Page 143 - AGC-Journal-2016

AGC JOURNAL 2016

said that “to continue would have
been inexcusable lunacy” and at times
Arriving at Shipton’s Camp
that is how the climb into the darkness
felt. Even with the Mountain Leader’s
encouragement, the icy rocky passes
ensured that the training was certainly
adventurous.

As the light began to seep in around us we
Cooking dinner at Old Moses Camp
found ourselves at the foot of the World’s
highest Via Ferrata and with a short climb
Well Trodden Path to the foreboding weather, Shipton’s Camp we were at the summit of Point Lenana.
stood in the formidable shadow of the With the morning now flooding in around
Throughout our climb up the mountain three peaks of the mountain; beautiful and us and fleeting glimpses of the Bation and
Nellion peaks through the clouds, it was
we were treated to mini vignettes on intimidating in equal measure. an emotional moment for the group.
the mountain’s history, from how the
mountain formed millions of years ago, Three Massai Chiefs
to the amount of champagne brought up Breaking back in to camp
by early expeditions. Another daily ritual Nights at Shipton’s were colder, darker and
became the monitoring of everyone’s far more basic than Old Moses. However, After some photos at the summit, the
blood oxygen levels and heart rate. If the austere conditions meant that we group began the descent, which in the
anything could prove that the Army can had larger audiences for the nightly light looked even more daunting. The
make everything competitive, this did, vignettes with all the groups of climbers steep scree slopes now worked in our
with people adopting certain techniques or passing through being treated to some favour, with the group scree skiing down
meditations to increase their oxygen levels historic knowledge of the mountain. For sections of the route to Shipton’s Camp.
and lower their heart rates. an acclimitisation day from Shipton’s we There was an hour to pack and eat before
trekked part of the circuit route, testing our we continued the descent through the
Day Two skills in dealing with far steeper climbs, valleys to Old Moses. A final night here
scree and clambering over boulders. and the last leg to return to the gate were
Day two on the mountain was an over in a shot.
acclimitisation day and we aimed to climb Summit Day After Benuzzi and his trio had broken
high, sleep low, climbing to a beautiful back into camp in 1943 he wrote that
valley higher up the mountain for lunch. We were up at 2 a.m. on summit day, the experience left the escapees with “an
Another night at Old Moses was followed forcing down some warm beans and inexhaustible store of beauty, on which
by our next big move; we left the forests far sausages, and at 3 a.m. the group set off they could draw during the years behind
behind and climbed into the rolling wide in the dark for the final push of the climb. barbed wire.” Looking out toward the now
valleys of the next stage of the mountain. The last leg was a grueling combination veiled mountain, we could all share in that
of steep scree slopes, clambering and same store as Benuzzi.
At the highest point of this leg, we topped negotiating narrow paths with only
a ridge overlooking Liki Valley where we darkness on either side. When forced to
would be camping for the night. Down in turn back on his initial attempt, Benuzzi
the valley the camping was far more rustic Flying the Flag at Shipton’s Camp
than Old Moses, water was fetched from
the glacial stream and only a rickety tardis
for ablutions. We were watched over that
night by a family of Rock Hyrax’s, large
guinea pig-like animals, which scuttled
around the boulders by our camp.

Continuing the ascent we left Liki Valley
early to avoid the heat of the day and
began the climb to Shipton’s Camp.
This would be our final refuge before
attempting the summit of Point Lenana,
taking us out of the wide green valleys
and into the sparse, volcanic cliffs of the
circuit route. As we closed in on Shipton’s
camp it snowed slightly and although it
did not settle, we were reminded of the
training days in the Lake District. Adding

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