Forum Index > Trip Reports > Peakbagging Kenya, Uganda, February 1-18, 2020
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Gimpilator
infinity/21M



Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics
Location: Edmonds, WA
Gimpilator
infinity/21M
PostSat Feb 22, 2020 3:30 am 
Petter invited me on a hiking expedition. It was to be my 4th trip to Africa, although the first time in Kenya and Uganda. He rented a Landcruiser and did all the research. All I did was book flights and show up. There was not a lot of information online for most of these peaks. In several cases none. By joining local Facebook groups, using Whatsapp, and various other means, Petter collected tidbits of information and established contact with enough locals to make this trip a success. Several times, in lieu of established plans, we just used the basic method. Drive to the village nearest the peak, ask around until you find someone who knows the route, and hire them on the spot. Ask enough questions to ensure that it is the very highest peak and also the correct route. Invariably this method proved quicker and more effective than anything else involving middle-men. February 1, 2020 On our first day out of Nairobi, we entered Abadare National Park, hoping to bag Lesatima. Upon arrival to the park, I heard a familiar hissing noise and found a bolt lodged in the front left tire. We delayed briefly to put the spare on.
An unusually bad rainy season prior to our arrival wreaked havoc on the roads. Deep mud wallows were difficult to avoid and threatened to swallow the car. Several times on the last stretch of road, the Park ranger and I had to get our and help push the car while Petter fought with the mud. Earlier we had helped push another car out of the way, which was also stuck. Petter's expertise with driving on mud/snow was apparent, because one look at several of the pits he crossed, would have convinced me not to try it, had I been behind the wheel.
buffalos
buffalos
waterbuck
waterbuck
elephant butt
elephant butt
Ultimately we came to a road which was steep and slick enough that we could not proceed. After an hour of struggle there and getting stuck in a ditch a few times, it was too late in the day and we threw in the towel, planning to return the next morning. On the way to camp we drove very close to a bull elephant. The density of the rain that night was impressive. Not a very promising start for the February dry season. 2-2 Oldoinyo Lesatima – 13,127’ We returned to the section of road we had been unable to drive and parked there. We noticed several hyenas near our starting point and I was happy that the ranger carried a gun. The road walk would make for some extra distance and gain. Despite this we only required 3 hours to reach the summit. I was very very excited to see Mount Kenya across the valley during the hike up. Mount Kenya is usually shrouded in clouds and I had never expected to actually see it in person.
false summit
false summit
The trail followed a long southeast ridge through grasslands and several copses of lobelia. The false summit was mounted with a sign, but we explained to the ranger that the peak further south was actually higher. He had never been there and was slightly reluctant to follow us off-trail, but once he reached the true summit and could tell that it was higher, he was very happy. Our time down was slightly over 2 hours.
true summit
true summit
2-3 Poror Peak - 8465’ To reach our next peaks in northern Kenya, we would require a full driving day and a crossing of the equator. Highway 77 turned out to be very poorly maintained and progress was slow. We saw baboons and domestic camels. It was decided we should stop for a quick jaunt up Poror, very near to the highway. The bump further north of the towers is highest.
In the evening we came to the Samburu village of Tuum with barely enough time to establish our plans for the following day. Initial contact with the villagers resulted in laughs and embarrassed head-shaking, but through trial and error we eventually located a woman who spoke some English. She told us where we should spend the night and also promised to set up some local guides for the following day. Now a quick word on guides and guiding. Petter and I feel roughly the same about the guiding issue. In general we don’t like to be guided and I could elaborate extensively on that, citing numerous bad experiences, but suffice it to say that in Africa it makes sense to go along with the system and support local economies in which people really do need the money. When guides or rangers carry guns, it's generally for a reason, usually animal threats, but occasionally people. Several of the peaks on this trip would have been more confusing without local knowledge of trail systems and more dangerous in areas of wild animals, without a larger group. On this next peak for instance, lions have been seen in the high grassy meadows just underneath the various summits. In general, our experience with guides and ranger escorts on this trip was very good. For the most part they were strong and fast and for once, we didn’t have to wait for any of them to catch up. 2-4 Mount Ng’iro – 9344’ A steep trail quickly left the village below, and climbed a rib inside the large southwest drainage under the upper plateau. During the ascent, it was very amusing, because every 30 minutes or so the guide offered Petter a break and sometimes even sat down himself, assuming one was necessary. At these moments, Petter just continued hiking and the guide seemed more and more astounded the longer this went on. I was getting pretty hungry after gaining a thousand meters without a break, but the situation was humorous enough that I enjoyed just watching it play out. When Petter finally stopped for some water, the guide told us that he had never before hiked with foreigners who didn’t require frequent long breaks.
