[TR] kenya - Hell's Gate and Lukenya 3/7/2010

[susan]

Trip: kenya - Hell's Gate and Lukenya

 

Date: 3/7/2010

 

Trip Report:

Adventures of a Visiting Climber (No picnic in Hell’s Gate)

 

I had a short term consultancy in Nairobi and desperately wanted to be able to climb some during the month I would be in Nairobi. I thought about flying to South Africa to climb but tickets were expensive, so I tried the Mountain Club of Kenya forum site to see if it was worth bringing a harness and shoes, but to no avail. I finally decided to take a pair of shoes but no harness with me. After almost two weeks of sitting in front of my laptop in an apartment in Hurlingham I found a personal e-mail address of some guy named Alex. I sent a brief note saying I had experience mountaineering, ice climbing, cragging and on big walls. Much to my delight he replied and said to get in touch later in the week and we would plan something. Little did I know what I was in for, but I was glad I had over 30 years of experience in all types of climbing before the weekend was over.

 

I met Alex and his wife Paula in Karen at the Nakumat. After a few last minute errands, we all set off for Hell’s Gate including a visiting Brit, Johnny, who went with us for one last day of climbing before he flew home to the snow and cold in England. It was an interesting drive to Hell’s Gate. I’ve traveled in many countries but the highway rules, or lack thereof, in Kenya are particularly interesting. I did marvel at the views of the Rift Valley, giant euphorbs and the 2-lane road with 3 cars abreast. We arrived at Hell’s Gate around noon. Several other climbers were already climbing on the short walls across from Fisher Tower. We dropped off Paula and Johnny there, but Alex had other plans for us. He suggested a direct line, Saturn, up the Main Wall, a 600 foot volcanic columnar feature. He said he had never gotten the first pitch clean and wanted another crack at it, even though he didn’t really bother about such things. I smiled, nodded and said sure, why not. He dropped me off to carry the gear to the base while he drove the car to the campsite so we could just walk back to the camp. I’ve spent a lot of time in Latin America in rainforests full of fer-de-lance vipers but couldn’t help but wonder what I didn’t know about African snakes that I was glad I didn’t know as I bushwacked to the base of the climb with all the gear. Alex had brought a harness and helmet for me, and just before we left the other climbers I remembered to ask for a belay device (something that in the future I will remember to carry with me).

 

It was pretty hot waiting for Alex to get back to the base but just as he arrived, the sun moved off the wall which was good, ignoring the fact that it meant it was getting a bit late.

Alex had said something flippant as I left the car about the possibility of an epic. What foresight! The rains had come early in 2010 and there were clouds about but I thought maybe we would be spared. Pitch 1 was pretty hard. I tried my best to ignore the rich aroma of bird droppings and how the rope was being dragged through guano deposits. I also tried to minimize the potential relevance of the story Alex had told me about when Jim Donini, Kitty Calhoun and others had showed up to the Main Wall and declared it a pile of bird-shit covered choss not worth climbing. Did they know something I didn’t? I spent my time belaying eying the triangular flake crucial to the crux and wondering what it trajectory might be if it peeled off. The pitch itself was bit overhanging, strenuous and a bit tricky. I made it through the crux, flake intact, but took a small slip a bit further along.

 

As the visitor, I was slumming and was happy to have Alex lead all the pitches, especially when I saw the size of his rack!, which is to say minimal. Due to the lack of pieces Alex took a pretty long fall on Pitch 2 and we decided it was wiser to backclean a piece so he could protect the fall site. That involved some very delicate climbing off the belay on my part, self belaying and cleaning a piece and then downclimbing and rerigging the belay. With the difficult area better protected, Alex pulled through without any trouble. Pitch 3 looked very hard! Alex is a very ballsy climber and clearly had ballet in his background as I watched him stem up the wall, worrying that I was not only short but not nearly as flexible and wondering how I was going to get up the pitch. I hoped that my predilection for wide cracks and being on top-rope would minimize the need to stem. Turns out I didn’t need to worry since it started to rain as I left the belay and free-climbing quickly became out of the question. Wow, is birdshit every slippery when it gets wet! I aided the pitch in the pouring rain, slowly at first as I only had one long sling, but a bit faster as I cleaned more gear and slings. Alex shouted down that lightning never hit the wall which I was glad to hear (but didn’t really believe) since there was ample thunder and lightning about.

