OLDONYO SABUK - A get together of COGS

 

 

IN UNITY IS STRENGTH

The High School I went to was called Nairobi Technical High School - located in the Park Road area of the Northern suburbs of Nairobi. I studied there from Form 1 to Form 6 after which I went ahead to pursue studies in Architecture.

Over the years we lost touch with classmates and school mates. At high school we had very special bonds amongst the students. There was a good mix of African and Asian students and an even better mix of those who were well off and a larger proportion of those who were leaning more towards being poor.

Yet the human bonds were not affected by these divides. We lived, played, studied, suffered and enjoyed together.

But the sickle of time mowed down our contacts and by the time I was at Uni; I had lost most of my connections from High School - apart from Kigondu - with whom we have been in touch and together ever since - thanks to God for this.

So in the year 2018 or 2019 (I don't recall too well exactly when) - a number of former classmates formed a Whatsapp group of those whom they were in touch with and these few members roped in all those whom they knew - and within a couple of months the group had roped in as many alive members as there are ..... what started as a single class group now became a larger group with members from different years as well.

Our school has always had a strong alumni association namely THE COGS. So now we had a COGS whatsapp group. And a very active and robust one!

At Technical High School we had somewhat wholesome education. The school in itself was not a high cost school such as Lenana School or Nairobi School and so it was more accessible to the less fortunate members of the society from poorer sections of Nairobi such as Mathare, Pumwani, to a certain extent Eastlands and also middle income areas such as Juja Rd, Pangani and Eastleigh. And this explains the unique cauldron of society mixture. This in itself was the unique character which formed us during our formative years.

With time and several months of back and forth and indeed thanks to brothers like Lt Col Chacha, Heho, Wachira, Omumia and others - they muted an idea to do a get-together. A hike combined with a sleep-over.

And this is where Oldonyo Sabuk came up as an ideal venue (and surely it ended up being so) ....

Now when we joined Technical High School we were all pleasantly surprised with what was on offer - technical subjects! Metalwork, woodwork, building construction, geometric drawing and building drawing. And these subjects formed us in a very deep way. Most of the COGS we have been in contact with are categorical that THS played a major role in what they are today -- not so much tertiary or University education but secondary school!

Oldonyo Sabuk it was. Dates were set. Several recces were carried out by those named and others. Costs were worked out. Schedules were planned. I must say that COGS do have a finesse for organisation and planning - all of them. So even though we did have named leaders and organisers; the team is well endowed and each and every COG is indeed a leader and planner and organiser in his own right. 

Finally, the day arrived.

Most of the group that joined up for the hike stayed overnight at local hotels whilst I arrived in the morning the following day. 

By 830am we had all gathered at the main gate of Oldonyo Sabuk National Park (run by KWS).

After a rather brief but really happy reunion and re-introductions; Kioko the guide in charge of the hike rounded us up into a large circle to warm-up and stretch long unused muscles.

This lasted a brief 5 minutes and we were all ready to take on the Hill (more like a small mountain actually!).

The sickle of time has no mercy upon mankind or flora or fauna or even the earth itself - this sickle will slowly but surely mow down every element on earth until the Day of Judgement. It is the sacred duty of every human being to take care of his/her body which has been granted upon him to cherish, and guard and feed and nourish and take care of until God recalls that person - the angel of death has to do his duty! So luckily for us - and in spite of our advanced years - many of the COGS have relatively well kept and healthy bodies and minds - and for this we are all eternally grateful to the Almighty God, and we thank Him and Glorify His great name.

 

The heat and dust were already bearing down upon us from the start. This year is an unusually hot and dry season. Many parts of the country are in the throes of a terrible drought - so the current weather is no surprise to us.

We walk through the office complex of the Park and onto the murram road - which is rather well maintained by Kenyan standards.

 

About 100m later we branch off from the main murram road to the right onto the clearly well labelled footpath. 

Its upwards from here onwards. The path is winding, narrow and stepped in several locations - but it is generally uphill.

We have to walk in a single file at the pace of the slowest member of the group.

The climb is gentle so far and we chat loudly as we trek up.

At THS we had extracurricular activities such as cricket, hockey, volleyball, soccer, swimming, karate, sports of all other kinds, science club, chess club, mountaineering etc. These activities played a very important role in our lives. I was in the mountaineering club and this planted the bug of hiking into me. And in the case of my COGS brothers it actually helped them set their careers .... and become what they are today - all of them successful in their own right and to their own degrees and generally happy. And this is the true meaning of life ..... set your path, live it, Mungu mbele and when your time comes - go home!

In about 15 minutes we reach murram road again which has been meandering along a gentler gradient to reach us. We take a short uphill walk and reach a left turn to Hyrax Hill. Kioko the KWS guide tells us this is the more difficult climb and advises that we take a gentler route which is another 100m ahead. Most of us comply with his advice. 

Not so Ben - he takes up Kioko's challenge and goes up the difficult route. We part ways.

I head onto the less difficult path and start a now more tiring climb. The loud chatty conversation is now long stopped. The not-so-fit ones are huffing and puffing away. Then someone jests at me - ''Khan - are you OK. Why are you so quiet?' I don't have much energy to reply but still manage to say "Niko tu"

This more difficult climb lasts another half hour and we reach the meandering murram track again. Those who have been here before announce proudly 'From here ni barabara tu'

I sigh  ---- phew! 

Little do I know that we are now going onto the longest stretch of uphill - no less than 6km - but I don't know this until we reach a signboard that proudly-but-brutally announces 5.6km to summit.

