THE HILL CALLED 'ELEPHANT'

Elephant Hill

The first thing that I learnt about Elephant Hill is that it is shaped as an elephant, hence the name Elephant hill. It did not seem as much and truthfully I had not been sore in a really long time when hiking. Still, I had heard a lot about Elephant hill, and everybody kept saying how tough it was, and so I was very scared, what if I could not do it.

As were being brief, they talked about a point called despair where some people turned back, and i thought 'if I have to crawl there I will.' I really wanted to finish this hike. Also I had been hearing a lot about Elephant Hill and it was on top of my to hike list.

So we started, I am usually slow then starting because I need to pick my rhythm and I am not as fit as I thought I was.  So this what happened:-

1. The bamboo stretch really worked on my patient, it was so long that by the time I got to the Despair Point it came as a relief. This stretch was very cold.

Bamboo stretch

2. Before the stretch there was the walk through some potato plantations. I was advised to wear water proof shoes (off course I did not) because it rains a lot and because the area is forested the ground tends to be very wet. 

I love potatoes

3. The whole time I alternated being putting my jacket on and taking it off. You know when you are going uphill your body temperature rises but when you stop and rest for a bit, you suddenly realise that you its a very cold place.

Its so cold

Its cold but I feel warm

5. There were several hills not just one: -

Going round one of the hills

6. I needed a stick going up, I realised that the walking stick helps so that when I am going up, I do not have to bend so much and I am able to raise my feet when climbing over higher surfaces.

7. There was a lot of fog.

on top of another hill

8. The view from the top was beautiful: -

9. At point despair you still want to go on and on: -



10. The feeling at the top is beautiful: -

When you get to the top and you still have the energy

The day that followed, I was sore. I could not walk properly for a couple of days, but I kept smiling.

The day after

Was Elephant Hill tough than any other hill I have ever climbed? Yes. But tough also means it was the best hike yet, I would gladly do it again. This time I hope it rains and I get rained on and its muddy because when they speak about Elephant Hill, they talk about how it rained and it was muddy and how the weather is uncertain and all I have is, it cold and it was hot at some point. 

That said, do not climb Elephant Hill as your first hike, try others first and then Elephant Hill will come later. If you want to test your endurance, do it! If you are a seasoned hiker and you have never climbed Elephant hill 'what are you waiting for?'

Hiked with: Kereita Wilderness

Next Hike: Mt. Longonot

WILLIAMS HILL; WHY I AM NEVER PREPARED

On Jan 23rd I was supposed to hike Williams Hill. I was not as prepared as I thought I would be. I had enough water and that is all that mattered. So I took a Star Bus at around 6:10am. The good news is that I was in town by 6:40am. On the way my mom did call to ask if I had showered, that is the story for another day.

My first view was this: -

Nairobi, the most beautiful city on earth

The other day I was seated in Mat and this cheap guy was trying to hit me up and when we approached this section, my mind drifted. I cannot get over how beautiful Nairobi looks, from this angle it is the green city in the sun. Maybe its because Nairobi is hope, the place that I was born.

One and a half hours later, we started the journey and I saw this: -

the Great Rift Valley View Point

Every single time I pass near this place, I am amazed by its beauty. I have been able to stop there once when I was headed to the International Day for Persons with Disabilities in Lari.

View point

It took two and half hours to get to the base of William's Hill from the Old Italian church. This church is beautiful. I will not get into the history but near it there was a shop that sold pretty good looking pancakes for 30 shillings. Well, I would be interested in knowing its association with the Italians, shouldn't it be in Malindi?

Old Italian Church

William a white man, a guess one of those referred to as colonial settler who lived in Kenya for a really long time after independence.

Does he still live there?

Is he old and married to a young African woman young enough to be his great grand daughter?

I should have asked those probably asked those questions.

Facing William's Hill

There was a hotel at the base, I would assume the main attraction would be peace and serenity and the Hill off course. Also the hotel in nicely built in the shape of traditional African huts, but the hotel had no cold water.

How?

Behind me, one of the rooms in the hotel

The whole week I had been reminding myself to buy a hat and sun glasses because one of the greatest enemies of hiking is the SUN, it so easy to suffer a heat stroke, but I did not buy one. I did not get the time and so I had to improvise.

Fighting the sun

Feeling the burn

I have learnt to enjoy the view, because no matter how bad my week was when I stop at look at how beautiful nature is, nothing matters any more.

A well deserved rest

The view at the top was amazing! I used to sing the song 'I may never climb a mountain to see the world from there,' when I was younger, but I was wrong, noting beats the view from the top.

What I learnt about William's Hill.
1. It's not strenuous for seasoned hikers, we were done by around 4pm.
2. Carry enough water
3. The sun is always your enemy as a hiker

I enjoyed the hike but that means I started the year on a lighter note.

Next hill: Elephant Hill