The rock on the upper half of the trail was curious in that it appeared like a type of granite, and yet it had the consistency of compacted wet sand, soft under the boots and trekking pole tips. It was soft enough that some deep trenches had formed in a few places. I asked about the age of the trail and the was told that this mountain used to belong to the Masai, but that 300 years ago there was a war and the Samburu took control of the area. There is still some violent conflict with members of the Turkana tribe over stolen animals, which results in bloodshed and sometimes death.
north peak first
north peak first
We followed the trail to the north peak first and from there, the southeast peak looks lower, but they are close enough that you should visit both. To get to the other peak we passed through a saddle and then went up small trails through the bush along the northeast side. GPS measurements seem to support the map that this one is indeed higher. A more direct descent required some brief but dense bushwhacking.
main peak
main peak
After the hike we attempted to drive to Loiyangalani to be in position for Kulal the following day. Leaving Tuum we saw ostriches and monkeys. There is a direct west side road from Tuum, but several locals assured us that our car could not do that road. The alternative for us to reach the north route on Kulal would be to drive an S shape around the two peaks. On the map they seem close, but as we discovered while driving through the very scenic town of South Horr, this drive was going to require some time. A lot of time. The road was bad enough that we were reduced to a walking pace and sometimes slower. We did the math. Getting to Kulal and back would add about 2 extra full days of driving and this would certainly cost us at the end of the trip. Not worth it. We turned around.
It was my turn to drive. This was my first time using a stick shift in over a decade and I hadn’t driven a car on the left side of the road, with steering wheel on the right, since the trip to New Zealand. I knew it would take some focus. I just needed to concentrate for awhile without distraction. However, not long after I started driving, something happened. We were completely engulfed by a plague of locusts, nearing biblical proportion. These giant bugs were hitting the windshield like rain and covered the road surface to the point which it was invisible. They darkened the sky. I had read about this phenomenon before leaving the states. Supposedly it is the worst locust swarm Kenya has seen in 70 years and is spreading to Uganda also. Post trip, the problem remains unresolved. 2-5 Another full driving day in which we saw giraffes and a large tortoise. We attempted to route directly west as soon as possible so as to reach the next peaks on the far side of the rift valley. The first road was extremely bad and we quickly abandoned that idea. The second one didn’t seem to exist anymore.
We were forced to detour much further south through Suyani, Kisima, and Rumuruti. We placed our bets on road C51. It was pretty good at first but then deteriorated very quickly. It’s not a good sign when the only visible use of a road is a single tire track from motorbikes. We took turns driving and there were two big drops down into the Rift. These drops were horrible with uneven bedrock. In the bottom of the valley we were blocked by a mud lake spanning much wider than the road, but Petter found us a long detour on smaller roads to avoid that and eventually we returned to tarmac. We stayed in Chemolingot planning do the remaining drive to Tamkal and then the north route on Nakugen the following day. 2-6 Through one of Petter’s contacts, we learned that the road we had planned to drive to Nakugen was impassable due to washed out bridges. In fact, catastrophic landslides in Tamkal had killed roughly 50 people. Very sad. Fortunately, Petter had brought along a very old, and out of print, hiking guide for Kenya, which he found somewhere in the dark recesses of the internet. This book mentioned a longer route for Nakugen coming from the southwest. Kaisungur – 10,367’ On the drive to Nakugen we stopped for a short drive-up/hike of Kaisungur. The northwest peak of Kaisungur is highest.
The southwest route for Nakugen is longer distance than it was in the days of the guidebook, but we arrived in time to do most of the approach that evening, camping on a high grassy bench. It was nice to overnight this peak by ourselves and get at least one big one without any guides.
Kamelogon
Kamelogon
2-7 Nakugen – 11,614’ The previous evening we had passed through pastoral grazing areas on the old road up to the high plateau. Nakugen is the highpoint of the Cherangani Hills, a pleasant region with some mature forest, lovely creeks, and an agreeable climate. Despite my complaints about carrying overnight gear, we had a nice evening camped on a grass bench at 10,600 feet. It was surprising to us to encounter people spread out for farming and grazing animals, just about everywhere throughout this hike.
carnivorous flowers
carnivorous flowers
From camp, we went north over the sub-peak named Kamelogon, before coming to the main peak. There is a good little trail near crest or just west of it, the entire way. One should avoid the boggy tussocks and deep, dense, over-your-head brush on the east side of the crest.
