[UPDATE!]
We Made It! (almost)
In mid-March, myself and 5 other climbers finished our 5-day ascent at the tippy top of Point Nelion (5,188 m). On Day 4, as we neared the base of Nelion's 650 m rock-face, we were hit by a snowstorm, leaving ice and snow in many of the crevices our hands would enter on the following day. As a result, our 'climbing day' was delayed a few hours, and we were unable to reach the 3rd peak, Bation, only 11 m higher... that's gonna be hard to let go of. It took roughly 13 hours to complete the rock climbing up Nelion and abseil down to the base of the rock face.
A very chilly sunrise on Point Lenana (4,985 m), Day 4
On the whole, it was great to spend time with members of the Mount Kenya Trust and their Horse Patrol Team. We checked out the stables and living quarters funded by last year's climb, and it was encouraging to see the rangers in action in Mt Kenya's moorlands. This team is one of the only defenses against illegal logging, grazing, poaching, and other destructive activities threatening Kenya's most important watershed.
Between myself and other climbers, this effort has raised roughly 10,000 USD so far, and we still have two months to pursue support. Many of those donations have been small individual contributions ($10, $20) but they add up SO fast when enough people choose to just do it. I know there's a lot of noise out there, everyone asking for your money and attention... but consider this one nonetheless, it's very close to me and the dedicated friends I've made along the way.
Thanks for your interest and incredible generosity.
James
PS here are some photos capturing the 6-day trek!
Day 1: Departing Nanyuki town for Mt Kenya National Park
Day 1: The boundary between farmland and National reserve
Day 1: The Ol' Slipknot... getting the horses settled for our first night of camp
Day 2: Sunrise
Day 2: Taking shelter during an afternoon downpour
Day 3: A sighting of the peaks
Day 3: Lunchtime in the moorlands... minutes before the snow hit
Day 3: Sleet and snow in the afternoon
Day 3: Campsite at Simba Tarn
Day 4: 2:00 am start, arriving just in time for a sunrise at Point Lenana (4,895 m)
Day 4: Point Lenana in the morning light!
Day 4: Point Nelion (viewed from Point Lenana) looking ominous
Day 5: Ascending at the base of Nelion
Day 5: One third of the way up Nelion's 650 m face
Day 5: The summit! Clouds had rolled in, so we took a brief rest and started the 4 h abseil down
Day 6: Austrian Hut, our accommodation at the base of Nelion
Day 6: After 5 days climbing, we descended 3 km in altitude in 9 hours
Day 6: Great views as we travelled down the other side of Mt Kenya (Naro Mora Route)
Day 6: Mt Kenya's iconic (and alien-like) vegetation and landscape
[ORIGINAL TEXT BELOW]
I Am Climbing a Mountain.
A big one. I have no idea what I'm doing.
The stakes are high: water security, Kenya's economy, baby elephants, etc. If that's not enough for you to throw money at the screen, I implore you to read on a bit further.
There's a Big Problem Here
I have spent the last year working in Kenya, my mother's birthplace. Spending time with family friends here, I have been educated and inspired by their unrelenting concern for protecting forest and wildlife. I learned that Mount Kenya's forest and soils serve as one of five critical 'water towers' that supply 75% of the country's surface-water. I learned that wild grazers and the areas they occupy must be protected from poachers and livestock, in order to slow desertification in Northern Kenya. Then tourism: an employer and revenue generator for communities nationwide. And, come on, no one wants to see elephants killed, whether for sport, profit, or grazing rights.
Jamie Manual, family friend and Wildlife Manager, examining a poached elly...
So, while it's clear (to me, at least) that Mount Kenya and its protected area are crucial for Kenya's future, the park and its animals are under attack. Poachers and livestock herders are threatening the precariously fenced park, especially under population pressures and climatic events. So what's the solution? While it's damn cool to imagine drones, or rhino-horn cams, or satellites working to preserve Mount Kenya's essential ecosystems, there is a tried and true method: Good People. I ask you to consider investing in good people, with the right training, and the right tools.
The Mount Kenya Horse Patrol Team
The Mount Kenya Horse Patrol Team (HPT) was formed in late 2011 by the Mount Kenya Trust and Kenya Wildlife Services. The team currently consists of five Community Wildlife Officers, employed locally from the farmlands bordering the protected area. These men ride a group of ten hardy Ethiopian ponies, well suited for high altitude conditions and rough terrain. Currently, these officers operate in an area of northern moorlands that, before establishment of the HPT, was a hotspot of poaching and other illegal resource extraction. Since the HPT started to patrol this area, illegal activities within the area have reduced considerably – notably patrol data shows a 75 per cent decrease in poaching incidences between 2013 and 2015. The team also plays a key role in monitoring the elephants that use the area and seasonally migrate in and out of the reserve through the Mount Kenya Elephant Corridor.
Members of the Horse Patrol Team in the moorlands of Mount Kenya
How You Can Help :)
On March 16, I will join members of the Mount Kenya Trust and rangers from the Kenya Wildlife Service as they climb Mount Kenya to raise funds for the newly-formed Mount Kenya Horse Patrol Team. We must raise USD $25,000 to cover operating costs and expansion of the team in 2017. Specifically, funds are required for:
- Salaries for six horsemen ($7 per day, per person)
- Rations and supplies for patrols ($1.50 per day, per person)
- Satellite camps and stable repairs ($1500 total)
My participation in this climb is conditional upon me raising at least USD $1,000, but I am targeting USD $2,500! All proceeds will be donated to Mount Kenya Trust, which manages funding for the Mount Kenya Horse Patrol Team.
Members of the Mount Kenya Horse Patrol Team at their headquarters
My 3 Peaks Challenge
Day 1
The expedition will start with our party trekking up from the north via the Timau Track, initially joined by the Horse Patrol Team. We will spend the evening at the HPT base on the northern edge of the Mount Kenya National Reserve.
Days 2-3
From here we will travel southwards, climbing through the northern moorlands towards the peaks, with the HPT joining us for as far as is currently possible. Upon reaching steep-sided glacial valleys that surround the peaks, our team will meet up with African Ascents’ qualified mountain guides.
Day 4
After a 4:00 am start, we will then summit Point Lenana (4,985m), the highest point reachable by foot (just in time for sunrise).
Day 5
A much smaller group, including myself, will attempt the 650 vertical climb of Point Nelion (5,188m). If successful, we will then proceed onwards across the "Gates of the Mist" to Point Batian (5,199m), the highest peak of Mount Kenya. After a grueling day, we will descend and finish the expedition.
1.5 h hike to a climbing site in Aberdare Mountain Range (4000m) during training
Thank You For Your Interest
It means a lot. I'm fortunate to have an opportunity to challenge myself alongside incredible people, all while raising resources to keep this important conservation initiative alive. Reach out to me if you have any questions about the project, and how it empowers local community members to be custodians of their natural heritage.
My shaky legs in the Aberdare mountain range, during technical training