Plan:
Day 0 (Tuesday, November 30th): Planning meeting at MCK club night: Numbers or participants, car pooling and shopping arrangements.
Day 1 (Friday, December 10th): Meet at 9am at the KY-TZ border in Namanga. After border procedures take off from Namanga-Arusha road at Longido. Expect from there another 7 hours of rather demanding rocky road. Strong and reliable 4WD vehicles with high clearance, two spares and extra fuel are required (Don’t forget tools and yellow insurance card for TZ)! Arrival at the camp site at the Engare Sero River in the late afternoon.
Day 2 (Saturday): Slow start to leave for the Engare Sero River Gorge at 9 am. With packed lunch a 5-6 hr walk up-river with some scrambling. Bring clothes that can get dirty! We reach at the end at the majestic amphitheater where the River originates from and return to the camp in the early afternoon. Guides, if necessary, will be hired at the campsite.
Day 3 (Sunday): Early start at 2am with a 30 min drive to the western slope of Lengai. The climb takes 4-5 hours and we intend to reach the top by sunrise. It is a strenuous and steep, yet not technical climb. Good knees and/or hiking poles are highly recommended for this climb (and especially the descent, 2-3 hours). Return to the camp for lunch and optional trip to Lake Natron.
Day 4 (Monday): Leave camp in the morning to return to Nairobi.
Costs:
TZ visa (not applicable to KY citizens, apparently also waived since recently for KY residents, to be confirmed) 50 USD; camping fee 3×10 USD; conservation fee 30 USD; guiding and tipping 5 USD; pocket money for fuel, repairs, etc.; non-members Ksh 400/= per person/day temporary membership.
To bring:
Camping gear (tent, mat, sleeping bag), kitchen ware (stove, pots, utensils, etc.), hiking boots and appropriate clothing for the night ascent, sun protection, camera, passport, yellow insurance card, money, food, snacks, water
Registration deadline: November 28th with Johannes (dietz.johannes@gmail.com)
Please note for all new club members that this is not a guided tour, but rather a group event which would require initiatives by all, which I am happy to coordinate.
The only man on the planet to have led successful expeditions to the north and south poles and to Everest, Satyabrata Dam has summited Everest three times, climbed the seven summits, and has logged over 350 major summits around the globe – many of them first ascents and new routes. A retired Indian Navy submarine commander, he is a former Indian national yachting champion, has sailed around the world and walked across the African continent.
Satya’s true passion lies in the sport of extreme mountaineering – charting new routes, undertaking highly technical climbs and exploring unknown valleys. Applying his experience in some of the deepest, most remote corners of the world, he now works as a motivational speaker and writer and continues to lead mountaineering and other outdoor adventure expeditions. He is a member of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation’s Scientific Exploration Committee and is currently working with TERI (The Energy Resources Institute) Glacier Project Team. Satya also collaborates with Icelandic Glacier Studies on climate change and effects of global warming. He does all his own photography and writing and has written two coffee table books, one on the Poles and one on Everest.
Satya is a two-time recipient of the Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) twice, the Chief of Naval Staff Commendation (twice), the Commander-in-Chief Commendation and the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award.