Nomad Cabin Fever
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GREAT OUTDOORS<br />
My favorite overall<br />
is climbing via the<br />
Chogoria Route<br />
and camping by<br />
Lakes Ellis and<br />
Michaelson.<br />
Organizations like Mount Kenya Trust and<br />
Rhino Ark play a crucial role in ensuring that<br />
the locals are well educated on the important<br />
issues to be addressed regarding Mt Kenya<br />
as well as what we can do to remedy this.<br />
LESSONS FROM MOUNTAINEERING<br />
Nature is beautiful and magnificent, but<br />
it can also be ruthless and unforgiving.<br />
Approach it with respect and finesse.<br />
Kenya is a breathtaking country and its<br />
natural resources must be protected.<br />
Mount Kenya has some of the biggest<br />
buffalos in Africa.<br />
Wild animals will show you respect as<br />
long as you respect them first by sticking to<br />
your guide’s instructions and not diverting<br />
from footpaths.<br />
Always bring extra warm gear. Mount<br />
Kenya may be at the equator but the nights<br />
are bitterly cold.<br />
When ascending to higher altitudes, tone<br />
down the pace to a slow-and-steady in order<br />
to acclimatize.<br />
Always stay hydrated.<br />
Altitude sickness can be very dangerous.<br />
If you experience the signs and symptoms,<br />
DON’T hike to higher altitudes. Rest on<br />
the same elevation. If symptoms get worse,<br />
descend immediately to a lower elevation.<br />
WHERE TO STAY<br />
SIRIMON ROUTE:<br />
Old Moses Camp (3,300m)<br />
Shipton’s Camp (4,200m)<br />
CHOGORIA ROUTE:<br />
Meru Mount Kenya Bandas (2,900m)<br />
Rutundu Log <strong>Cabin</strong>s (3,100m)<br />
The Road Head (3,300m) – campsite<br />
Lake Ellis (3,470m) – campsite<br />
Lake Michelson (4,000m) – campsite<br />
Mintos Hut (4,200m)<br />
Naromoru Route:<br />
Met Station (3,000m)<br />
Mackinder’s Camp (4,300m)<br />
The list could go on, but to sum it up,<br />
climbing Mount Kenya 90 times in a span<br />
of five years has shaped me into the man<br />
I hoped I’d become. When I thought I<br />
was punishing myself by carrying heavy<br />
backpacks, I was being taught perseverance.<br />
When I thought my body couldn’t take it<br />
anymore, it taught me endurance. When<br />
I thought the wilderness and nature were<br />
dangerous and I didn’t belong there, I<br />
realized that they are as much a part of me<br />
as I am of them. Carrying my camera with<br />
me always, it is my hope to inspire more<br />
adventurers people from all over the world<br />
to have the Mount Kenya experience. And<br />
to those who can’t physically make it to the<br />
mountain, I pray that my images take them<br />
along my journey into the Mountain of God.<br />
Joseph Muriithi (@andreyjosephs) works<br />
as a guide for his dad’s company, Polemark<br />
Tours (www.polemarktours.com).<br />
NOMAD MAGAZINE 2019 31