This week BDL spoke to two friends, Peninah Macharia and Mercy Wanjiku who shared their treasured hiking experiences and nuggets.
Highly elevated lands have always been priceless havens for those seeking solitude and heightened pleasures, and with the pandemic, hiking has attracted new recruits.
This week BDL spoke to two friends, Peninah Macharia and Mercy Wanjiku who shared their treasured hiking experiences and nuggets. Perfectly complementing one another, Ms Wanjiku is an optimistic ball of sunshine and rainbows and Ms Macharia is reserved, firm and careful.
Because walking along the trails is also perfect for conversations, this is a friendship that began and blossomed among the wonderful sights and sounds of nature, the calming atmosphere, and the awe-inspiring views once at the top.
Mercy Wanjiku Gituma, 36, Managing Director at Meticulous Marketing
How did you discover hiking?
By chance. In August 2020 our Rotary club had an outdoor event which was postponed. Since I had set my mind to being outdoors, I paid for a Ngong’ Hills hiking trip I had come across earlier.
What's was most memorable?
Some hikers in our group sipped water from a fancy bag pack which I later learnt is called a water bladder. I really thought these hikers were too lazy to fetch a water bottle from their backpacks.
Why hiking? Surely, there are other activities less gruesome.
The simplicity of it all. The only task is to put one foot in front of the other and clear the mind. The 13km Ngong Hills hike made me realise that I was unfit. This pushed me back to a regular fitness regime.
Hiking was also a call to challenge one’s self. The hiking group I joined had a hiking calendar of 13 summits with the goal being Mt Kenya’s Lenana point in March 2021.
How has hiking helped you navigate life's challenges?
For a start, I’m calmer while driving; I’m no longer angry at drivers and boda bodas who cut in from nowhere. I turn the other cheek and let them pass.
I’m also more prepared for anything in life. Nothing shocks me anymore. Just like in the mountains, the weather could be sunny at the start and then rainy while on the climb.
The only true fact is one must get back to the base. So whether it raining, windy or scotching hot, on the mountains or in life, the journey will come to an end at some point.
What's the most arduous climb you've done?
Kijabe Hills with an elevation of 2,800m. These hills sits on the right of Mt. Longonot (which takes all the glory due to its majestic crate mouth). When we started scaling Kenton Hills, the first summit, it seemed easy.
Halfway through, I began experiencing dizziness, nausea and my legs hardly moved. I actually requested for a hiking pole.
At some point, I was sure I was coming down with malaria (even as I thought about how the farmers I met harvesting potatoes get them to the market). When we finished, my muscles were in shock and pain.
I remember saying that if I finished this hike alive, I’d dedicate my life to hiking as a fitness activity, tied with a purpose. I hike twice a month.
Why would you do it again after such a harrowing experience?
''If I could finish that, then why not the next bigger summit?'' Hiking also rejuvenates me. The scenery from Kijabe hills overlooking the vast Rift Valley is glorious and a personal experience.
Standing at a summit in a group yet alone, the eyes cannot see the end of the beautiful lush green vegetation. One can only marvel at God's creation.
Did you go to Mt. Kenya?
Yes, in March 2021. A climb that tested all my emotions: Anger, frustration, almost giving up, rejuvenation and continuing and then extreme joy at Lenana Point.
What’s the last souvenir you brought from your hiking expedition?
A photo of Peninah and I covered by the cloud cover at Rurimeria summit in the Aberdares Ranges. A treacherous hike, we had attempted a year ago and didn’t summit.
This time round, we and our four friends conquered it. Immediately we made it to the top, we were covered by the cloud and one of our friends captured the moment in the nick of time.
Peninah Macharia, 36, Revenue Management Professional
How did you discover hiking?
I took it up seriously in 2020 When Covid-19 hit. Staying indoors took a toll on me both mentally and physically. I couldn’t go to the gym or go outdoors. My first hike was to Mt. Kilimambogo in October 2020.
I totally loved the experience. This hike taught me the basics: having the right gear, hydrating throughout, what to eat and what to avoid. Unfortunately, I also I encountered my first injury.
The left big toe got a blood clot that was eventually rotting but it grew back after a couple of months.
What's the most fascinating thing about hiking?
Only hikers understand what takes them back to the mountains even when it’s gruelling, with unforgiving weather sometimes. Once you start hiking, you become addicted, the good kind.
Where has your love for hiking taken you?
Ngong Hills, Kilimambogo, Elephant Hills, Sleeping Warrior & Ugali Hills, Rurimeria, Ole Satima (Le Satima), Nathan & Kenton Hills (Kijabe), Kereita and Njambini Forest, Kieni Forest Trek & Waterfalls chase, Olorgesaille Hills, Ragia Forest & Waterfall chase, Mt. Kenya (Sirimon Route), Kijabe and Seven Ponds Hills.
I’m currently preparing to go back to Mt. Kenya and tackle Mt. Kilimanjaro for the first time this year.
What are your favourite climbs?
The Aberdares Ranges are teeming with beauty. They offer a wide range of beautiful forest cover, moorland trails as well as waterfalls and streams. The only disadvantage is the unpredictable weather. It could be hot, cold, windy, and rainy all in a day's hike!
What is it that you seek on your hiking expeditions?
Adventure, discovery, peace. It’s a way of living life in a much healthier, happier, and more fulfilling way by experiencing life through the outdoors.
How do you relax your aching muscles after a hike?
If you prepare well physically with a combination of strength and cardio exercises, you won't experience aches after a hike. However, there are treacherous hikes.
A good full-body stretch, dipping your feet in a salt-water bath the same day after the hike, and a short walk or run the next day will help relieve the feet and muscles.
How do you reward yourself for a climb well conquered?
With a good meal and a cup of coffee from one of my favourite restaurants, a pedicure treatment to help my feet recover fast and rest. Whether it's a good eight-hour sleep or binging on Netflix.
Favourite post-climb snack?
I usually have a sandwich, yoghurt, a fruit and water when I get to the base. I find it hard to eat on the trails and I especially lose my appetite on all high-altitude hikes.
