When I restarted my fitness journey in early 2024 (for the 100th time, of course) my first hike was at Mt. Longonot. 28th January, 2024, I dared myself, my mind and body. Standing at the floor of the great rift valley, this dormant volcano rated as beginner friendly had been on my to do list for a while and I was determined to devoir it.
Determined to do whatever it takes to please my seventeen strava followers, I began the climb. It was hot and dusty, and the mountain served impromptu steep climbs. I felt my heart beat every second and my throat lust for water every two minutes. Despite all, I climbed and climbed, went past the crater point, joined the rim anticlockwise and proceeded to Kilele Ngamia.
No one ever talks about how brutal a mountain descent is. And that is exactly why I ended up descending Mt. Longonot butt down and on all fours. (pause to picture that, or DM for video, LOL) As if that wasn’t enough, my poor choice of shoes led to my toes turning black taking months for me to nurse them back to health.
After healing (physically and emotionally), and a little deeper into my fitness journey, I decided to dare the Aberdares on 1st June 2024. After hearing of all its glory and its endlessness, I researched on how to approach with care. I landed on Elephant Hill, you know, coz why not! LOL. I went on a search rampage and found a tour guide with just the right dates and just the right charges. This time, I armed myself with a hiking bag, a hiking pole, hiking pants and lest we forget, hiking boots. As the over preparer I am, I watched YouTube videos and asked around for advice. Word on the street was that this hill is not to be messed with. Armed with a giant water bottle and some snacks, we started the ascent. All went well, I had little to no altitude sickness, went slow and steady, took breaks when necessary and was among the first group to summit.
The descent, however, was brutal. (who would have thought?) My slightly oversized hiking boots nibbled my toes with each step. It rained heavily while descending the bamboo stretch and I slid more times than I could count. During the last stretch, I fell butt down as if to print a signature on the trail. My toes hurt, my legs hurt, I was wet and muddy. I wasn’t arriving at the base, yoh! But my heart, my heart was fulfilled. I had conquered the Elephant Hill as my first Aberdares peak.
When I got home, I didn’t even clean those Godforsaken hiking boots, I threw them out and counted my losses. (not gonna lie, my toes had it rough in 2024)
This hike made me happy. The fact that I struggled less than I thought I would. It validated me, my fitness journey. It confirmed that my efforts are bearing fruits. I was happy, just happy.
Some people say when you ascend and descent a mountain, you live a part of you up there. For me, I left my fear of trails on top of Elephant Hill. Once I stepped back down, I was ready to give out local giant a try. Enter Mount Kenya.
With Love, Liz.
Liz Mokamba 
Leave a comment