Spanish bowline, blood knot, sheepshank , muntaz hitch, clove hitch , just but a few to mention were the order of the day at my fingertips and subconscious for two months prior to my life defining experience.I will quote my all time favourite thespian Denzel Washington , " if you hang around all time at the barbershop sooner you are gonna get a haircut."
After weeks of preparation ,gathering backpacking essentials,assembling gear entailing carmel bags,cooking nestings ,hiking boots, rain gear, camping tents ,firestarters, headlamps,first aid kits, ropes am amped for the next quest. well the inevitable has to happen so lingering in metropolis solace was not an option . My trainer has given me an overview , a reconnaissance survey type of mental preparedness but this does not mean my experience will be void of adversities.
Wednesday II.X.MMXXI 0800HRS like minded conservation enthusiasts, wildlife and tourism manager and i thronged the parking lot loading and cross checking our bush essentials awaiting departure to the wilderness. By 1100hrs the crew is solid and we are hitting the road . canopies fade away from the rear view mirror oblivious the more we are getting entangled in this bunduz affair. The atmosphere feels rather humid as am always at purr with the weather conditions to expect. Honestly the weather predictions promise us a whooping three days of precipitation but it better than a rude awakening.
Sooner it`s a hustle and bustle as we grab our lunch and last minute shopping before picking our steak perharps the fireplace motivation before enroute to destination.We surpass champagne ridge , abandoned plane wreck lost in the serene views of olepolos sunset view of the ridge.In about half an hour we have done a 26km to tinga town the overhead sun scorching like a cast spell but the team is energetic . Mahamir is still awed,lost in the landscape or could it be a culture shock- my good buddy from the coast , bamburi probably not the norm of his day to day ecosystems but that`s the beauty of travelling. like my mantra 'we travel some of us to seek forever, to seek other places,other lives, other souls.'.
Tinga town sits in the vast dust plain embraced by hills at the horizon local maasai in regalia and residents going by their activities.i noticed an alarming concern on litter all over especially plastics as a sigh board reads ' no dumping' and a pledge to keep Oltepesi litter free but i will tackle this later.as of now we are trying to get to our basecamp to be before sunset.
Amidst the whistling thorn acacia and shrub dominated land we transverse the maasai land luckily vaal and i are sporting ostriches, kori bustards and before we know it we are in a bird watching session sharing guru wisdom about geo location analysis of terrain, flora and fauna. i must say am impressed to be with like minded individuals.
In the bunduz always expect the unexpected , am interupted by a call to step out of the vehicle to look for our way out as we are stuck in the running water channels. The effort bore fruits and after a bit of toiling we are out. Proceeding am now crossing my fingers the terrain will be favourable to our destination only for moments later we are caught in the worst. our vehicle can hardly manouvoure and it`s emminent lest we toil , campsite by daylight is a pipe dream . one by one we are out in the thickets picking a stone hoping to lay them for the wheels to grip them but fate has it different despite all the efforts.
well someone has to do something, i consult our driver and am offered a jack guess i threw myself under the bus literally. In pursuit of a solution am crawling under targeting the u bolts placing my jack and toiling as a thin sweat run down my visage as the old rustic like beneath of the automobile elevates from the ground . We set boulders as kickers under the wheel and in a few attempt we are out joy and hullabaloo filling up the place.
by the time we are at designated campsite am lost digesting what to expect now when the engine comes to a stop and it`s time to offload.
It`s o6ooHrs and am aware soon we will be tucked in pitch black enigma .we hustle sorting out the luggage, analysing good camping location and in a few everyone is busy clearing the vicinity, pitching tents and mounting pegs . moments later it`s like a concentration camp as we grab flash lights trying to locate waterpoints and firewood for our meals before it`s too late.
Firestarters , tinders, embers and voila! smoke is emmiting from different trajectories thanks to the team effort. if one watched from an aerial view , a termite nest isn`t even such in a hustle and bustle. caught up in disoriented situations, trying to acclamatise and locate what is where our captains are running this nocturnal affair hoping maximum success despite name it.
Word from our camp instructors is that a briefing is mandatory every 2100hrs henceforth and a morning workout at 0555hrs daily to 0700hrs daily for the next fort nights . For those lingering in eutopia reality has clearly settled in .After our first briefing it`s bush tactics time ! set on the slopes of an adjacent hill we try to make solace out of everything in our reach.
First night we are in our tents catching up and chit chatting some encouraging each other but sooner the majority drift off. I have a tendancy of getting familiar with the vicinity so am am cracking jokes with my crony Nito and Mansa when Nguruman warrior intervenes just to nug due to his lack of sleep. we share jokes and after bidding goodnight a loud chatter disturbs the peace as we try tuck in our sleeping bags, The chatter continues in rage a clearly indication someone noted invaders into their boulder filled and shrub setting.
