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roy
Social climber
New Zealand -> Santa Barbara
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 12, 2009 - 02:58pm PT
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During the second world war Felice Benuzzi, Giovanni Balletto and Enzo Barsotti escaped from a British POW camp with the sole intent of climbing Mt Kenya. Their only map was food can label. My map...
I was in Kenya last summer with a bit of time for climbing. So I arranged a trekking guide, a couple of porters and a cook for 7 days on Mt. Kenya. And - a new experience for me - I also had a climbing guide meet us on the mountain.
The Chogoria route on the eastern side is the longest and most scenic. If you get past the mud on the forest track,
and avoid the wild elephant that we surprised.
It's an easy couple of days walk up past the Gates of Nithi,
and the Chogoria gorge towards the high peaks.
The upper parts are the mountain have curious plants (giant senesia)
and curious animals (rock hyraxes)
At dawn on the fourth morning I'm on the top of Point Lenana (16,300'). This is the "trekker's peak" and will be either an acclimatization hike or a consolation prize.
The real goal is Batian, the highest peak. Basecamp is at Kami Tarns at the toe of the North ridge.
At five the next morning we scramble up the scree to rope up and wait for sunlight at the base of the route. The mountain guide (Kimani) arrived in camp last night and the trekking guide (Dickson) is joining in on the climb.
What is kiswahili for "look out for the rope around your leg"? Kimani leads into Shipton's notch.
The climbing is mostly easy (5.3 or so) with sections of 5.7+. I'll give it the plus for altitude, cold and having to jam ice filled cracks. After 16 pitches we're on the top around noon.
Every afternoon (I'd been watching for days) the face is covered in thick mist and hail. Getting off quickly and knowing where you are going is key.
We're down on the scree by sunset and back in camp at dusk. The next day is downhill all the way. Celebrating with Batian directly behind me.
I've marked up the route on this picture of the north ridge, taken from Simba Col.
Mt Kenya is a fantastic place. I was on Kilimanjaro the year before and there's no comparison - climb Mt Kenya instead. On Kilimanjaro you're never far from 250 of your closest friends; in 7 days on Mt Kenya I saw only two other parties. The success rate on Mt Kenya is quite low (10%?) and the primary reason is navigation, particularly in the mist. Having a guide is almost cheating - I'm glad that I did.
I've posted a more extensive photo essay (http://homepage.mac.com/roy16/Mt_Kenya_2008/index.html); if you want to see more.
Cheers, Roy
[edit:] fixed broken links
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
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Jul 12, 2009 - 03:14pm PT
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Hey! Way to go! Thanks!
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Jul 12, 2009 - 03:28pm PT
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Cool, BTW Felice Benuzzi's book is an excellent read. One of the ultra classics.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jul 12, 2009 - 03:31pm PT
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Holy!!!!! That's pretty badass!!
and curious animals (rock hyraxes)
Is hyraxes African for Marmot?
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hooblie
climber
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Jul 12, 2009 - 03:33pm PT
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i nominate YOU to travel throughout the world, directing my eye to the sights as you see them. please, continue to set the bar this high, and knock down a few adventures along the way.
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BriGuy
Trad climber
SL,UT
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Jul 12, 2009 - 03:43pm PT
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Nice TR, great photos, well done sir.
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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Jul 12, 2009 - 03:56pm PT
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Wow, Another stellar trip report. What a great adventure. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I have a friend living in Kenya. How long where you in Africa?
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roy
Social climber
New Zealand -> Santa Barbara
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 12, 2009 - 04:14pm PT
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Hi,
Rock hyraxes seem occupy the same ecological niche as Marmots. Their sandwich stealing skills are not quite as polished as their cousins in the Sierra. Unbelievably, their closest genetic cousins are actually elephants. Fortunately elephants don't seem partial to sandwiches.
I was in Kenya for 3 weeks last year. I'm an advisor/mentor for the local Engineers without Borders student group and we go each summer to work on water and electrical infrastructure for a community health clinic on the shore of Lake Victoria. I'm heading back there on Tuesday with another student group. No climbing planned for this trip unfortunately.
Cheers, Roy
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GDavis
Trad climber
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Jul 12, 2009 - 04:29pm PT
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Im always amazed to see peaks at 16,000 and 17,000 feet without hints of snow. Cool TR, thanks!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 12, 2009 - 04:32pm PT
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Excellent photos - thanks!
Has the Diamond Couloir ice just melted away then? Like the snow on the Eigerwand?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jul 12, 2009 - 06:05pm PT
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Roy,
WOW !
YES !!!
This shot is to die for:
Cheers,
Roy
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 12, 2009 - 06:16pm PT
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Tusker beer! That one deserves a photo, Tami:
I read about your adventures on the airplane home from Yosemite - a friend gave me some old CAJ's to read, and there you were.
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roy
Social climber
New Zealand -> Santa Barbara
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 12, 2009 - 07:22pm PT
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Hi Tami & Pete,
I detect an immediate change in focus from the Canadian side - Tusker was up to 75 shillings (more at the expensive bars and on safari). I'll definitely be sampling some by Friday night.
For something so close to the equator (0 deg, 10 min south) the difference in snow pack on the north and south sides is surprising. The glaciers are essentially gone on the north side. There was something left of the Tyndall glacier on the south but I couldn't see down the diamond couloir. Enough snow to warrant an axe and crampons to go through the gates of mist between Bation and Nelion. But I wouldn't hold out hope for an ice climb in the diamond couloir itself.
Hi Roy et al.
Thanks for the comments. It's good to be able to pay back with a TR when I read so many other great ones.
Cheers, Roy
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
Lake Oswego, Oregon
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Jul 12, 2009 - 07:34pm PT
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Neato! I don't think I have ever seen a TR on that route/mountain before... here or elsewhere.
After the events of last Sunday I am becoming more and more convinced that there is nothing better than uber-long 5.6-5.8 routes with friends at altitude.
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goatboy smellz
climber
लघिमा, co
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Jul 12, 2009 - 08:29pm PT
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WILD!
With names like Gates of Nithi and elephants and all.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jul 12, 2009 - 09:08pm PT
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Now that was a TR! Well done!
An old Scots mate of mine did it with his wife back in '76?
Being Scots you know he wasn't springing for no damn
guide!
They camped just below the tree line on the way up.
In the middle of the night they felt rumbling and thought
it was an earthquake until they heard the heavy breathing.
When they realizied they were surrounded by elephants on a
moonless night the 'heavy breathing' started inside the tent.
Alan, a true Scots hard man, said he'd never been so scared.
In the morning they awoke to marvel at the multitude of footprints everywhere except within about 3' of their wee tent!
The elephants clearly knew they were there but... om mani padme hum?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 12, 2009 - 09:39pm PT
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Pass the Pitons Pete,
You will be glad to know that the Diamond Coulouir has not disappeared. Global warming has melted out most of the first 200ft. and created a modern ice climb. Jay Smith, Kitty Calhoun, Brad McMillan and I climbed it in two parties 3 or 4 years ago. The first pitch starts out with 30 feet of M6/7 followed by 150 ft. of WI5+. After that the rest of the climb is cruiser WI4.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 12, 2009 - 09:56pm PT
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I hope Kitty Calhoun changed her underwear. One time, there was an advert in a climbing magazine, showing a picture of the underwear she wore on Everest for 237 days straight.
Scary...
...like elephants round yer tent.
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