Many years ago, someone suggested to Petter that he investigate this peak which has two summits of nearly the same height, but 2 kilometers distant. We were mentally prepared for a big drop in between to reach the east peak called Chemnirot, but were hoping that the sight level would save us that trouble. Fortunately it did. The east peak is clearly 10+ meters lower, so no need to go over there.
east peak
east peak
Nakugen summit
Nakugen summit
old driving bridge is long gone
old driving bridge is long gone
After the hike we drove up into position for Mount Mtelo. First we had to get to Marich Pass, coming from the west, and then we went up a very steep road with two separate concrete channels for the tires. Some might find this road downright frightening. This is the second steepest road I’ve ever been on. It was Petter’s turn behind the wheel. He didn’t seem phased, perhaps because he has also driven himself up the steepest road I’ve ever been on, which is located in Guatemala. After going over a few passes, we dropped into the valley just southeast of the peak. The large village there is not on Google Maps and doesn’t seem to carry one specific name, but might be called Mungat. We stayed at the Eco Lodge. 2-8 Mount Mtelo – 10,909’ Mtelo has good trails on both the southwest and southeast ridges. At the advice of the lodge owner, we planned to do a loop hike. We ascended steep cultivated slopes to reach the saddle at 7850 feet on the southeast ridge. The sub-peak on the far side of the saddle is quite impressive looking.
Mtelo
Mtelo
impressive sub=peak
impressive sub=peak
The ridge trail through the forest was largely direct, except for a few side traverses which were not obvious. It was good to have the guide for that part. The final mile was in thick brush and the trail was steep and slippery mud. I saw my first wild chameleon near the summit and couldn’t resist picking it up for a closer look.
Mtelo summit
Mtelo summit
We thought we had a clear understanding with the guide about the intended route, but he convinced us that the other ridge trail didn’t start from the actual summit and that we had to backtrack and then traverse to the southwest ridge. We blindly followed him and this sort of trust in guides is what leads to trouble, occasionally. We should have searched for the trail near the summit, because it surely exists there.
awful senseless traverse
awful senseless traverse
The way the guide took us was a horrible and unnecessary waste of time. His traverse required 2 hours of bushwhacking on a defunct abandoned trail and gained an extra 800 feet of elevation before finally coming to the far ridge. We made it very clear to him that we were not happy and he even tried an alternative by following an even smaller path directly down the steep south face. I could see cliffs on the map there below us. When Petter followed him downward, I asked some more questions and then refused to follow. The guide was taking us down a face he had never actually explored before. At this point I had lost all trust in the decision making of this guide, and especially his knowledge of the area. I told Petter I was happy to descend the ascent route solo if he wanted to try the south face, but we agreed to finish the awful traverse instead. By the end of it, we almost climbing all the way back up to the summit elevation. Sure enough, when we reached the far ridge, the bigger trail was there, leading down and also back up towards the summit. This was our only bad guiding experience of the trip. 2-9 We crossed the Uganda border at Suam with a slight delay because of my E-visa. We were only the second party to make this crossing so far this year and they don’t have all the modern equipment. I drove the dirt roads around the north side of Mount Elgon and then down a steep rough connector road to the valley floor and the Mbale/Moroto road. From there it was Petter’s turn to drive to Nakapirpirit. We saw some interesting people on that road. Part of me want to photograph them, but in general East Africans don’t like to be photographed, so on this trip I took no photos of anyone except those hired by us. The Mbale/Moroto road features award winning pot holes, and also a few semi-dried mud pits where the ground level was higher than the roof of the land-cruiser. When we were 20 kilometers from town, Petter noted that the engine was “not behaving”. I asked what he meant and he said it was losing power. Then it started backfiring. Progressively, whatever was wrong with the car worsened. 15 kilometers from town, it refused to cooperate. As Petter gave it more gas, the response was even less thrust. The last 10 kilometers uphill was steep and switch-backing. Only an hour before dark, it was apparent we weren’t going to make it. Nearly everywhere we had been on this trip, people were wandering around with livestock, but apparently not on this stretch road. It was an empty area. I tried to remain calm. The car was moving forward one meter at a time, and Petter had it in the very lowest gear, fluttering the clutch over and over. What would it mean for our trip to be stranded out here in a remote part of Uganda for several days? Was the engine seriously failing now? Somehow, after much time and concern, Petter overcame the problem and we crested the final hill, rolling down into town. We found a hotel, located guides for the following day and then had someone look at the car. The problem was likely to be a clogged fuel filter, or bad gas with water in it. Many people told us watery gas is a common problem here. After rinsing the filter a few times, the problem was resolved and did not recur.

