Ex Northern Kenya Adventurer 2007

Kenyan Adventures

Ex Northern Kenya Venturer 2007

The Acclimatisation Phase

Eleven adults and 30 cadets from both the ACF and CCF took part in a 33 day expedition to Kenya called ACETAMK (Army Cadet Expedition to Ascend Mount Kenya) 2007.

They flew into Nairobi and spent the night in a hotel. The next day after an early start they travelled to Hells Gate National Park. The drive went up through the lush Kenya highlands onto the escarpment of the African Rift Valley, and then descended steeply into the bottom of the rift valley before driving across the Masai plains heading towards Njorowa Gorge. The walk through the bush and up the gorge with its bubbling mud springs and hot water cascades, where some showered, was amazing. The geology here is worth taking note of. We climbed the gorge and made our way to the campsite over looking the plains of Hells Gate. The next day we rock climbed and trail biked through the park.

All 41 had to complete a thorough acclimatisation programme which included mountain treks. A dusty ascent of an extinct volcano Mt Longonot was a real highlight of this phase. Luckily the cloud was down until midday - so they did not roast under the hot African sun. Once the crater ridge was gained they trekked all the way around sometimes scrambling on a narrow crest or shuffling their way down water eroded grooves. Another trek in the Aberdare Mountains involved following elephant trails up Kipipiri (3,349m) through dense forest and charcoal burners' clearings. They all felt at home camping and walking in the Aberdares - the climate was just like the Lake District!

After eight days they returned to civilisation (showers and proper toilets!) at Sagana where one day was spent white water rafting on the Tana River and two days washing clothing and preparing kit for the Mount Kenya ascent.

The Ascent of Mt Kenya

The aim was to leave Sagana and drive to the start of the Chogoria route, ascend Point Lenana after 5 days of walking and descend the mountain on the north side to Sirimon Gate via the Makinder Valley and Judmier Camp. The journey took them through several different zones of vegetation - the dense forest of the lower altitudes, the scrub and heathers of the open moor lands, marshy areas and eventually the high mountain vegetation of giant groundsels and lobelias, which gave way to bear rock. Everything went as planned with a camp above Elephant Clearing followed by another days walking to Lake Ellis where we spent a further acclimatisation day. The weather was poor with cloud followed by rain sweeping up the valleys from mid-morning onwards, which just allowed us to climb Mugi Hill before the rain lashed down. A sizeable number of the group spent the rain washed afternoon trekking around Lake Ellis, where a marsh with chest high tussock grass made a mockery of their ability to walk!

That night many in the party were struck down by diarrhoea and vomiting. The feeling the next morning was that the camp should be vacated and head for Mintos - the final camp site before the summit - where we would spend two nights. It is to their great credit that everyone including those who were ill made the camp without complaint. Their reward was sunshine, perfect warm weather and an incredible surreal landscape, which we were able to explore and photograph. At 4,000m we were now above the poor weather. The night was bitterly cold with temperatures of -5^OC. The following day slow scrambling ascents of the Hat and Elephant peaks permitted further acclimatisation.

After a 3.00am breakfast of porridge and biscuits they set off on the final leg to the summit in ideal conditions. Not everyone made it due to altitude sickness. Thirty three members of the team climbed to the summit of Point Lenana, the trekking summit of Mount Kenya. After 30 minutes on the top the gruelling descent to Shiptons Camp and the long walk out along Makinder's Valley awaited. The reward for getting off the hill in one go was a night at the Timau River Lodge - the luxury of a bed, shower, proper toilets and a roof over our heads.

The Samburu Nature Reserve

Two nights were spent camping in the African Savannah in truly wilderness conditions beside a small river under the cover of acacia trees; watched over by two fully armed national park wardens or Askaris. For the next three days we took part in early morning and afternoon game drives. The intention was to recuperate from the demands of Mount Kenya and to see as much of the wildlife as possible. They came into close contact with elephants, baboons and impala as they ranged past our camp, indeed the baboons knocked down some of the tents! A family of elephants travelled around the camp as they made their way to water only one hundred metres downstream.

On the first evening the Askaris spotted a leopard near the camp, later, as they ate their evening meal, it came right into the camp. Some scraps of food were placed a safe distance away and the next five hours were spent watching the fully grown male leopard as it scavenged the food. This was a truly breathtaking sight that even the Askaris had not seen from so close before.

On the second night a male lion visited the camp site for two hours luckily when all were in bed out of sight and out of the way! If the needs of going to the toilet in the middle of the night beckoned it was best to stay tucked up the sleeping bag!

The Community Project

A secondary aim of the expedition was to take part in an extremely worthwhile five-day community project during which we made considerable improvements to two local schools. Before leaving the UK the team raised £1,500 to fund the project, which was spent in Kenya on cut timber, ten copies of a complete reading scheme, blackboards, teaching materials and exercise books for both schools. Forty two desks a table and a set of shelves were manufactured by the expedition from the timber.

The expedition was hosted by Kisiiu Primary School. Kisiiu is in a very impoverished part of Kenya, the school consists of one long building split into 5 classrooms of various sizes. The roofing is poor and there is no floor covering or any doors and windows. The football pitch consists of a patch of bare ground covered in rocks and thorn scrub. Every member of the expedition was moved by the experience of what they saw; it really opened their eyes to just how privileged they are. Without a doubt ACETAMNK 2007 left a lasting legacy at the two schools.

The roads in Kenya are very rough and potholed, the road to the village was difficult to drive having been washed out in the recently finished rains. Both minibuses had problems with their trailers. As the occupants of one bus sang "Always look on the bright side of life!" the tow bar fell apart and the trailer abandoned the bus. The contents were distributed around the other vehicles and the trailer abandoned. Only 1 mile from the village a section of road collapsed under the wheel of the trailer causing it to roll; we were able to recover this one!

Given the success of this venture there should be another ACETAMK in 2009. It would be marvellous if this exercise could become a rite of passage for senior cadets due to the many varied demands made upon the participants. This year's expedition offered a wealth of experience and development opportunities as well as participation in a very meaningful and worthwhile community project.