Mount Satima's striking lesson: How's your attitude?

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Which is the third highest mountain in Kenya? Until late last year, I didn’t know this is Mount Satima😅, when I finally got to spend time there. Mount Satima is officially referred to as Ol Donyo Lesatima, though more commonly as the dragon’s teeth mountain, due to the unique rocks on this trail....I hear there are other closely similar dragon teeth mountains across the globe - if you may know more about these, do let us know. 

The trail is spotted with these rocks

and some more can be seen from a distance

Mount Satima is still my favourite of the Aberdares trails due to these unique rocks - and most adventurer seekers share this love for the mountain. Most would also describe it as a gentle hike. For Kenyans, this would be your Karura forest version of the Aberdares ranges. The caveat is the altitude management angle, which is why it is recommended if there's one preparation hike that will be of great value to add to your Mount Kenya pre-plan, it is Satima. I found this to be true, where Mt. Satima was less of a physical challenge (at about 16km) but more of altitude management test for the body with the thinning air (at 4001 metres above sea level). This was my first experience with altitude sickness, which came in form of a throbbing headache, and I learnt, albeit belatedly, the value of sipping water regularly (not gulping - this was a lesson a different hike taught me) and walking slowly so that your body acclimatizes steadily. Besides these personal learnings, my googling led me to this one nicely detailed review of this highest of the Aberdares trails. What stood out for me, being my second highest altitude hike so far (after the Mount Kenya adventure), is the unique flora (that nicely introduces you to the kind of plants to find in Mount Kenya).

On a perspective level, it drove home two phrases used in everyday speech:

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude” 

“The difference between an ordeal and an adventure is attitude” 

I came to see these two come alive at Mt. Satima. While a gentle trail, the bogs and high grass made the climb a drag, especially as it had rained a couple of days prior to our hike…and the last one or so kilometres to the peak was literally one foot in front of the other…the adventure came with the descent on the same route – it was much more pleasant (maybe as I’d seen it all already and knew what to expect!) and viewing the dragon teeth and other rocks with a different set of eyes – it was such a treat and we laughed when we were wondering why we didn’t get to see them on our way up... yet the views were there all along 😇 - isn't life a bit like that? Your attitude determines a lot, depending on whether you view the altitude stretching situations as an ordeal or as an adventure - Mount Satima does a good job to remind you at the summit that this has been an ultimate adventure.

There's this phrase I recently heard of and I'm aiming to apply it more in my daily life, and hopefully it may be of help to you too:

"When life is smooth, say thank you and celebrate. When life is tough, say thank you and grow"

To the unique afro- alpine flora – the Lobelias and Groundsels were a bizzare yet beautiful feature, sometimes in the middle of the bogs, and I learnt lots on the unique flora Kenya is blessed to have, which you can enjoy in abundance in Mount Kenya and other high mountains – see this post for more insights. 

Lobelia in the middle of a bog

Groundsels meandering on the trail

If you have been to Mount Satima, did anything else stand out for you, either from the landscape and/or lesson(s) you may have picked from the experience?