Steven You
Mount Kenya
was a challenge to a lot of us. But I enjoyed it, and if I had the same
equipment in the same conditions I would have gone up again. I personally loved
it. I didn’t think the trip would be worth it if I have just decided to give
up. I never had more fun. I was a bit angry to find out how the Sirimon route
got the easiest part. But overall it was a great experience. I had a lot of fun
and I’ve been with my friends for a while.
Before I start to monologue
I want I promised my dad and sister that if I can climb a mountain that size, I
would make a goal in life just as high. And in my opinion, that is high enough.
They said it was mental challenge more than a physical. Well, I learned that
the hard way. The bathroom situation got me a little bit sad. But the food was
better than expected. The trip was good and when I reached the top. I couldn’t
believe my eyes. I didn’t realize how beautiful the world could be from a
height. If I can recommend something, we should stay up longer on the peak. I
think Kenya will be one of the most memorable countries after that day. I have
never climbed a mountain half that size before. And when I saw the mountain,
some doubt did come up in my head. I knew it was going to be disappointed if I
didn’t try to climb the mountain. Climbing wasn’t as hard as I thought. But it
was difficult enough for me to think about quitting mentally. I kept my promise
so far, but I don’t think I should give up. I will try the hardest to raise my
grades above average.
The environment up there
was great, and the higher you went, the more the environment changed. I
remember seeing a hyrax and a really fat bird that made me wonder how it flied.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see some cool animals, like a panther or an elephant.
If I did and if I’m able to tell you this tale, I would have had an adventure
of my life. But the hyraxes were fun to look at and it was pretty funny how
they ran away from people like us. And the plants looked pretty cool. The trees
near the top were burned and that was interesting to look at. Apparently it was
from some volcanic eruption that has caused it? I don’t know. But I know and I
can tell that it was something like that. There was a plant called the
“Stinging nettle” that I learned about the hard way. After the great pain I
asked one of the guards to shoot the plant until we could kind of tell it was
dead. Apparently that wasn’t what his job was, but I still think he should
have. But anyways the rest of the plants looked the same. They looked like
ordinary trees and plants for a very long while.
Second
tallest mountain in Africa. I feel accomplished. What would have been better is
if I gotten rock climbing training and climbing the actual peak. But that would
have been scary. I guess the school doesn’t have the best insurance when it
comes to a bunch of kids falling off a cliff. But the peak was high enough for
me to feel happy enough. We should have stayed up there longer and we should
have been more encouraging so the whole grade could climb up. I was surprised
at some people that didn’t make it. I was sure they would make it up. A lot of
people I didn’t expect to reach the top did as well. People at the Sirimon made
me a little bit angry. They didn’t have to even sleep in tents! Of course, we
got to go there too, but they didn’t have to wake up and have the rain cover of
the tent frozen when they had to climb up. But in my opinion it was still
great.
