81-year-old American beats old age odds to scale Mt Kenya for sixth time

Naizgy Gebremedhin, 81, at point Lenana on Mount Kenya on August 16 during his three-day expedition on the mountain. He dedicated the climb to veteran politician Kenneth Matiba. [PHOTO: MOSE SAMMY/STANDARD]

For 81-year-old American Naizgy Gebremedhin, there is something special about Kenya that has literally made it his second home.

Despite numerous travel advisories by the West, Mr Gebremedhin has made it a routine to visit the country every other year to marvel at what this country has to offer.

But the one thing that has been on his mind every time he comes is the imposing Mt Kenya, which he has just hiked for a record sixth time.

For the decades that the octogenarian has been scaling mountains around the world, fame and glory have never been his motivation.

However, hiking Mt Kenya has been a formidable challenge for him since he set out on his debut climb in 1984.

The Ethiopian-born US citizen attributes his numerous mountain-climbing adventures to an innate desire to achieve personal goals and prove to himself that nothing is too hard for him.

When he landed in the country last week and set his sights on climbing Mount Kenya to point Lenana, a height of 4985 metres, Gebremedhin was on a special mission; to remember the moments he shared with doyen of Opposition politics Kenneth Matiba, his longtime friend, atop the mountain in the 1990s.

“Years after our expedition, I paid him a visit but was shocked to find him looking frail, uncharacteristically old and wizened. His condition compelled me to plan this climb, which is dedicated to him,” said Gebremedhin, who marked his 80th birthday last year on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

GRUELLING TASK

He arrived at the tourist resort of Naro Moru River Lodge outside Nyeri last Sunday ready for the gruelling task.

Although age has caught up with him, the former university lecturer, resolved that on his 81st birthday, there was need to try again to climb the mountain.

In an emotional recollection of his earlier times with Mr Matiba, Gebremedhin described how the latter, while fighting for multiparty democracy, convinced more than a dozen people to climb Mount Kenya at a time when taking part in any activity that opposed the national government was considered extremely risky.

Born of Eritrean parents, Gebremedhin vividly recalls the solemn tone that Matiba assumed while addressing the small audience that had gathered to listen to him on the mountain as he outlined with alacrity measures they would use to create a multiparty state.

“Although he had to make sacrifices for this country to attain the desired democracy, I never anticipated it would cost him his health and leave him so debilitated,” Gebremedhin lamented, promising to visit Matiba before he left the country.

Upon his return from the mountain, he confessed that it had become harder and more strenuous to get to the top in record time especially because of the now rugged terrain, his advanced age and dwindling ability to maintain balance.