Jeremy Wyatt shares his experience of walking 120 kilometres with Grevy’s Zebra Warriors Harugurah and Petro and their new camels.
Day One
After spending the evening making final preparations for the route and having a fitful sleep in Grevy’s Zebra Trust’s new camp situated in the heart of West Gate Conservancy, we rose just before dawn and started to prepare the camels for the walk. It took an hour on this first occasion. A task that would take a little more than 10 minutes a couple of days later!
We started walking just after 7 am and it was already getting quite hot. The day’s walk was directly towards the Matthews Range about 35 kilometres north of the GZT base. We encountered warthog, gerenuk and ostrich with evidence of Grevy’s zebra tracks along the way. We also crossed the ‘great elephant corridor’ that runs from Laikipia through to Somalia.
Our lunch stop was under a big rock that had obviously been used by Samburu for generations. In no time Petro had made some hot, sweet tea which replenished us after the morning’s first 17 kilometres. Later that afternoon we reached a village and joined the women and children at their well to top up our own supplies and let the camels drink as we knew we would not find another source of water for at least 50 kilometres.
That night we made camp under a beautiful acacia tree at the foot of the Matthews range, sleeping in the open under the African night sky. As there was no moon, the stars were sublime.
Day Two
We rose at 5 am just as the slight crescent moon was rising with shooting stars seeming to come from all directions and started walking just before the light began to show itself across the horizon. It was getting hotter and the bush was changing dramatically by the hour. We saw gerenuk, warthog, silver backed jackals, ostrich and plenty of elephant spoor. As the heat increased, evidence of animal life reduced, although around lunchtime we did see a woodpecker frantically beating its beak against an unsuspecting tree and an eagle and its kill in an acacia tree.
As we continued into the desert environment, we followed both lion and leopard spoor for a while before eventually changing tack and heading north with the ever present Matthews Range now fading away and merging with the Ndoto hills in the far distance.
We were aiming to get close to Soit Eltinga, but as the sun was just about to set, we made camp among the acacia scrub and released the camels to graze on what they could find and filled our stomachs again before collapsing by the camp fire. This was to be our longest day, covering 37 kilometres in just over 10 hours.
Day Three
Turned out to be another epic day! By 7 am it was hot. Hotter than yesterday. Initially following the A2, we eventually reached Soit Eltinga. Here we found water and filled our supplies and took a refreshing wash.
As we entered the village I met an intrigued looking Samburu woman. After the usual greetings of ‘sopa oleng’, she figured out we were going from Laikipia to Laisamis by foot and found it most amusing. Leaving Soit Eltinga, we cut into the desert scrub at around 10.30 heading ‘as the crow flies’ towards our eventual destination. The heat was intense as we spent the rest of the day pushing through the semi desert shrubland thick with Acacia-Commiphora. The commiphora tree trunks were spattered with spikes all the way up and the thorns are between 6 to 12 inches in length. I have never seen bush quite like it.
Grevy’s zebra in the lava plateaus. (c) Grevy’s Zebra Trust
On the way we saw a few gerenuk, yellow-necked spur fowl, helmeted guinea fowl and hares. At times the scrub became thicker and the camels would get their loads attached to thick ‘wait a bit’ acacia bush and the continuously unforgiving Commiphora.
As the sun set there was an amazing pink hue that bleached the western sky. These skies seen through the thick dark thorn trees and with total silence all around you were an incredible sight to behold. More hyena again throughout the night, but also a faint call of a lion somewhere in the far distance, which somehow brings your dreams back to reality.
Day Four
Another early start and, wondering how far until we get to the next village and source of water, we set off. Eventually we came across the A2 again. It appeared I was a strange sight for the drivers and passengers of the occasional vehicle as they craned their necks to catch a gli
Harugurah points in the direction the Warriors should go to find Grevy’s zebra
Within 25 kilometres we reached a bridge that straddled an enormous lugga. It was here, while crossing this beautiful lugga, that I learnt the journey was to end. The camels needed to rest and here the bushes and trees were perfect for them to refuel on before they continued to Laisamis. To celebrate, we invested in some fresh goat meat, rice and 2 Tuskers each. Once in hand, we found a great camp site where we set a camp fire and relaxed. As my Kiswahili is poor and their English non-existent, we managed to get by communicating about the necessary along the way, but this evening, maybe loosened by the beers, we managed almost continuous conversation and joking around for the rest of the evening.
I have great respect for Petro and Harugurah and it appeared the feeling was mutual. We worked well together as a team and covered over 120 kilometres in 4 days. Taking into account the extreme heat and the thick bush that we covered, we felt we had done well.
Last, but not least, are the camels – Deki and Gabrei. I didn’t mention them much, but they made an incredible impression on me. They are very kind creatures and show great intelligence, enormous resilience and were patient and tolerant to our demands. I will never forget lying in the middle of nowhere, under the stars and falling asleep with two camels a few feet away contently chewing the cud. In fact, I will never forget the entire adventure.
