Wednesday, April 2, 2014

More training courses

No rain on the horizon which I think is Borana and the Intrepid's 
Another busy few days of adventure training in Laikipia county. I have been based away from the main Ol Pejeta camp up at Timau River Lodge which we use as a second base through the busy periods. I have been jumping between the Canyon and Rock site managing groups with varying abilities but on the whole strong groups with the occasional climber and SPA who we have been able to help their coaching by making them deliver training to their party members and I can help with improving that. 
We have been lucky with the weather as the rains have held of which has made things much easier in terms of getting to and from the sites. I have though looked out from the crag across the plains to Leywa downs and seen torrential downpours coming down and what looks like coming in a line straight for us. But its always worth seeking local knowledge and the various Masai herdsman who come past often looking perplexed at what we are doing seem to have a good handle and just suck their teeth and say ‘no no sir not rains here’ and they are generally right. One amusing thing did occur on the day that our clocks go back I asked the local staff in the morning ‘do the clocks go back tonight?’ A few confused looks and things went back and forth before someone came back to me with a fairly confused and stressed tone ‘Mr Dan you want to change time’ ‘no no not time itself’ Although as it happens I asked a day late so as usual in the UK I would have ballsed it up again. I remember one year working for Alan Kimber and got a phone call asking where I was but I had made the error of not changing the clock on the phone for the alarm. Then the following year working for Alan on the same day did adjust my phone but by then we had smart phones which knew to do it but having adjusted it the smart phone also adjusted it leaving me with the same phone call from Alan in the morning!!! 

So we have a quiet period heading our way so we can re-charge and get the place all sorted for the next phase. Perhaps a little trip to the coast and maybe some time to try surfing again. 
Brew time in the forest camp which we put up and take down as we use it, cook Paul on the left and Ndorito on the right 

Belaying going well, no guessing the nationality with a Helly Hanson thermal !