Bad weather delays team to Mt Kenya’s peak

By JOB WERU

Kenya: A team of nine Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers that left for a six-day trek to Mt Kenya to hoist the national flag on Point Batian set off for technical climbing at dawn yesterday, amid bad weather.

The team, lead by Mt Kenya National Park Senior Warden Simon Gitau crossed the Lewis Gracier from Austrian Hut (4,800 metres above sea level) at around 6am on its way to Point Batian. The team was expected to take between eight to ten hours to reach the peak.

“It usually takes eight hours for a small group of experienced technical climbers to climb the rocky peak with speed, but since it is a big group, we might take up to ten hours,” said Mr Gitau.

Speaking to The Standard on telephone, Gitau said the weather in the mountain has in the last three days been rainy, while a thick sheet of snow covered Austrian Hut area, which is the base of climbing Batian.

“The weather is not very good as such, although we expect to arrive at the peak safely, and that is where we will accomplish the mission,” said Gitau.

The team will use between 21 and 23 pitches (ropes) to reach Point Batian. The senior warden added that two Britons who helped legendary freedom hero, Mr Kisoi Munyao hoist the national flag at Point Lenana on December 12, 1963, could not manage to scale Point Batian.

“The weather was not very good for them since they were elderly, and they only preferred to go to Point Lenana,” said Gitau.

Last night, the hikers were expected to have hoist the fag at Batian, as well as light firework to celebrate the achievement. The flag hoisting exercise is in commemoration of the 50 years of independence, which is being celebrated today, and also a remembrance to the 1963’s event when Mr Munyao hoisted the national flag on Point Lenana.

Batian is the highest point in Kenya, which stands at 5,199 metres above sea level, while Point Lenana is the third highest at 4,985 metres Above Sea Level.

The hikers, who comprise the Mount Kenya Rescue Team (under KWS) set off for the mission on Sunday, and were expected to hoist the flag at Point Batian last night before descending today.