Learning to Hike Again – Mt. Kenya in 90 Days

Early in the song video of Walk by Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl is stuck in traffic on his way to band rehearsal. He becomes frustrated, picks his guitar, leaves the car, and decides to walk ignoring shouts from other motorists.

Learning to walk again,
I believe I’ve waited long enough,
Where do I begin?

Along the way, a series of encounters causes him to react with violence and make observations about the modern way of life. In one moment he walks into a liquor store looking for change – to make a telephone call. The attendant engages him in signs and refuses to help. Dave picks up a fight with him and takes coins from an “Employee of the month” mug.

Learning to talk again
Can’t you see I’ve waited long enough?
Where do I begin?

Learning to Hike Again

Like Dave, I had been stuck in the routines of life for long enough. Every day had become a pattern – slowly sliding into being full of “sugar, honey, ice, and tea”.

My escape to such patterns has always been the outdoors. But this time I didn’t know where to begin. And although I had a number of options for escape, none seemed like a good excuse for a trip.

One day looking through local travel and adventure stories I came across a program that was like an epiphany. “Beginner to Mt. Kenya in 90 Days” seemed like a great way for me to learn to hike again. It would require mental preparedness, dedication, and consistency.

Was I ready for that?

The idea started slipping off my mind, but the mountain was calling. And as the saying goes, “Adventure calls us all, what matters is what we say back”.

I choose to obey the call!

Beginner to Mt. Kenya in 90 Days

Beginner to Mt Kenya in 90 Days, is a 13-week program designed for aspiring hikers and adventure junkies making a return into the outdoors. The program’s aim is for the participants to explore their mental and physical limits through six prep hikes and summiting Mt. Kenya. The journey is a gradual one with each prep hike getting the hikers closer to Point Lenana. Each step counts – from the first one at Ol Donyo Sabuk to the last one down from Kenya’s third-highest point.

Prep Hikes

  1. Ol Donyo Sabuk – Mt Kilimambogo
  2. William Hill
  3. Mt. Longonot
  4. Table Mountain
  5. Trek to Mackinder’s Camp
  6. Dragons Teeth on Mt Satima

Related Read – Hiking the Elephant Hills

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The Song Walk, by Foo Fighters, is based on the movie Falling Down by Joel Schumacher.

kenyanbackpacker

3 Comments

Adventure Trekking

A very nice piece detailing about learning to hike especially Mt. Kenya.

Mount Kenya climbing is one of the best adventure hiking expeditions out of Nairobi and worth trying. Scaling Lenana Peak at 4985m gives a sense of fulfilment and achievement for many.

This article will help many to think about trekking Mount Kenya. Thanks for sharing the information.

Reply
Monicah

Nice one. I love what the hiking community in Kenya is doing.

All the best on your quest💪
A worthy experience.

Reply

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