By Mr. Derek Bellis
Introduction:
Embarking on high-altitude treks is more than just an adventure; it’s a journey of perseverance, preparation, and discovery. At 51, I took on my first major challenge: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for underprivileged children in Kenya. That life-changing experience ignited a passion for trekking that has since taken me across the globe. From Everest Base Camp to Patagonia, these adventures have tested my limits and deepened my appreciation for the beauty and resilience of the human spirit. My most recent expedition to Mount Kenya was no exception, offering stunning landscapes, camaraderie, and memories to last a lifetime.
At the ripe old age of 51, in 2003, I was asked by the founder of Gulf for Good, Brian Wilkie, if I would like to take a challenge, and raise some funds to support some underprivileged children in Kenya, at the same time. The challenge was to scale Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the largest free standing mountain on earth! I accepted.
The task at hand, while seemingly difficult, did not phase me, as I have led a very active sporting life, even playing football, in one of the local U.A.E. leagues, well into my 50’s. In addition, as I was working for a very large American computer company, there were plenty of people willing to help me raise the funds I needed to undertake the challenge. The amount raised at the time was in the region of $5,000, well above the required target to take part.
Having succeeded in scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, I realised that there were many other challenges I wished to undertake.
Since 2003, I have been to Everest and Annapurna base camps, trekked the Manaslu Circuit and the Langtang Valley in Nepal, in addition to parts of the Camino, in Spain, Patagonia, in Chile, Cambodia, Northern India, Vietnam, and Laos. As I tell people, these treks are ultimately a walk, even at altitude, and when you tire, you rest. The key things you need on high altitude treks is to be of good health, make sure you acclimatize, keep hydrated, and ensure you have the right equipment, especially the boots, which should be worn in, well before you start.
My most recent adventure was to ascend Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa, in early October 2024. I was accompanied by 8 other participants; nearly all of whom came from Dubai, and were of various nationalities, proving a great eclectic mix of trekkers. One of my sons came and joined this small group from the UK. Out of the group of 9, there were 7 of use who had trekked together previously in Nepal.
Being retired, the organising was left to me. Having made arrangements on other treks, it did not take me long to identify a suitable company to take us to the top of the mountain. I chose a company called Go to Mount Kenya. They responded in a timely manner, provided full information and were competitive. The group was happy with the choice.
We all met up in Nairobi, on the 5d1 of October, 2024, in readiness for our start the following morning, where we had an early start and met our senior guide Paul and the company manager Evans.
There are several routes one can take to trek Point Lenana, on Mount Kenya. We chose the one from Chogorio to Sirimon, over 6 days; adding an extra day to ensure we had 100% success in reaching the summit.
The drive to the Mount Kenya National Park entrance, was in the region of 4 hours, on a well paved road, in addition to a 1 or so hour short walk to our first lodge, at Mount Kenya Bandas, at an altitude of 2,900M. The accommodation was in shared huts, which included a heated dining area and on suite bathrooms, in each hut. It was at Bandas that we were introduced to our second Senior Guide, Zachary (Zak), and head chef for the trek, called Daniel. They were ably supported by a team of various assistants and porters numbering 17 persons. For the larger part of the trek everything has to be canied. The porters ask that you take no more than 12/13 Kg’s of personal stuff for the trek. Every trekker carries their own personal needs, in the way of water, snacks, spare tops, rain mac, medicines and so on.
The following morning, after a hearty breakfast we set off along a well trodden track, climbing for the most part, through some light mist and into a beautiful forest, and typical rolling, green East African countryside. After a few hours walking we reached our lunch spot, at Roadhead campsite where we also visited one of the several waterfalls, called Nithi, about a kilometre away, walking through heavy bush. After lunch we kept heading up, through a winding path of heavy fauna, with a light cool mist hitting us, every so often, bringing the temperature down. After a couple of hours, we reach our camp at a misty Lake Ellis, having reached an altitude of 3,450M. The temperature by the lake was very comfortable, and it only became cold, once the sun dropped below the horizon. We covered a distance of a little over 9 Kilometres on this day.
