Itinerary. Itinerary. Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Mount Kenya

Transcription

1 Itinerary Itinerary Day 1: Arrive Kenya Our ground team in Kenya will meet you right when you walk off the plane at Jomo Kenya?a Interna1onal Airport. Transfer to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, and into our tented lodge accommoda1on at Ol Pejeta Wildlife Camp. Relax, sleep and get accustomed to the jetlag. (Schedule may vary due to flight arrival 1mes, if an evening arrival 1me clients will stay at a secure lodge on the outskirts of Nairobi) Day 2: Conserva<on in Ac<on and Bike Safari Today, we head out to Ol Pejeta Conservancy for a full day engaging with the rangers and guides to get behind the scenes and giving a helping hand where we can. We will visit the Sweetwaters Chimp Sanctuary and assist with maintenance and general chores as well as visit the Endangered Species Boma home to the world s last Northern White Rhinos. What be?er than the opportunity to cycle through the African bush and come face to face with some of Kenya s best game. Our bike instructors take you across the plains of Ol Pejeta in the shadow of Mount Kenya to view cheetah, buffalo, rhino and a variety of plains game on a unique and exci1ng game viewing experience. Ol Pejeta Conservancy Ol Pejeta is the largest black rhino sanctuary in east Africa, and home to three of the world s last remaining northern white rhino. It is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees, in a Sanctuary established to rehabilitate animals rescued from the black market. It has some of the highest predator densi1es in Kenya, and s1ll manages a very successful livestock programme. Ol Pejeta also seeks to support the people living around its borders, to ensure wildlife conserva1on translates to be?er educa1on, healthcare and infrastructure for the next genera1on of wildlife guardians. Mount Kenya Thrus1ng 5,199 metres above the equator, its gleaming snow-licked summits, rise past glacier sculptured valleys and alpine moorland riddled with clear tarns and trout-filled streams. Elephant, giraffe and eland roam its lower slopes, while the stunning vegeta1on - giant lobelias appear like spiky pokers have made it a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Small wonder it was deified by the local Kikuyu people, whose doors always faced what they believed was the seat of the god Ghai.

2 Mount Kenya Day 3: Mt. Kenya: Sirimon Gate to Old Moses Campsite Length: 9km, Time: 4-5 hours, Ascent: 690m Accommoda<on: Old Moses Camp Site (3150m) Today we start our Mt. Kenya Ascent via the Sirimon route, with an early lunch at the park gate. The route takes us uphill through a beau1ful sec1on of the forest dominated by Pencil Cedar and Podocarpus trees before entering into heath land. For the lucky we may see one of the many forest elephants that inhabit the region. We walk purposely slow to acclima1se to the al1tude. Day 4: Old Moses Campsite to Liki North Campsite Length: 9 km, Time: 6 hours, Ascent: 950m Accommoda<on: Liki North Campsite (4100m) A day where we drop down into valleys only to ascend again. We finish at the base of the old volcanic plug that makes up the rocky peaks of Ba1an, Nelion and Pt. Lenana. On the trek up, the vegeta1on changes to moorland grass with small flowering plants and the amazing giant lobelias and groundsels and senecios. We pass by Shiptons caves, once a hideout for the Mau Mau. Leopard also live in this region and have been observed at an al1tude of 4500m! Day 5: Shiptons Camp Length: 8km, Time: 4-5 hours, Ascent: 100m Accommoda<on: Shiptons Camp (4200m) A short day to acclima1se to the al1tude and rest for the night 1me ascent of Pt. Lenana. This may consist of a short walk up above camp to the high col. Day 6: Shiptons Camp to Pt. Lenana (4985m) to Old Moses Campsite Length: 18km, Time: 14 hours, Ascent: 755m, Descent: 1885m Accommoda<on: Old Moses campsite (3100m) An early 2.30am start sees us on the Summit Circuit Path, which is arguably the finest walking trail in all of East Africa. Stunning views, tarns, glaciers, ice carved rock forma1ons and precipitous valleys and the views! We are in search for Pt. Lenana for a sunrise celebra1on with spectacular views to the Aberdare Ranges and Mt. Kilimanjaro. Day 7: Old Moses Campsite to Sirimon Park Gate Length: 9km, Time: 3 hours, Descent: 450m A leisurely walk to the park gate through towering Podocarpus and Cedar forest. Our vehicles are wai1ng to transfer you back to Ol Pejeta Wildlife Camp for a hot shower.

