On Saturday, January 18, 2025, I took a bold leap of faith to join a group of hikers and long walkers for a 38km walk from Allsops to Thika town.
Having grown up in the village, we could walk for long distances without knowing. However, a structured 38 kilometers walk was a different ball game altogether. I was not fearful, but honestly I had no idea of how this would go.
As fate would have it, my only mutual contact in this group did not show-up for this walk due to unavoidable reasons. But he directed me to the meeting at 6:15am.
Being in January, it attracted almost 200 walkers. Obviously, this was a clear indicator for New Year Resolution targets for the majority of the people.
Knowing no one in the group and without the right sporting gear, I crafted a plan to find a comfortable walking speed for myself and stick to it. Wearing a new shoe for the event was another great mistake I made.
To cut the long story short, I survived the distance in 8 hours. My mistakes cost me 2 toenails and painful blisters as large as Lake Victoria.
At the 20 kilometer mark , I could feel the damage on my legs. A seasoned hiker advised not to dare remove the shoes, because I won’t be able to put them on back to continue with the journey. He offered to walk by my side till Thika.
True to his word, the final 10 kilometers felt like hell on earth. Despite my limitations, I achieved my target for the day.
When I eventually removed my shoes, they could not go back to those legs again. I had to mobilize a rescue team to bring slippers & pick me up from Thika.
There, I also made another cardinal mistake of skipping the after hike warm down exercises to ease muscle pains & allow quick recovery. It took me almost a week to regain my legs back to normalcy.
First forward November 30th, 2025, at around 6:30am. I took this photo at the 3rd highest peak in the territory of Kenya, point Lenana. Beyond this peak, it is for technical / professional hikers.
Each month for most weekends in 2025, I simply showed up for the next hike or long walk planned. I must say, Mt. Kenya was among the easiest & most relaxed for me, despite the terrain being among the toughest for the following reasons:
1. Because of showing up & braving myself over challenges, obstacles and naysayers, I had evolved from a novice/amateur to join the league of Subarus. For Subarus, the more the peaks & crazy the terrain is, the more the thrill is the hike;
2. Engaging in several hikes and walking challenges not only build a physical resilience for the body, but also rewired my attitude and mindset. On attaining this two outcomes, success becomes unstoppable, except by only factors beyond your control;
3. Consistency and persistence builds momentum. Once sufficient momentum is attained, even the most challenging and adventurous pursuits become a walk in the park. This was the state I was in when I went for my 2025 golden crown, Mt. Kenya.
As we race through 2026, what battles, targets, goals have you set for yourself? What is your game plan?