Last week i did something I never thought I would EVER do. I climbed Mount Kenya. Now, it wasn't something i set out to plan, organize and do... and it isn't even something that i have ever thought of before...
Virgin Atlantic has been doing a HEAP of fundraising for our projects in rural Kenya, and they are fabulous. As one of their fundraising efforts, they got a crew of 60 together to climb the mountain (crazy... yes, but awesome). they raised over 34,000 pounds for a village called sikirar.
Anyway, they needed someone to climb with them from my organization, so i said sure! i had no idea what a mountain climb was about... i didn't have the right clothes (even though sitting in my closet in Canada was a perfect climbing ensemble), or the proper mentality (or training) heading in. Please don't think i am making excuses... i am just being realistic.
So we set off with the crew from Virgin to a beautiful camp in Sagana. some bungee jumped, rafted, napped, a really beautiful place :) the next morning we set off by car to the Sirimon gate, where we would be climbing from.
The first day was nice, perfect temperature, leisurely climb, got to know some great people... about 5 hours later, we were at the camp. We laughed and sang the night away... unaware at what was to come (haha... sounds like a horror movie).
we woke up around 7 am to head out for a long days climb... more like a hike. Through valleys, over hills, and through an infamous vertical BOG. What is a vertical bog you ask? just like it sounds... have you ever watched Most Extreme elimination challenge? well, there is one game called sinkers or floaters... that is what it was like. We walked through deep mud, trying to find pods of grass that would keep us on top... then once in a while, there might be one that doesnt hold up and you find yourself up to your knee in MUD. anyway... we climbed and climbed...and then we finally reached the point where we could see Lenana (the peak we were climbing). it was beautiful and snow covered. By this point, it started to be cold... but i thought, i am canadian... i can handle it :)
We walked for about 9-10 hours that day to our next camp, got settled in for a chilly and short sleep (if you can even call it that). they woke us up at 2 am to summit. It was pitch black, and COLD. We started climbing, each one with their own headlamp. it didn't take long for us to warm up, as we were climbing almost straight up! in the pitch black it was a bit strange because you couldnt see what was ahead or even side to side. about two hours into climbing...sooo, 4 am about... it started to snow, hail, and rain all at once. It also got cold. we kept going. another hour later, and i couldn't feel my hands, and i was walking on what felt like gravel. One step up and you would slip down a half step... very frustrating. I am slow... so people took off ahead...my headlamp was dying a slow death... and i was slipping backwards more than i felt i was moving up. So i yelled to my friends ahead that i didn't think i could do it... being great friends they encouraged me and told me they would wait however long it took... really nice and great.... but i wasn't convinced. I stood on that mountain and really felt as though my legs couldn't move, and my hands would never make it.
Just as i seriously thought about turning around and going back... i heard footsteps coming from beside me... then a warm hand grabbed mine, tucked it under his arm, and began to walk me up the mountain. His name was Martin. From that point on, he didn't let go. He whispered words of broken english encouragement in my hear and step by step... he stayed with me. he was kind, understanding, gentle... and small... and he stayed with me. slowly by slowly he brough me up the mountain. we caught my friends, and we all walked together.
The conditions were terrible, and we couldn't even see anything when we got to the top... but I was soo thankful for Martin for bringing me up. If it weren't for him, i would have never gone up!
The sun came up, the snow kept blowing, and then we headed down. it is a good thing you summit in the dark... because if i had seen where we were climbing on the way up... not even Martin could have helped me... it was crazy!
we walked 16 hours that summit day... and getting back to camp was amazing... it snowed most of the way back... but then 3 hours before camp, the sun came out!! i have never been soo happy for sun. We dried out (reasonably) and drank warm soup and tea until bed :)
the next day we walked back to that very same gate, but this time it was far more beautiful :)
it is now 5 days later... it is still hard to sit.... my big toe is numb... my face is peeling... but I feel great!
Virgin Atlantic proved to be the most inspiring group of people i have met. None of them have even seen the village for whilch they are fundraising... and they did all of that. If a few more companies could show this same responsibility and passion, wow, things would change fast!
