Day Two, On Wards And Up Wards

Simba Camp 2626m to Kikelewa Caves 3679m, Day Two

View of Mawenzi from Simba Camp

The sun rose over Simba Camp warming the cold air from the previous night, there was a sense of apprehension for the days walk to come. As I wondered around the camp I found a fantastic view of Mawenzi illuminated by the morning sun, there stood very shabby hut to the right with the very aromatic fragrance which carried a proximity warning, toilets on the mountain lack drainage I need not say any more. Mawenzi is our day three destination, but before Mawenzi, Kikelewa Caves Camp Moorlands is our destination for tonight.

There was a bustle in the camp as it was being dismantled and packed up, it was now apparent we were not the only people on the Rongai route, however we were the largest in this camp. Two man tents scattered here and there, with support crews of two to three everybody seemed to be getting a head start on us. The days walk began and we soon left the habitation that surrounded Simba Camp.

After having lunch at what could be called a picnic spot, which was our half way marker of the day our journey continued. The climate changed quickly and moisture filled clouds moved in around us and up the mountain. The terrain was like walking over small hills of jagged rocks with prickly bushes scattered among them, up down, always being mindful of where you stepped the terrain was not the nicest.

We got to know Attilio's story, about his life and family, what he did when he was not on the mountain and in return he got to know ours.

The clouds came and went and our day’s journey never seemed to reach a visible end. The afternoon turned to dusk and darkness began to fall, the prospect of walking this path in the dark held very little appeal, but what other choice was there. Head lamps lit the path ahead, the uneven terrain was slow to walk in daylight and in the dark our pace slowed further. As we approached Kikelewa Caves Camp (3679m), the sound of the camp traveled through the darkness the welcoming sound of people laughing and torches flickering, exhaustion had begun to settle in aided by the cold and damp from the early night.

The warmth of my sleeping bag was welcome that night, the cold had seeped deep in to my body as laid there I thought about the day and how far we had come and contemplated the days to come, after all this was only the end of day two.