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Gimpilator
infinity/21M



Joined: 12 Oct 2006
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Location: Edmonds, WA
Gimpilator
infinity/21M
PostSat Feb 22, 2020 3:30 am 
10-10 Kadam – 10,049’
Kadam
Kadam
To reach the trailhead we rode passenger on hired motorbikes up an old road, overgrown with 7 foot tall grass. This was my first time riding motorbike without helmet and also 3 people per bike. Both practices I have observed in “developing countries” many times (occasionally as much as one driver and 4 passengers). Petter assured me that it is standard practice for accessing peaks in many places, especially Indonesia.
The first portion of the route passes though dense jungle, smartly avoiding the cliffs. There are a number of species of flowers and butterflies that were new to me, and also some strange people living in small settlements. Overall this is a very steep route with a lot of elevation gain and a class 3 crux on solid rock.
Prior to the trip we had to argue a bit with the guides who said it is “not possible” to do the peak in a single day. Eventually they caved, but this was indeed the first time for them without camping 1 or 2 nights.
Kadam summit
Kadam summit
The final mile is on a broad flat expanse. Dense brush can be avoided with extra care by going indirectly and staying on open rocky slabs. We enjoyed this route very much and it remains the favorite peak of the trip. 7 hours round-trip.
2-11 Drive to Moroto. 2-12 Moroto “Sokdek Peak”– 10,115’ The standard ascent time for Moroto is 3 days. This time the guides didn’t argue with us however. In fact they were eager to try a single day ascent. It was going to be a hotter route, south facing and more open, with less tree cover. Because of that, I tried to pressure the system for an early start, but no matter what, it seems the locals are unwilling or unable to get hiking before 8am. Sunburned arms would mean I had to keep a long sleeve on for the next several days. I surrendered to the heat.
"shepherd berries"
"shepherd berries"
The route we took up is one of the main south ridges. I noticed the guides eating some berries on the way up, so I tried them. Pretty tasty, but the white juice left a sort of glue on my hands which was really difficult to wipe off.
There was a brief narrow section with exposure and also a steep grassy traverse. After a false summit we descended into dense forest and passed through a saddle before the steep climb to the main peak. The main guide rain the last 50 feet to the summit. He was very excited to get the peak in a single day. We told him we thought he could probably do it much faster than us.
the peak
the peak
Mtelo summit
Mtelo summit
On the way down the guides took us on a different ridge route. This mountain has very many trails and routes.
locust (not the bad kind)
locust (not the bad kind)
2-13 Drive to Elgon. 2-14 Elgon is considered one of Africa’s big peaks. It’s 40 miles wide at the base. Being a bit famous makes it more expensive. There are permit fees and other costs. It could definitely be done in a long day, although it’s large enough to justify 2 or 3 days. It was the big prize of the trip, and we had extra time, so we decided to do it in a leisurely 3 days. I was planning to carry everything, but Petter convinced me that porters would be nice. I swallowed my pride and it was worth it. We hired two. They carried the water weight and some overnight gear.
The hike up is pleasant and there are a lot of flowers. The upper portions of the mountain are so broad and flat, I nicknamed it “pancake stack” and we referred to it as that for the rest of the hike. We camped at the Mude Cave site.
2-15 Mount Elgon “Wagagai Peak” - 14,177’ On summit day we started early, but only needed 2.5 hours to reach the summit. The guides expressed surprise and said it was the quickest they had done before. We were happy to be on one of Uganda’s highest peaks.
Mubiyi at left
Mubiyi at left
Elgon summit
Elgon summit
The guides were looking forward to being done early, but we had a surprise for them. On the way up we had both been eyeing an attractive peak further north on the massive caldera rim. We asked them what it was called. Mubiyi. Mubiyi – 13,816’ At first they didn’t want to go. The main guide said, “there are no trails and nobody has ever gone up there before.” Shouldn’t have said that. LOL. He was a bit grumpy at first but eventually surrendered to our peakbagging tendencies. I found this bonus peak to be more interesting than the main one and we were very happy to get it.
Mubiyi summit
Mubiyi summit
2-16 Our hike down was 3 hours, plus a 15 minute break. That evening we drove back into Kenya through Malaba. The west bound lane was choked with 7 kilometers of semi-trucks, 3 on one side of the border and 4 on the other. A police check-point seemed to be responsible. They were not moving at all. Some drivers were keeping busy by washing the trucks by hand towel and bucket. The ensuing chaos of this international border crossing, with one of the two lanes entirely blocked, is hard to fully describe. We had to laugh at our good fortune to do the earlier crossing at Suam.
this curious chameleon startled Petter by crawling up his arm
this curious chameleon startled Petter by crawling up his arm
That evening in a fancy restaurant in Bungoma, I ordered spaghetti. After waiting more than an hour (don’t be anxious in East African restaurants), the waiter came up to me and said “your spaghetti is ready, but we have no spaghetti”. What?... “You mean you have no noodles?” He didn’t understand the word noodles. “Will you take it with rice?” I said "no, definitely not." I didn’t want sauce without noodles. But he brought the sauce anyway, with chapatis instead, a sort of fried flat-bread. I was hungry, so I ate it. 2-17 Timboroa - 9514’ Drive up peak. Rough road. Mount Londiani - 9888’ Drive up peak. Very rough road. Almost stuck in the mud again. 2-18 Menengai – 7474’ Menengai Crater is 12 by 8 kilometers wide, making it the largest caldera in Kenya and one of the largest on earth. We visited the highpoint of the crater rim. The viewpoint road goes right next to it.
Longonot - 9108’ So far Petter had done a superb job of finding quick impromtu bonus peaks for us to visit on our way back to Nairobi. During the drive to the airport, we had some time for one last hike. We passed a herd of zebras in a meadow and then went up to the crater of Longonot Volcano. There’s a trail all the way around the massive caldera and some sections are narrow and exposed with slippery sandy footing. We traversed the entire rim, a pleasure I have only experienced once before, on Vesuvius.
Must say a huge thank you to Petter for organizing this trip, and for everything that was contributed to make it so successful. Your determination, strength, humor, and experience level kept this trip enjoyable, even when things were not looking so bright. I’m very excited for our next trip, wherever that might be.

