The countdown is on. In 8 hours from the time I write this, I will be boarding a plane from Nairobi to Doha, Qatar, and then from Doha to Boston. I still feel a state of shock as I write these words. I am actually sitting currently at a Java House (Kenyan Starbucks but better) that I was just at 8 days ago with some friends who came and visited me here in Kenya. And how the world has been turned upside down since then. Last Tuesday, I boarded a matatu from Nairobi to head to Mt Kenya to climb the tallest mountain in Kenya (and second in Africa) for both personal pleasure and as well to raise money for The Samburu Project.

A little about this. Mt Kenya has three summits, Batian (17,060 feet), Nelion (17,020 feet) and Point Lenana (16,355 feet). Both Batian and Nelion require technical climbing (aka you’re roped in because it’s as close to rock climbing as you can without it being “climbing”), and well I do have a little experience with this kind of climbing, considering that I had never been above 10,000 feet in any hike before, I decided that I did not want to have my first experience with high altitude hiking be a techincal one. So Batian, I will be back to conquer you!

Thus, I decided to tackle Point Lenana, a solid 6,350 feet higher than anything I have ever done. (For reference, Mount Washington is 6,288 feet. Total.) Was I nervous? I would not say so, but I was definitely curious to see how my body would react to being at that high an altitude for the first time.

Thankfully, Wamba is at an elevation of nearly 4000 feet and Nairobi is even higher. Thus, I felt that I was prepared for the altitude, and except for unavoidable tiredness that comes with being that high as your body has to work harder with less oxygen, I had no other symptoms. So on my fourth day, at approximately 6:30 am, I watched the sunrise from 16,355 feet. That very same day, we descended down to the gate where we met a group starting their hike, and learned the news that would start to throw my world for a loop; the first case of COVID-19 had been found in Nairobi.

The rest of the day I was anxiously trying to see if I could get cell reception so I could learn more and see how this impacted me, but to now avail. Finally, on Saturday morning we emerged out of the woods and I turned my phone on and the deluge began.

I learned of the explosion of cases in the US and in Europe, of the ban of flights from Europe into America (which was an issue as I was scheduled to fly through Germany), of the suspension of the sports world (which hit home hard for me as a die hard Celtics fan). Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t coming home in two weeks like I had planned, I was coming home in a matter of hours.

I called my bosses and arranged a flight home in two days time. Tears, lots of them ensued. I arrived back in Wamba on Saturday evening and commenced the goodbyes. Which as I sit here right now, still don’t feel real. I still feel as if I am in just in Nairobi on another quick business trip, ready to go back to Wamba on a moments notice. But, no. This is goodbye for real.

I, like every other human on the planet, have been feeling a litany of negative emotions the last few days, but one sticks out more than other: vulnerability. As a hard headed, 23 year old male, vulnerability is not something I generally feel. But as this disease has taken control of our lives, one cannot help to feel vulnerable and helpless. But this too will pass.

This pandemic will end. We will defeat it. At what cost? That is up to us.

Just a word of note, while this does have the feels of a “goodbye” post, this will not be my last. After I get home and get settled in my 14 days of isolation, I will have some final thoughts on my time here in Kenya.

Until then

1 …. 2… 3….

Social Distancing!

Also if you’re still interested in supporting my climb after the fact to help get water to the people of Samburu, you can donate here:https://donate.thesamburuproject.org/fundraiser/2678552

A Blog Post by Matthew Cole: This Crazy World

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