 

Paula and Kasper were at the base of the wall, asking what we planned on doing and suggesting that we come down. It was getting late and it was raining. They wanted to be sure we were okay. Alex had managed to stay pretty dry at the belay, but I arrive soaking wet, covered in bird sheet and my glasses coated white which made visibility a bit dodgy. Alex didn’t really like the spot we were in for retreating and made two attempts to start up the next pitch but backed off. At this point we had two choices, rapping off the not so great looking rock at the belay or giving the pitch another go. At least it had stopped raining so Alex said he would try one more time and succeeding in rounding the corner. The pitch was pretty fun and not quite as hard as earlier ones.

 

The fun never ends on this climb. The last pitch starts with a delicate downclimb and traverse on birdshit covered rock. It was still a bit damp from the rain but not too bad. The exit chimney was fun but a bit dark by the time I got to it. We topped out just as the sun was setting. Of course, we had no headlamps but we did have a full moon which cast shadows. We overshot the trail down and did some backtracking but managed to get to camp safely. Paula and Kirsten had set up my tent, thank you, thank you, thank you and started on dinner.

 

Alex said I probably did the first female ascent to which I replied, that’s because Kitty Calhoun is a lot smarter than I am. Even if it wasn’t the first female ascent I’m sure it was the first part free, part aid, in the pouring rain, walk off in the dark female ascent. I’m not sure which of us were crazier, him for taking a complete stranger up such a thing or me for following it. It was great to get out of my apartment in Nairobi and I really had enjoyed myself. I got to use lots of various tricks and skills and felt much refreshed from all the time spent staring at a computer screen. What a treat to climb, camp, hear hyenas, see grazing exotic (to me) antelope in the morning and get to do more climbing. Alex and Paula and Kirsten and Kasper went off as couples to do a climb in the morning and as the fifth wheel I went for a hike into the canyon. I got a real kick out of driving Kirsten’s and Kaspers’ right hand drive car through the bush. Later in the day, we climbed a few things on Fisher Tower which were a bit drier and more solid than the Main Wall. Nice climbs. I definitely got my moneys’ worth out of Hell’s Gate and thoroughly enjoyed meeting Paula, Alex, Kirsten and Kasper.

 

The next weekend I texted Alex to see if he was going to Mt. Kenya or if he was going to do some cragging. The first message I got back was ‘You want more?!’ I replied, ‘what more could you possibly offer? Crocodiles and poisonous snake?’ Anyway, Alex picked me up at Wilson Airport the next weekend and we went to Lukenya where he gave me a tour of some of the best climbs. As we drove out I asked how the rock was and he said it was nice. I laughed and said no really, what is it like, not really believing him. He replied, ‘ Really it is gneiss’. We did some great climbs that day including one old climb that is very short but has a long pitch worth’s of climbing on it. It was a stellar route. We also did some overhanging sport climbing and some thin face, a varied and fun day. . Since Alex’s day job is leading walking safaris he is very knowledgeable about local plants and animals which I really enjoyed. We saw a solitary love bird, 2 peregrines, a Montague harrier and a superb starling. The nettle TREE was a site to behold for someone used to nettles as small plants. Walking through a thicket of shrubs that was richly fragrant, almost like cintronella, helped remind me that I really was climbing in AFRICA! Fortunately I am apparently not one of the folks who is allergic to them and don’t find them so delightful. I’m certainly game to go back to Kenya and do more climbing. Thanks to everyone I met that let me tag along.

 

Edited June 29, 2010 by susan

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Sounds like a great adventure! Did you get any pictures?

[susan]

I have a few pictures of the crags, the rain limited the picture taking on the route in Hell's Gate. I'll look into how to upload some later today.

[susan]

Here are some photos, I think I figured out how to post them.

Well, I guess not. I tried to photo icon but that seems to have sent stuff to the gallery. I did a search but didn't find what I need in the way of help for dummies.