Not all battles are worth fighting so we swallow hard and embrace and soon everyone has drifted to slumber. 0550 hrs and the rolling stone has no time to gather moss, everyone is stealthily trying to grab jogging boots , sweat pants and leave tents to catch up with the entourage of our trainer like there is no felt weariness, What a great way to start but a wet blanket for the unfit and unwilling .After an our we are in our units trying gather firewood , water, first timers fumbling with tinders and embers getting choked trying to light a fire . well experience teaches best.
Breakfast hour and all are in an exchange of their nocturnal enigma, some confessing krokuta krokuta outside their tents . As we are just attending briefing the heavens burst into torrents forcing us to clasp our tents as the wind blows in mockery. That said we are officially reminded where we are.
For the next couple of days , well everyone is acclamatising in a way or another embracing our source of drinking water for the next two weeks as we are trained extensively on bush life by our gurus mr. kioko and Mr, Geoff alongside our patron Mr. Duncan.
Everday before the sun touches the horizons in the west a hike is the order of the day.The setting of the ridges is a bewilder to me everyday and i cannot get enough of it . we started by lighter hikes to build on confidence until the D- day came . what started as a normal afternoon hike turned out to the most defining day .
i vividly remember our instructors gave an order we navigate 230 degrees from camp and out we were in our boots ,armed with litres of water in carmel bags, sugar, energy boosters , name it...little did we know what the elements conspired to offer this adventure hungry young souls. what started as drizzles turned into a storm as we struggled getting rain gear and in a few we were tucked in the wilderness experiencing a fair share of the downpour still on the move.
Forward ever , backwards never was the mantra and in the heavy downpour to a point everything was soaked even waterproof boots likes of merel, salomon . Nevertheless the team fought the challenge wait a bit acacia playing evil in holding us back with a fair punishment from it`s hook thorns delaying you in the rain.
Where there is a will comes a way and together the team made it to the first summit despite the adversities. little did we know this was the beginning of the test of time. Having gotten a sight bearing home we pursued the thorny shrubs having a no back tracking rule until we face the true might of the down pour.
I clearly remember i was one of the first ten in a single file descending the summit when we met the first stream and reluctantly my preceeders hoped to the othere side. Being empathetic and caring i bought time to keep the team together so we could cross the stream enroute home.
Suddenly i got a spine chilling watch of events when one one of my good friend tried to land on the other side of the bank but unfortunately never made it to the other end. This was disturbing i must say ,all in good regards and encouragement she hoped only for the bank to be too slippery. I must say my other side showed here subliminally , in a flash second i saw my nguruman warrior dive in the water accompanied by great man Dicken and hastily tried to grab her now in shock and confusion. From this point action-reaction hit me so fast as i looked around other who tried to cross. Truth is we were caught in the eye of the storm and this was flash floods oblivious of the deep stream . It automatically clicked to me we were in vulnerability as i noticed another lady not making it and in the flash floods she started drowning- at this point you are trying to avoid more from crossing as you see someone go - inevitable had to happen. I found myself with Nito holding hands in front of the lady drowning ready to give our best the water very strong but thank God our men joined in and held her -situation panic and confusion. I won`t forget seeing Mr. Duncan dive the other side try rescue the first lady as Nguruman warrior and Dickens battled the flash floods same time the second lady getting awash and more had to cross. Everyone having crossed all soaked up , a somber mood engulfed as ladies broke down . At this point you have to be a man and strong encouraging them to keep on walking to get home. Truth is we has more streams to cross though not like the flash flood one. Am seeing local maa women try shout and warn us but it`s too late. some in tears ,looking back we made it home together and this strengthen our bond and team spirit.
Back at home we get a rude awakening as tents were blown away by the storm ,some soaked , we are wet at risk of hypothermia ! where do you start? Fireplaces all wet and firewoods are wet ..then it hit me i had a candle and out i was tryna spark a fire. Luckily i managed and a warm beverage was essential for everyone. A defining day to be frank.At our briefing our instructors confess we are the first group having bushcraft under such weather . What doesn`t kill you makes you stronger and am so humbled see the ladies talk about it and still going on by bushcraft at our bonfire.
Another day and we are on our usual routine, daily afternoon hikes and we go to the same course we never made it because of the storm as we reminisce and proceed . I realize something beautiful can be born out of every situation no matter how bad as we summit our pre -planned destination overlooking the pallette of the hilly land shrubs looking like mushrooms .
Comments