We rose early on day 3, to a clear crisp and beautiful sky, with wonderful scenic views and the mighty Mount Kenya, in the distance, with our target Point Lenana, clearly visible. Your body then starts to ask if you really want to do this!
The key with high altitude trekking is to ensure hydration, acclimatisation, take a leisurely pace and take a break when you are tired. In Kenya, the guides tell you poli poli, which means slowly.
Our trek on this day 3, took us on a route around the edge of Lake Ellis, to the opposite shore, then up hill all the way for about 3 hours, joining the more popular route at around 4,100M. All around there are breathtaking views of the Gorges Valley and the Northern Moorlands. The landscape soon starts to change to a more rocky terrain, with less vegetation and the temperature gets a bit cooler. Whilst the landscape is pretty barren, there are many giant lobelia plants, which provide food for one of the local animals, called the rock hyrax. It is the closest relative of the elephants, in spite of its small size. Once again trekkers need to ensure they take at least one extra layer, as the weather can be unpredictable so near to the Equator.
After more uphill walking we reach Minto’s Camp, which sits at 4,200M, where we spend the rest of the afternoon, have dinner and retire to our tents. Today we have covered around 12 Kilometres.
Day 4 is the tough one; being summit day. We opted for a 4 a.m. start, instead of the earlier one at 3, which some trekkers choose, to see the sunrise from the summit.
It is cold and dark, when you set off, and trek along quite steep ridges, where the landscape is very rocky and can be described as Alpine. It’s a tough slog, requiring a slow pace, lots of stops and plenty of water and warm layers. The views of the sun rising from the east are quite spectacular, and the temperature soon begins to rise. After something of a scramble, you reach the final hurdle, which is a small ten foot vertical rock face, with metal footholds to ascend. A few metres later, you will reach the peak of Point Lenana at 4,985M. Today we have covered about 9 Kilometres, and ascended almost 800M.
The views are breathtaking and you have a 360 degree view. We were lucky with the weather on summit day, with great visibility all around and very good weather, with comfortable temperatures.
After about an hour or so, we begin out long trek down to Shipton’s Camp, which sits at an altitude of 4,200M. The terrain is still rocky and tricky all the way down to the camp, with special attention needed while descending, as it is easy to slip and land on your backside. To avoid this, I would recommend a pair of walking poles, which are also a great aid, in trekking uphill, as they will reduce the load on your legs.
The trek down to the camp is around 4 hours, reaching our destination around lunchtime.
Shipton’s Camp is quite a busy place, as it sees trekkers both going up and coming down, from the summit, and the mess hall is a great place to share stories and experiences. The accommodation, like Bandas, is in shared huts, with double bunks. Functional and comfortable.
We rise early again, on our last day of trekking; this time covering almost 20 Kilometres, largely downhill, heading to Old Moses Camp, at a height of 3,300M. As we head down, so the scenery becomes less rocky, and there are many giant lobelia plants dotting our route. We climb for a while and don our rain gear as it started to drizzle. Luckily this was very light and lasted a very short period of time. Reaching the top of the escarpment we ramble in some bog like terrain, descending then along a well trodden path, used by the 4WD Jeeps to and from the nearby weather station. Not much further we reach the Old Moses Camp, later in the afternoon.
Like Shipton’s it is hut accommodation with shared bunks, and a well appointed dining area.
Before dinner, we are presented with our completion certificates and celebrate our achievement with a nice strong cup of tea.
After breakfast, the following day, we are picked up to be transported to the park exit, to climb into a larger and more comfortable bus, to take us back to Nairobi, for a celebratory dinner at the very well known Carnivore Restaurant.
We all headed home the following day, after a truly great experience, with a wonderful bunch of people. A tough but manageable challenge, with the right preparation and acclimatisation.
For those who are interested in this challenge, and would like to help some underprivileged children in East Africa, Gulf for Good, the first charity organization to set up in Dubai, is running the Mount Kenya Summit trek between the 8th an d 16th of March 2025.
Some of us will be trekking to K2 base camp, in Pakistan, in the early part of August 2025.
