Our final ‘trip inside a trip’ was an extraordinary overnight hiking loop with Rendille tribesmen. Camels carried our gear and we were accompanied by camel handlers, local guides, Jean, David and a shape shifting group of friends-of-guides-and-handlers. A small village made the experience possible for us!!
I think the technical term for weather on day one was Hot AF. The trip packing list had a ‘mandatory’ section of heat management stuff: from sunscreen to umbrellas, scarves and spray bottles. I deployed all devices to cover day one’s almost 9 miles and 1,000 foot climb. Having gone thirsty on prior walks I was also carrying a boatload of water. It’s not lost on me that I hike with my 10 (or 20) essentials while the African tribesmen that join us typically have three essentials: tire sandals, a wrap/shawl, and a multi purpose stick. Some of them have water, but not all. They are so deeply conditioned to be outdoors in this terrain. It’s so cool to watch them. Their abilities came in handy the next morning when we had to escape elephants. More on that later, not exaggerating!!
We started in the village. After the camels were loaded we walked alongside peaks in desert terrain on a sandy road. Eventually we went up a small pass into a high broad plateau surrounded by peaks and rocks of all shapes and sizes.
Lunch was followed by a multi hour siesta during peak heat of the day. Camels had their loads removed and rested too.
After food and naps we walked another couple of hours up a drainage to the upper end of the plateau. We set up camp here. “We” in our tents, thermarests, sleep liners. The tribesmen slept on animal hides that served as camel saddles by day, their day shawl became their sleeping blanket and pillows were either jugs used for water or rocks. I’m not kidding. They would find square rocks that propped their heads into perfect vertical alignment with their spine. This is a new-to-me version of ultralight travel :) Another fascinating thing about these men is they talked with each other non-stop. Non-stop! The chattiest humans are apparently the Rendille men of Kenya. I eventually asked one of the English speakers what they talk about and he said it’s non-stop storytelling about their lives. So interesting. Very little of the history of the Kenyan tribes is in writing because their languages are oral only. Stories was/is everything to them.
We were treated to a lovely moonrise and sunrise too!
Even in the backcountry we are treated to David’s fine crepes, eggs and more. We packed up to head up and over a nearby pass then down a drainage back to the village. The terrain was too rough for camels so they would return the way we came. Andrew would lead us with his half brother, who is a village warrior. Andrew is studying to be a teacher in Nairobi. Their different mothers had different beliefs and priorities which set them on different life paths.
As we headed up to the pass the brush got dense. We saw some elephant dung. Cool. Then more, and more, and more. Not cool. It was suddenly clear there were lots of elephants and we were uncomfortably close to them. The short version of the story is our local guides somehow helped us outsmart the elephants, while pissing them off, and nobody got trampled. There was a lot of zigging and zagging and ducking through increasingly narrow trails. I wanted to ask “Is this dangerous” as though the right answer would bring me peace. If you are thinking of asking thatquestion you already know the answer. The warrior guy kept smiling. Is that a cultural thing? Do they smile when they’re scared? Or he knows if it gets bad that he can run faster than all of us? I decided to put my unhelpful brain in auto-mode and focus on my breath. In the end, of course, we made it to the pass unscathed. And now I know the sounds that pissed off elephants make. And I’ve seen a giant cloud of dust rise from a mountain forest, stirred up by lots of elephants moving fast. So many firsts and it wasn’t even 10am. I wish I’d remembered that elephants have terrible eyesight so we were good as long as we stayed on the move and out of sight.
In case you noticed the warrior bracelets in the photo above, yes, they are indeed gorgeous. It is interesting to notice the different definitions and boundaries on masculinity in different cultures.
After some time in elevated heart rate zones, it was nice to leave that fight or flight energy behind. The whole way down we were treated to stunning views and wildlife. Saw a big turquoise lizard with a bright orange head. No photos so use your imagination. Or look up Red-headed Agama Lizard. So cool. Back at camp we lounged in the shade. Day two was a bit over 5 miles and 1,200 feet. Also hot. Impressed with both kids for how they navigated the various challenges of this two day unforgettable adventure.
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