanzia sisters, the youngest of whom was the proud owner of a sparkly new wedding dress from David's Bridal?!? Let me start from the beginning...

The flight was long and fairly painless, despite the threat of strikes from the British Airways cabin crews. I knew I would be arriving into Nairobi late and had arranged for a ride from the airport to the guest house where I was staying. Unfortunately, the only friendly faces with a big sign for 'Dr. Sarah Judkins' belonged to Karutha and her sister and they were not at the airport in the middle of the night to shuttle a mzungu doctor to her hotel....they wanted their sister's wedding dress and the mother-of-the-bride gown. I was asked to carry over a wedding dress, amidst bovie pads and eye drops, for a friend of a friend who knew someone else...I had room so I said yes to this trans-Atlantic dress shuttle and a big box magically arrived at my house in Denver two days before I left from a friend of a friend in Pennsylvania. As we sorted through each of my five bags in the middle of the airport to find their dresses, we realized there was nobody else there to pick me up. Considering the karma points I had just racked up, they volunteered to drive me into town. Imagine my surprise when we found the place in the dark, off a dirt street, and they weren't even expecting me....that is very African!

The Mennonite Guest house is wonderful. It is a secluded oasis in the city with lovely gardens and clean, basic accommodations. It is a Nairobi hub for missionaries from all over Kenya when they need to come to the city for supplies, visitors, or meetings. It was a warm, welcoming place in the middle of the controlled chaos that a city of 7 million people produces. After a day of relaxing and repacking, I set off to meet my friends, Guy and Rusha Lev, for our attempted assault on Mt Kenya. Let the adventure begin....

Last supper

Still not packed, still procrastinating. Things I need to do before I leave...

1) pack
2) run 14 miles for marathon training
3) shovel snow
4) plant all the peonies and dahlias I bought in Costco-sized portions last week
5) make Posole soup for last supper
6) sleep
7) make 2 months supply of trail mix for Tim
8) finish gallstone pancreatitis research project

Obviously, not in this order, but I completed #1, 2, 5, and 7. I guess 50% isn't so bad....

Getting ready....

The preparation and packing that goes into one of these expeditions is impressive.....or at least I make it that way. Between cooking food for Tim (burrito mountain above) and last minute massive changes to the itinerary (climbing Mt Kenya before I start at Tenwek Hospital-Yikes) I seem to create all sorts of turbulence. I have been trying to balance sleeping between busy night shifts and running errands during the day to check off my ever-growing pre-travel list. Yellow-fever vaccine....check. Cash for travel, $100 bills, 2006 mint or newer to take advantage of best exchange rates in Nairobi....check. Dried mangos from my aunt and powdered Gatorade for marathon training from my best friend....check. Packed for my two month adventure....not even close. To be continued.....