Page 8 - 1994 AMA Summer

Tusk 92 was a tri-service expedition to Kenya, held over three weeks during August and September. The expedition
had two main aims; to cam out conservation work with the Kenvan Wildlife Service and to climb Mount Kenya to Point Lenana. Some 45 service personnel went out to Kenya and three separate attempts were therefore made at the peak.
All three groups used the Naro Moru route, starting at the park gate and walking up to the Met Station (3050m). Although it is possible to drive up to this point - and indeed the porters did just this - we decided the three and a half hour walk would be useful acclimatisation. The hut at the Met Station was comfort­ able. especially for the groups which had already spent a cou­ ple of weeks in 12x12s on the Abadares National Park. We had running water which, although it needed boiling before drink­ ing. was clear. The huts themselves each accommodated ten people (on mattresses!) and had a cooking area outside.
The second day w'as the hardest work, starting with the usual 6am start in order to be walking just after 7am to get the best weather. After about half an hour we reached the ‘vertical bog’, when the scenery opened up and we had quite spectacular view’s of the mountain and the plains below. In the early after­ noon. as we passed 4000m. light cloud began to swirl around us and there was a noticeable chill in the air. This was the first point at which most of the group went into fleece jackets and leggings. Mackinders Hut (4200m) was reached by 2.30pm and we had a snack in the company of the scavenging rock hyraxes. Mackinders also proved more luxurious than many were expecting, with mattresses, running water and a cooking area inside.
Of the 45 people who attempted the peak, about two thirds were successful. Everyone got as far as Mackinders hut; those who did not go further were suffering from either the altitude or stomach complaints. Each group had either a doctor or a medic (RMA 1).
The porters were cheerful and, whilst we were there, desperate for work. Many had not worked for two weeks or more and their Union insisted that we take different porters on each of the three ascents in order to spread the work out. We paid 135 Kenyan shillings per day (about £2); we heard various rates quoted and met some Americans who had paid 400 shillings. Anyone whose experience of porters is from the Himalayas should also note that the maximum load for a Kenyan porter is about 15kg; above this they will simply refuse.
The climb to Point Lenana was ideal for the largely inexperi­ enced groups which went up. It presented no technical difficul­ ties and no dangers which could not be overcome using a little common sense. We were lucky with the weather and the good visibility, which added to the sense of achievement when we reached Lenana. Finally, it was noticeable that those who had been living on the Abadares National Park (around 2000m) for the previous one or two weeks found the climb considerably easier than those who went straight up the mountain.
3am the next
carrying only
Point Lenana. The
m om ing
headtorches, started the clim b up to
the group,
daysacks and
w earing
sky was starry and crystal clear and the weather, not surpris­ ingly, dry and cold. The ascent was incredibly quiet and peace­ ful and. despite the fact it was dark and the limit of our vision largely determined by the range of our torches, everyone sensed the sheer size of the mountain. We reached the Austrian Hut (4790m) at 6am, just as the sun was coming up. A short break was taken; some of the group put on extra clothing for the final, more exposed, part of the ascent and we left half an hour later. The final walk up the glacier was easier than many had thought, and soon everyone had the confidence to kick in and trust their boots. Point Lenana (4985m) was reached at 7.05 and all the essential photos quickly taken before anyone got too cold.
The descent was faster but, for many, quite painful on the knees down the scree slopes. After re-packing kit and picking up our porters again at Mackinder's we started the walk back to the Met Hut, which we reached by 3.30pm. A long day, but one which few’ in the group will ever forget. The final day’s walk­ ing was very short and groups were ready to be picked up from the Park gates by 1Oam.
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Capt Alan Blackwell
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