3 Mountains Expeditions Safety Our experienced staff have taken over 8000 people from around the world to safely explore the people, culture, wildlife and wilderness of East Africa. We take the welfare of our clients as the highest priority and will do anything to ensure their safety. Our client s well-being and safety are our paramount concern. We have an outstanding safety record that speaks for itself. All RiA Valley Adventure Leaders & Guides hold interna1onal qualifica1ons in Abseiling and Rockclimbing, Canoeing and RaAing, Mountain Biking, Caving, Wilderness Trekking, Group and Risk Management and Wilderness First Aid. Guides and leaders carry a GPS, Thuraya Satellite phone, Wilderness First Aid Kits with supplementary oxygen and Diamox, Mobile Phone and VHF radios linked into the local security network. All of RVA s safety equipment is of the highest quality at interna1onal approved standards and regularly serviced and checked. Staff Our mountain leaders have interna1onal qualifica1ons from North America and Australia in Wilderness Trekking and Wilderness First Aid. North American qualifica1ons are through the Na1onal Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and on average the mountain leaders have each led over 140 High Al1tude trips. Equipment Apart from normal personal items, essen1al items you should bring on the trek are listed below. If you do not have any of the equipment RVA can provide the items at an extra charge. Sleeping A decent sleeping bag rated at least minus 10 celcius Sleeping bag inner sheet made of silk or co?on. Thermal underwear for sleeping. Sleeping mat. Rift Valley Adventures Clothing To give you more flexibility it is be?er to take several lighter layers than a couple of thick, heavy ones. Good quality rain jacket and pants. Make sure it is breathable. Fleece or down jacket. Comfortable trekking pants and shorts preferably made from a modern fabric that wicks away the moisture and is breathable. Warm head wear. Gloves. Good quality shock absorbing socks. Sun hat. Footwear Good walking shoes or boots mountaineering boots are not required, cross hiking shoes and boots are perfectly adequate. If purchasing new footwear for the trip please break in your new purchase by wearing them in for a month before semng. Badly fimng or unused boots can ruin your trip. Spare pair of light shoes/trainers for night 1me. Personal Equipment Water bo?le at least 1.5 litre capacity. 15+ sunscreen, Lip salve 15+. Torch with spare ba?eries and spare bulb. Good quality sun glasses to deal with snow/glacier reflec1on. Towel. Camera (with spare ba?eries) and binoculars. Rucksack litres in size. Daypack litres in size. Physical Preparation There is no specific fitness prepara1on regime you need to follow to be successful on a Mt. Kilimanjaro or Mt. Meru trek. We will be walking purposely slow to acclima1se to the al1tude. Mt. Kilimanjaro is quite a unique mountain, known for its steep faces and rapidly rising al1tude, so it pays to go slow. If you are a regular walker and are moderately fit I foresee no problems in the ascent and a regular rou1ne of jogging, cycling or walking three 1mes a week will help with your fitness.

4 SERVICE LEARNING Community Projects (Day 8-9) RiA Valley Adventures is not especially interested in suppor1ng a stand-alone community service ac1vity, such as pain1ng classrooms. While such an enterprise may have some value to the par1cipants community, by itself it rarely meets our expecta1ons for our clients. However, there are some projects that would not be accomplished without the manual labour, exper1se or funding of the visi1ng group of students and teachers. However, it is important to note that we only undertake these projects if several key condi1ons are met: 1. The project accomplishes a goal that comes from the local community. 2. The project adds to the quality of life for a broad spectrum of the local residents. 3. The project has some sustainable, long term impact. 4. It is very likely that the project would never likely be accomplished without the assistance of the visi1ng par1cipants. 5. The par1cipants have a clear understanding of the nature of the project and agree, in so far as possible, to work to complete it while in the country. Case Study: Irura School ICT Development Program RiA Valley Adventures has been working in collabora1on with various interna1onal schools to improve school infrastructure and the overall level of educa1on over the past 3 years. Recently, RVA commi?ed to assis1ng the school to ini1ate ICT educa1on through the construc1on of an ICT lab, which has been completed. In partnership with e-limu.org, a local company that has developed learning revision content of all 8 Kenyan Cer1ficate of Primary Educa1on (KCPE) subject areas, we have supported ICT learning across all taught subjects through 40 tablets and solar powered electricity. This is the first school within the loca1on to have ICT as part of their school educa1onal system and our aim is to con1nue suppor1ng digital educa1on in other similar schools.

5 Multi-Activity Adventure Day 10: MTB Exped Ol Pejeta to Il Polei Camp Up early and game drive through Ol Pejeta Conservancy to the back gate where we start our life changing cycling challenge at With easy hard pack dirt roads, and a small sec1on of dilapidated tarmac todays cycle passes through tradi1onal ranchland and small villages giving an insight into everyday life in Kenya. Stop at the local village and buy a soda before turning north into the hills and Laikipia Masailand. Day 11: Camel Safari An early rise, as we ll do the bulk of the daily travel in the cool of the morning when we re most likely to see the thriving wildlife including buffalo, giraffe, elephant, warthog and kudu. If we don t actually spot lion or hyena, we re almost certain to hear them the eerie howl or reverbera1ng roars will become one of your abiding memories of the wilderness. The camels carry the camping gear, personal items, food and refreshments. If we haven t eaten beforehand we ll usually stop for breakfast around mid-morning a sight that amazes the Masai warriors out herding their ca?le. Around mid-day the camels are relieved of their burdens and set free as we reach the twin granite domes of Camel Hump. On route you can learn bush survival from our Masai guide it s more fun to prac1ce star1ng a fire with s1cks in the sun-baked African wilderness than in rainy western countries, the usual site for leadership training. Trust us! Day 12: Depart The 1me to depart back home is upon us and our vehicles transfer you back to the airport and your flight home.

6 Wildlife Camp Situated within the 110,000 acres of Ol Pejeta Conservancy our new camp is perfect for large groups! 14km from Nanyuki town, in the shadow of Mt Kenya lies our gem in a securely fenced in area with its own access gate. The wildlife is spectacular and on a good day we can view black rhino, elephant, lion, impala, warthog, bushbuck, giraffe and other game from the comfort of our lounge tent. 10 large, secure bedroom tents are sca?ered around the site. Each tent can house 2 to 12 people depending on group circumstances. Within the camp grounds are a large lounge area with flat screen TV for educa1onal videos/presenta1ons, a large dining area as well as outside dining area, large fireplace and bar. Ac1vi1es within the camp include rock climbing and abseiling on our tower, a high and low ropes course and mountain biking skills course. You will also find a volleyball court, football goals and if that s not enough just 600m from camp is the Ewaso Nyiro River where we go kayaking and canoeing.