By Tsungai Mutesva
“Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar, all right?”
– Michelle Obama.
Trying out something new is always good, we are told, but I must say it requires courage to start. The first 90 days of 2022 were nothing short of AMAZING. From Saturday 8th of January, I went for hikes every other weekend and the last weekend of March was the highlight with a 4-day hike of Mt Kenya, yes, the BIG MOUNTAIN!
I had been fairly active, taking walks in the neighbourhood and running as well. I relocated to Nairobi and continued with the walks and runs. I love walking as I discover the area whilst burning some calories. I find running to be fun when I prepare for and eventually participate in a race. A number of races were suspended due to the pandemic so I would occasionally go to Karura Forest or the Arboretum for a run. Over time, this became monotonous as I now knew my routes in great detail. I even knew the houses with dogs that barked the loudest whenever I passed by.
Whenever I move to a new place, I usually join local groups on social media just to see what activities people are into. I realised that hiking was a big thing. I remember following the journey of a lady in her late forties who had hiked Mt Kenya and Kilimanjaro. The idea really sounded cool and I thought maybe I could do this and it would also be a great way to discover the beautiful Kenya. This lady recommended a hiking group and I immediately signed up to hike with them. I hiked Kilimambogo and Mt Longonot with them in the last quarter of 2021 and it was awesome. It was the hardest thing I had ever done but I loved it. I immediately fell in love with the outdoors. I then discovered that they actually had a hiking academy where they could train you from beginner to intermediate hiker in 90 days and cap it off with a 4-day expedition to Mt Kenya. This required commitment because it meant I would be hiking every other weekend for 3 months.
I signed into the Beginner to Mt Kenya program which had carefully selected hikes to prepare me to hike Mt Kenya in 90 days. I was up for the challenge and excited. The hikes were organised in such a way that they were progressively increasing in difficulty and we would hike at higher altitudes. I was amazed to see how much my body could adapt to the different conditions. Hiking at high altitude was no child’s play, sometimes altitude sickness would kick in but we always had guides to assist if ever there was a need. I am glad I didn’t have severe altitude sickness but I must say the steep ascents were something else. It was tough at times but the feeling after every hike, I would never trade it for anything. The pain was all worth it and I must admit that the views after the tough climbs were really worth it. We also had to put in cardio workouts in between hikes as preparation for the hikes which meant walking and running were still part of my routine.
I really enjoyed hiking with the community. Sometimes I think we don’t start new things because we are waiting for our friends or colleagues to start with us and are afraid to be ‘alone’. I must say I met lovely people on the trails and even had the privilege of meeting a fellow Zimbo. What a coincidence that we both were living in Kenya and were signed into the same hiking program! We actually met a few weeks before the Mt Kenya hike and agreed to hoist the Zim flag at the summit ☺. I loved that we were hiking to unlock our mountains and not under pressure to reach the summit. We would stop and just enjoy nature and if we did get to the summit, that would have been a bonus. This is easier for me to say now as I reflect but I must say in the beginning I just wanted to make sure I summit but the Outdoorer KE creed became a part of me. We would recite this everytime before each hike and it goes:
‘I am a hiker, not a marathoner.
The mountain is not going anywhere, I am.
I will keep a moderate pace to save my life and health today. So, if I don’t summit today, I can do it all over again next time.
I shall never conquer the mountain, but I can conquer myself.
I will unlock my mountain.
For those interested in the stats, I will just summarise the hikes in terms of elevation gain and the distance that was covered.
| Hike | Max elevation | Elevation gain | Distance covered |
| Mt. Kilimambogo | 2145m | 720m | 12km |
| Kijabe hills | 2688m | 773m | 11km |
| Mt Longonot | 2780m | 996m | 13.5km |
| Table Mountain | 3792m | 1035m | 9km |
| Mckinders Quest challenge | 4300m | 1252m | 22km |
| Mt Satima Dragon’s teeth | 4001m | 800m | 16km |
| Mt Kenya Day 1 | 3400m | 600m | 9km |
| Mt Kenya Day 2 | 4200m | 800m | 8km |
| Mt Kenya Day 3 | 4985m | 785m | 9km |
Each hike was special, I really enjoyed the experience and the breath-taking views that no photo could possibly capture. I loved the conversations with fellow hikers as well as the moments of solitude. I also learnt so many life lessons from the mountains along the way. I will just share the biggest lesson for me, this was from day 3 of the Mt Kenya hike when we were moving from Camp Mintos to Mt Kenya Lenana Peak (4985m ASL) and back to Camp Mintos.
I barely slept that night and we woke up at 1:30 am to have a cup of tea and some light snacks. We started the ascent at 2:30 am in pitch darkness. All I could see was the area illuminated by my headlamp where I would take the next step. All I needed was to see where to place the next step. This felt different for some reason, I could not hear the usual chatty hikers, there was silence and all I could hear was the sound of our boots and the hiking poles on the scree. As the sun was rising, there was the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen above the clouds. But, I must admit, I couldn’t properly soak it in as my mind was racing. It was at this point that I got a full picture of where I was standing on the mountain. No plant grew there, just rock and scree. I thought to myself this was the craziest thing I had ever done in my life. How on earth had I brought myself up this steep ascent? How would I descend? What was I doing? It honestly was mixed emotions. At one point I was proud of how far I had come and thought if I had come this far, surely, I could continue up to the summit. I was also afraid that maybe I wouldn’t make it all the way up to Lenana, it was so steep. It was no easy feat. We soldiered on taking a few steps at a time and stopping to sip on water and acclimatize. It was brutal yet rewarding. We encouraged each other. It was no longer an individual journey but for the group, I was walking with and the guide. We managed to get to the summit and take some photos 6 hours later. Yap, we covered 4.5km in 6 hours – that’s how steep and brutal it was!
This experience just showed me that sometimes we just need to focus on where the next step should be and boldly take that step. If we are too focused on the bigger picture, we may be distracted by our fears and never start the journey. I was amazed at how much I climbed in the ‘dark’. I also realised that our perceptions can bring limitations in life. Before the sun rose, I walked confidently as long as I saw where my foot would step. I was not worried about the rest of the mountain. In hindsight, if I had started the ascent to point Lenana in broad daylight, I can assure you I would not have taken the journey. I realised that hiking was more mental than physical. If you believe you can do it, you surely will do it.
Would I do it again? If you asked me immediately after my expedition I would say no, but now after some reflection, I probably will do it again. I am entertaining thoughts of hiking Kilimanjaro, let’s see what happens☺. What I know with certainty is that I will hike more and soak in all the outdoors have to offer.
Try something new. You never know, you may find something you love to do. And if it ends up being hiking, we may just meet on the trails ☺.