All my elation disappears as quickly as it had arrived. I become melancholic. Muchiri and Wachira both try to chat me up but my replies are single syllable yeses and nos. 

Up ahead a slim lady is walking alone at a steady pace up the climb. She has only her water bottle in hand. No rucksack like I have and more incredibly she does not seem to struggle. We reach her shortly and after exchanging greetings Muchiri chats her up.

We keep a steady pace uphill. Muchiri and Wachira have somehow discovered a favorite topic - and now start excitedly talking about plots and land and business. 

Somehow they have forgotten that Rosemary (thats her name) and I are with them - and they slow down abit.

Rosemary and I now move up ahead and chat as we climb. The chat helps because it makes one forget the torturous hill up ahead.

It will be another hour and half before we reach the summit after going through a variety of views, forest and dusty sections.

Rosemary reminds me to hydrate. My water bottles are in my rucksack and to drink water will mean to stop. I reluctantly agree - but it is a wise move.

After a few more not-welcome corners we reach a large flattish ,meadow which is surrounded by telcom pylons. This is the summit announces Rosemary. I am thoroughly wet due to sweat. But I am happy we have reached.

In my mind I shout a muffled 'hurray!'

THS has actually produced national heroes in many fields; the Panesars of Hockey, the Tikolos of Cricket, Mwangi, Gichomo and Khan of Table Tennis and Abiud of sprinting and Langat of Cross Country etc. So in spite of the humble nature of the school - to this day it has a glorious history of performers. I am informed that there is even a Facebook page for COGS. I am not on Facebook so I wouldn’t know. The far older members of COGS are very diligent and nostalgic about them days – but our generation are equally proud about our history and fraternity that was built and thrives to this day ….. thank you Brothers- Keep it Up!

The summit of Oldonyo Sabuk is not like the typical summits of mountains - which stand out high above all the rest of the surroundings - its a rather flat meadow surrounded by thick growth of trees and shrubs. The effect of this is that there are no stunning views from here per se.. Worse still we are surrounded by tall steel pylons for various telco companies - abit of an anti-climax actually.

 

But the exhaustion quickly waters down the anti-climax. There is a metal-roofed banda with concrete terrazzo seats and table. We hobble there and take a seat - a long welcome sit. Its shaded - so we are protected from the searing heat.

I remove my now totally wet polo neck and remain with the white inner T shirt - which is also totally wet. The polo neck will dry in minutes where I lay it to dry.

 

We rehydrate and the loud chats and jokes are back. We thought the group that took the harder and shorter route were ahead of us - not the case as we notice Ben hobbling some 10 minutes after us. He confirms what Kioko had advised earlier - the route is indeed harder but hey hey he is fit so no worries!

The remaining group comes up in a trickle as we take a rest, rehydrate and take snaps and chat away. We ask the last person to arrive whether there are any others remaining behind - indeed there are but since time is not on our side, we decide to descend the small Mountain in a whole group.

Its a 9km trek down along the murram road - the only positive thing at this juncture is the fact that it is downhill. 

But 9km !!!! Waaaah!! 

If I continue thinking like this I might as well wait to be airlifted down and there isn't the remotest possibility for this to happen --- so I quickly cancel the thought and we begin the trek down with Henry and Wambui.

We chat and trudge downhill - a few steps at a time. Its a long arduous trek. My knees are complaining but they still carry me on. 

 

I try to lift my spirit by catching the breathtaking views .... which are indeed breathtaking; but here is lesson no. 259 - however beautiful the view you will not appreciate it if you are tired and your knees and feet are aching...! 

This is a fact of life even the mountaineers of the Himalayas will tell you - beautiful views or not - if you are tired you are tired - - - period!

At every corner; my mind prays and hopes that this shall be the last one which will announce our arrival at the KWS station where we started off our hike from. But these hopes and prayers are in vain ...... because even after the umpteenth corner we still are fairly high up above the surrounding countryside.

So again I cancel these thoughts from my mind and now resort to a long tested trick of my mind. Take one step at a time, don't look at how far is left, just close your mind to distractions and take a step at a time. Wambui and Henry keep chatting and I listen dutifully - with an occasional laugh or rejoinder - but I largely keep silence and concentrate on my one-step-at-a-time regime.

Finally after a trek of almost 2 and half hours we reach our destination. The soles of my feet are sore. I am full of sweat and tired and thirsty but happy all the same.

So the campsite where we have parked our cars is a welcome sight. I take a well deserved swig from my water canteen. And Nashon offers a most welcome sip of juice ......

I announce to Henry that I cannot stay the night since I have a social function to attend to later this evening. My dear brothers agree rather reluctantly - but insist that I should take lunch before I drive back to Nairobi.

The lunch is a tasty combination of ugali made from wholemeal maize, roast goat meat, roast liver and wet fried mutton. I must say the Colonel, Heho, Henry and entire team have done a sterling job of the entire hike. Lunch is brief affair - I am too tired to think of hunger; the hike has taken care of the hunger -- actually I am more thirsty than hungry. I head to my car .... no more thoughts just head home!

I hit the road at 430pm and am home by 6pm ..... Be blessed my brothers & sisters!

Postscript: Over a period of several days after the hike; photos and stories kept on being exchanged and shared amongst the whole COGS fraternity - and I must say that I did miss a large portion of the fun --- no worries: there shall be another hike in the near future - Insha ALLAH. And I intend to be fully part of it this time.