A RARE SITE OF ADVENTURE.

A team of random participants during the rope challenge.

The atmosphere is frosty, muddy, slippery yet ironically bright and sunny for a camp slightly 

below the slopes of Mt. Kenya.

Right at the Northern slopes of Mt.Kenya, lays KESAL Camp. It is estimated at 10,000 feet above sea level. The camp is filled with various kinds of indigenous trees, a breed of wild cats and grazing animals. This is as observed through a lengthy drive into KESAL Camp.

 

If one is late to arrive at the camp on foot past 6 pm, they may not be lucky to see the next day alive. “The place has wild animals camouflaged in the savannah grass and rough terrain. The serene is beautiful especially at sunset but one has to be careful with the animals,” says Ken Kaloki , Security Patrol. 

Contestants during the Mt. Kenya extreme sports at KESAL camp.

KESAL Camp is located towards Meru County  in the hilly slopes of Timau and a -6 degrees Celsius temperature .The camp  offers the thrill of a real life experience and challenge of surviving through the wild.

The camp portrays one with a relevant purpose and different from many camps in the country. It is a recreational site with a mix of environmental conservation, mountain tourism, sports and corporate team building facility.

My Kenyan Eye had the privilege to ride from KESAL Camp to Solo Camp.  It is another camp where more sporty activities take place. The distance between the two camps exposes another advantage for a Film Producer to use the serene for a beautiful movie production.

KWS team members during the rope challenge.

Kaloki ,has been in the job for  18 years long, “One must walk with a tent, water and lighter in case one is stranded because the forest can be dark and hard to see through during the day.” He instructs as he drives My Kenyan Eye from KESAL camp to Solo camp, which is another 40 minute stretch through slippery mud and wild cats.

Last year the camp organized its second annual event, Mt. Kenya Extreme Sports challenge with over 400 people in attendance.   About two hundred participants were to either win or lose in competitions of Extreme adventure, Sky marathon and Jungle race.

More than ever imagined, it is at KESAL camp where most of the awards winning athletes train. This is due to the high altitude above 9,200 feet.  Trainers, coaches and progressing athletes use the sloppy hills for their breathing exercise and marathons for practice in major competitions.

No one could have imagined but KESAL trains personnel’s drawn from Security Agencies, Parastatals, Ministries and the Private Sector. 

Those who have been advantaged of the environment include, Administrative Police (AP), Institutions of National secret intelligence service (NSIS), Kenyan Army, National youth service (NYS) and Kenya Wildlife service (KWS). These bodies have a mandatory standard to train in such challenging environments.

KWS Deputy director during a tree plant ceremony.

According to the Director of KESAL (Kenya school of Adventure and leadership) James Mwangi ,  the event is an opportunity for citizens to excel in local adventure and teamwork. “Kenyans can think of it as a recreational sport. The event is aimed for raising money for environmental conservation with the Mount Kenya Forest.” He said.

The school has a strong collaboration with Kenyatta University, The University of Nairobi and international professional bodies like Outdoor Learning Institute in the United Kingdom (UK).  Supported by various stakeholders aim to rekindle the event annually at the camp.  A target turn out of between 400 to 700 people would get Kenyans active in eventful recreation.

A hilly view from KESAL camp during Mt.Kenya Extreme Challenge.

Speaking to My Kenyan Eye in an interview, Mwangi added “Changes in the environment worldwide have greatly destroyed natural resources which need to be conserved at the moment.”

During a speech at the camp, Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia  further rendered the annual event as a Tourism pillar  through the creativity and innovation of conserving the environment.

Before he engaged in a tree planting ceremony, The P.S Said “This will promote Experiential Education, Mountain Sports Tourism and the Conservation Agenda. It is also a loud call to all of us to be on the forefront of environmental conservation in Kenya.”

A KWS team in the rope challenge at Mt. Kenya extrme sports.

However, some of the participants went through the adventure before it was to begin. Many were stuck in mud and had to push vehicles in the middle of the night, inside the wild forest.  By the time they made it to the camp a few who got lost, were traced to by security on patrol.

Nevertheless, KESAL Director admits that the rough roads and terrain may be a challenge for interested participants. “We need to work on the access roads, as others arrived at the venue as late as 4.00am in the morning due to unpredictable weather. This can earn a lot of revenue in the country for both local and international tourism.” He said.

Similar to a public private partnership the event is sponsored by Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Brand Kenya Board, Kenya Tourist Board (KTB), Mt. Kenya Tourism Circuit Association (MKTCA), and Athletics Kenya (AK) for the Mount Kenya Extreme Sports Challenge.