A walk through Mount Kenya National Park through forest and moorland is, for many visitors, the most pleasant part of a trip to the mountain. Climbers are strongly recommended to adopt a leisurely pace in their search for adventure as acclimatisation problems on Mt Kenya are underestimated by many parties as they rush up to the peaks in one day and find themselves too sick to climb down.
There have been many cases of pulmonary oedema, mainly as a result of high altitudes being reached too fast. In case of oedema, rapid descent is imperative. The Xtreme Sports Adventure held on the mountain’s northern forested slopes in Buuri district, Meru County, recently was therefore not for the faint-hearted ordinary visitor; it required good physical fitness. It was sports tourism in the true sense of the word when hundreds of fun-seekers converged at the Kenya School of Adventure and Leadership (Kesal).
The day-long event consisted of the Extreme Adventure and Kesal Bush race, which was open to spectators from all walks of life, ranging from outdoor adventure enthusiasts, camping lovers to party animals who crave the thrill of dancing to a live band in the serenity of the mountain environment. A hit since inception in 2011, the adventure involved teams of five people going through a series of outdoor activities requiring stamina, agility, endurance, cognitive ability and teamwork.
Navigation using map and compass, rock climbing and abseil (or rappelling), treasure hunt, high ropes and obstacle crossing all in the serenity of the jungle required speed, fast thinking, courage and fitness. The runners in the team event had to go through various checkpoints, with Kesal’s Mt Kenya base camp being the finish line. The sky marathon, one of the events lined up for the day, was an individual event involving a jog to and from Lenana Peak in one day, starting at altitude of about 10,000 feet (3,048m) above sea level and is the ultimate athletes’ exam, testing physical, mental and psychological endurance.
After enduring freezing temperatures the previous night, many of the competitors without prior experience of such a serene jungle experience encountered wildlife while traversing through the race track, including the rare dik dik, elephant and zebra. Administration Police Training College (APTC) Sports Officer Jeremiah Kosion, whose team took part in all the events, said the event offered his team an exciting adventure to remember out of their usual military calling. Kenya Wildlife Service clinched the corporate category followed by Kenya Forestry Service, APTC, and Kenya Tourism Board teams.
The Kesal Community Bush Race was won by Ouko’s followed by Arise and Shine, Kibirichia, National Registration Bureau (NRB) 2, NRB 1 and NRB 3. Kenya Methodist University won the team challenge category while Administration Police clinched the runners-up position, with National Youth Service third. Ernest Maina, the event’s co-ordinator, said Extreme Sports Challenge, which is growing fast, was mooted to raise funds for the conservation of Mount Kenya forest through the Save Mount Kenya Campaign.
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