Mount Kenya - Day 4

January 28, 2016 - Hall Tarns (4300m)

I woke up at 05:00 and read my book for an hour. Got up to a cool and windy, but beautiful morning and packed up camp. Breakfast as usual was over the top; fresh fruit, porridge, fried eggs, pancakes, and french toast, all served in copious quantites. Since I was very hungry, the large portions were appreciated. We left camp a little after 08:00. A short descent into a small gully was followed by a 700m gentle climb up to a ridge and then along the boulder strewn edge. I motored ahead going at a pace I felt comfortable, which was not very fast as the thin air was definitely beginning to affect me. Katharina followed a little ways behind, and further still, Sammy. At about 3600m I stopped to wait for them and tried to take some of Sammy's load, but he refused to part with the tent. I continued on up to the top and climbed a small local summit while waiting for the others, which put me at exactly 4000m according to my altimeter. When Kat and Sammy arrived, we sat down for a 20 minute break, during which John and Cyrius arrived. They sat down for a short bit and then sped ahead. I kept up with them for a while but the scenery changed to such beauty that they ended up pulling ahead as I was continuously pausing to take photos. The Gorges Valley was absoultely gorgeous and we all stopped to take in this sight. A long traverse followed where there were many Lobelias, both giant and ostritch variety. The ostritch ones look like they belong in the muppet show. A bit of a scramble followed up to our higest point, and then an easy, but slow and deliberate walk brought us to Minto Hut where we are camping for the night. This was a tough day, simply due to the lack of oxygen. Movement is slow and it feels hard to get a good full breath of air in. Nevertheless, both of us are feeling reasonably good, so we are going to make an attempt on Pt. Lenana summit tomorrow morning. This campsite is pretty gross. There is garbage strewn all over the place, and despite there being a latrine, people seem to have felt the need to shit and leave toilet paper in every nook and cranny in the rocks. Yummy!

More flowering lobelias.

Lobelias and hairy rocks.

More hairy rocks (and a lobelia).

We met this fellow coming down. He had gotten lost for a few years.

Looking into the Gorges Valley.

Approaching Hall Tarns.

One of the many tarns of Hall.

Standing at the head of the Gorges Valley. Lake Michaelson down below.

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