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RichP
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PostSat Feb 22, 2020 12:14 pm 
Fascinating area for some peakbagging. Hoping to make it over there one of these days for some of the same.

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awilsondc
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PostSat Feb 22, 2020 2:07 pm 
Pretty frickin cool Adam! First peak bagging trip report I've seen for those countries. Very cool terrain over there, flora and fauna too! Thanks for sharing with us!

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Fletcher
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PostSat Feb 22, 2020 4:34 pm 
Very cool Adam. I miss Africa.

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raising3hikers
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PostSat Feb 22, 2020 7:49 pm 
up.gif way to go! i'll remember your TR when I go visit Africa again

Eric Eames
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Backpacker Joe
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PostSat Feb 22, 2020 8:23 pm 
Wonderful pics GimpMeister. Whats up, couldnt find enough bumps in Warshington State?

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Jake Robinson
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PostSun Feb 23, 2020 9:26 am 
Great story and pics, thanks for posting this!

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puzzlr
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PostSun Feb 23, 2020 10:06 pm 
Wow! What a trip. And thanks for the peek into this great adventure of yours.

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Bernardo
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PostSat Feb 29, 2020 7:51 pm 
Thanks! Really interesting. How do you think it would be to live there for a few years?

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seawallrunner
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PostSat Feb 29, 2020 11:05 pm 
What an adventure - and beautiful pictures. Love the pictures of the people that you were with, as well: this is not a place that I have ever been near. Now I want to go !

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Bryan K
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PostSun Mar 01, 2020 11:40 pm 
Great looking trip buddy!!!! Glad you had a good time and returned home safely to tell about it.

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Alpendave
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PostMon Mar 02, 2020 5:36 am 
Pretty cool. You even found one of Dr. Seuss’s Truffula trees:

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Malachai Constant
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PostMon Mar 02, 2020 9:19 am 
Everyone needs a theed

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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jcocci
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PostSat Mar 07, 2020 6:44 am 
Does this Petter live in Norway and is a professor there? If so then my wife and met him in a hut in Lofoten a few years back. Interesting guy.

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