In my previous post I’d mentioned that I would like to go camping this year. The last time I camped was 2020 January during the waterfowl census with Nature Kenya before Covid came and disrupted life completely. This February I got a taste of camping in Naivasha and Magadi now that the census had returned. But I was still longing for an exclusive camping experience so I reached out to the peeps at Auwana to see what they had coming up.
Between their Castle Forest and Malaso trips, the latter appealed to me since I’m a lover of landscapes. The thought of being surrounded by vast panoramic views away from the chaos of city life fueled my motivation even more. I had learnt about Auwana on a Let’s Drift hike last December and considered getting back to camping by joining their adventures. And now the perfect time had come. Except we ended up going to Ngurunit instead because of insecurity issues in Malaso a few days to the departure date.
If you’ve read my previous posts you’re familiar with my struggles with waking up super early. The intended departure for this trip was 5:15 am. That would be quite the challenge! I had never begun an adventure at such an insane hour. Skipping breakfast seemed like the reasonable thing to do since my system wouldn’t be fully awake yet to appreciate food at 4 am. I made sure to pack everything in advance so that I’d be ready to go right after washing my face.
Thankfully we would be using Road A2 which passes near my neighbourhood so I’d be picked up by the others. According to my estimation, the group would be at my stage by 5:30 am so if I left the house at 5:20 I would be okay. That’s what I did. I got there right on time and waited. And waited, and waited. Finally I called the lead organizer to find out what’s happening. At 10 minutes to 6 they were yet to leave the CBD. I decided to head back to my house to escape the cold until they were ready.
Had a bite to eat while I warmed up. The wait ended when I received a call informing me that the group was departing. I walked back to the stage and the vehicle arrived after around 30 minutes. There was very little room to sit as we were squeezed by the luggage on all sides. This looked like it was going to be a long day. Thankfully the plan was to offload some of the bags once we caught up with the other car.
We hit the road then stopped in Murang’a to buy food to go since time was too far gone to have our breakfast at Nanyuki. I wasn’t hungry yet so I walked around looking for avocados, figuring they would cheaper here than in Nairobi. And indeed that was the case- I got four for 50/-. The seller even added one for free! Perks of shopping outside the city. Next stop: Nanyuki.
We enjoyed the serene landscapes as we moved from one county to another, with music and stories adding flavour to the drive. It was a delight to arrive at Nanyuki because that meant we could stretch our legs and attend to our tummies. A Swahili restaurant called out to us with the promise of tasty meals and certainly the biryani didn’t disappoint. Meanwhile, the men in charge went shopping for the food we’d have at camp. Reorganizing the luggage had to be done again to accommodate the huge load of veggies, bread and other stuff. When that was done, we got back on the road.
Scenic views continued to wow us at every turn. As we passed by Mt Kenya heavy rain clouds shrouded this impressive landform, making it appear even more epic. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how stunning our country is until you travel, that’s why it’s important to keep touring. And yet in the midst of such beauty there are challenges: the further you go north, the trickier the security situation is. We passed through several police checks after Nanyuki town, the focus being flushing out illegal firearms. Cattle rustlers rely on these to do their thing. At Archer’s Post, one soldier asked us, “Do you have security?” when we told him our destination. He laughed in disbelief at our negative answer which made us a bit uneasy. Still, we remained positive. Little did we know his words would haunt us later.
Going on with the drive, the landscapes got more and more breathtaking. Just when we thought we had seen the best, another incredible view appeared. And then another. So enticing were the views that our driver Weru requested to stop for pictures even though time was moving fast. The rest of us took advantage to stretch our legs and take in the scenery. Then back into the car, drove through a huge storm cell which brought the vibe of a Storm Chasers episode.
After leaving the rain behind we took a mini stop for a bathroom break. It might seem like we were stopping too many times, but this journey is quite long and it was several hours between each stop. However, when we got to Mt. Ololokwe and saw the others in the second car taking photos, we decided to keep going. The plan was to do it on our way back. From here we drove 3 hours in complete darkness as there were no street lights or buildings. Now I understood why our campsite host Dima had been urging us to pick up the pace: this place is far. Really far. We were on the phone with her giving updates on the journey, and getting directions to the campsite from her. Finally, we arrived at the turnoff from the main road where a local guide sent by Dima was waiting for us.
He entered the car I was in and we set off. We still had 80 Km to camp! According to the guide it would take us 2 hours to cover the distance due to the rough condition of the road. As we drove, crickets jumped all around the cars, some making their way inside. Wild hares scurried away from the path into the bushes. I wondered how they could see in the pitch blackness, were they just sitting in the dark before the cars came? At least they had room to move around. We were confined to the vehicles, the high humidity turning our skins sticky while being kept company by our new buddies, the crickets. Cruising at a top speed of 19 Km/h, we were more than eager to reach camp.
When we got to the little town centre called Naimarei, we stopped to stretch our legs yet again. With our guide’s reassurance that we had a short distance remaining, we continued with the last part of the drive. We asked him how locals survive using Edward’s Road. The deep ruts across it and soft sand on the sides make it challenging to drive fast. He told us that Proboxes provide transport twice a day, the first one arriving at 6 am. These vehicles have modified suspension which enables them to move easily on the rough surface. In fact, one zoomed past us leaving us crawling in the dark.
Finally, finally at 11:35 pm, we pulled into camp, completely shattered. We had taken 4 hours instead of the estimated 2 to drive 80 Km. What a ride! That was such a packed day. Pitching tents, taking supper and showers still awaited us. With a long hike planned for the next day, we tried our best to finish these chores and catch some sleep.
Stay tuned for the second part of our trip- it involves much more drama than this. Like something out of a movie. Trust me, you’re going to love it.
klassique photography 