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No Picnic on Mount Kenya

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Let me begin by stating that I am a climber and have a desire for adventure; sure, those might seem to go hand in hand, but how many climbers are willing to suffer in their thirst for adventure? My suffering has been hardly that, but the limited hardship I've endured has brought an appreciation for those who have set their sets higher, further afield or took on a challenge thought foolhardy by many. Which brings us to this book, this author, this audacious undertaking. In 1953 No Picnic on Mount Kenya was translated into German under the title Gefangen vom Mount Kenia: gefährliche Flucht in ein Bergsteigerabenteuer, [11] and in 2002 a new German edition was released with the new title Flucht ins Abenteuer: 3 Kriegsgefangene besteigen den Mount Kenya. [11] The book has also been translated into Swedish. [6] Alas, the peak of Mt. Kenya proved unattainable, and years later Benuzzi found that he and his companion had, in fact, attempted an impossible route. However, despite near starvation and exhaustion, a successful climb up a secondary and less challenging peak was made. Despite his disappointment at not attaining his goal, he waxes lyrical over the spiritual benefits of the climb: Italian officer and mountaineer Felice Benuzzi was serving in the Italian Colonial Service, stationed in Abyssinia, when, in 1941, he was taken prisoner by the Allied forces. Benuzzi was sent to a PoW camp near the second highest mountain in Africa, the 17000 ft high Mt Kenya. It was only a matter of time before a tantalising glimpse of the glacier-clad slopes of Mt Kenya gave Benuzzi a yearning to escape the PoW camp—not to escape permanently to freedom, which would have been next to impossible—but only long enough and far enough to climb Mt Kenya. I loved this book. I am no mountaineer, but Benuzzi writes with so much feeling, and he brings the expedition alive so vividly, that I could imagine myself there, facing all those troubles, yet going on, all for the sake of that mountain gleaming ahead. Plus, the characters of the three men, the camaraderie that developed and the sense of humour that kept them going, comes through very well and helps make this book even more readable.

The history of mountaineering can hardly present a parallel to this mad but thrilling escapade”– Saturday Review a b WorldCat. "Flucht ins Abenteuer: 3 Kriegsgefangene besteigen den Mount Kenya" . Retrieved 3 March 2008.

Airport transfers and / or transfers to and from Embu and any accommodation needed in Nairobi or Embu Golden-green sunrays filtered through the foliage and were broken into a thousand reflections on the stream, foaming among smooth, multicoloured stones....There were countless birds, from graceful sunbirds with slender beaks and bright colours, to harshly croaking lories showing in flight their blood-red wing feathers. Troops of monkeys jumped from branch to branch ....Butterflies of every size and colour dallied gracefully along the banks. Sandler, Adam (November 4, 1993). "Feature fever hits vid's Cabin". Variety . Retrieved 18 June 2020.

In the shadow of Mount Kenya, surrounded by the forests and creatures of the savannah, life drags interminably for the inmates of POW Camp 354, captured in Africa during World War II. Confined to an endless cycle of boredom and frustration, one prisoner, Felice Benuzzi, realizes he can bear it no longer. When the clouds covering Mount Kenya part one morning to reveal its towering peaks for the first time, Benuzzi is transfixed. The tedium of camp life is broken by the beginnings of a sudden idea, an outrageous, dangerous, brilliant idea. Benuzzi who had some experience mountaineering in the Alps in Europe then started to plot an adventurous escape and climb to the summit of Mount Kenya. He persuades a couple of fellow prisoners, Dr Giovanni Balletto and Enzo Barsotti, to join him on this crazy mission, and over a period of several months, they start to collect the equipment and supplies needed. Obviously, the resources in a prisoner of war camp are limited and climbing equipment is not readily at hand, so they had to be inventive, including making their own crampons: Despite being on the equator Mount Kenya had glaciers that would need to be navigated!

Mexico

When the clouds covering Mount Kenya part one morning to reveal its towering peaks for the first time, prisoner of war Felice Benuzzi is transfixed. The tedium of camp life is broken by the beginnings of a sudden idea – an outrageous, dangerous, brilliant idea. Fuga sul Kenya” si apre con la descrizione della prigionia: immagini e brevi frammenti sparsi che danno la sensazione che il tempo si sia fermato o passi inutilmente; ma quando cominciano i preparativi per l’evasione, il racconto diventa più coinvolgente. La ricerca di compagni si rivela difficile, soprattutto perché è necessario mettere al corrente del progetto il minor numero possibile di detenuti; non meno impegnativa è la realizzazione clandestina e artigianale di giacche, zaini, tenda, corda, piccozze e ramponi (!) con materiali di recupero o prelevati dalla discarica. Past the planning stage, of course, begins the account of the expedition itself, and it's fascinating. There are scary near-encounters with wildlife, there are the forests they have to make their way through, the perils of the river, the beauty of the natural flora, the giant lobelias and giant groundsels and helichrysums—and then the mountain, which proves very difficult to conquer... In between, Benuzzi even puts in a brief interlude, a chapter on Mt Kenya itself, where he explains its place in local folklore, and provides a history of its discovery by the West, including its ascent over the years. Television log for the week". The San Francisco Examiner. November 22, 1953. p.63. Robert Montgomery Presents "No Picnic on Mount Kenya."

Water: We discourage the use of throwaway plastic bottles on all of our treks and climbs. We advocate boiling water and/or using Aquaprove. Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, is a bustling city of over 3.3 million people. As one of Africa’s largest cities, it is an economic powerhouse currently experiencing tremendous growth. The hustle and bustle of this growing city can often feel overwhelming at first. However, it is easy to settle into a rhythm and enjoy the pulse of this growing metropolis.We can also add on a safari to your trekking trip. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is very close to Naro Moru on the south east side of the mountain and is a great location for day trips and over-nights. You can also visit some of our Moving Mountains projects and perhaps even sponsor a former street child of beneficiary of Moving Mountains to join you on the climb!

All our staff in East Africa and the UK have been climbing Mt Kenya for more than 20 years so we know the mountain and its communities extremely well, we're happy to discuss options on the phone and offer honest advice on what to expect Benuzzi, Felice (1952). No Picnic on Mount Kenya: The Story of Three P.O.W.s' Escape to Adventure. London: William Kimber and CO., Limited. Benuzzi explains his story, detailing his life in the camp, the boredom and monotony, and the need for a goal - an achievement - something to plan and prepare for. As an amateur mountaineer he knew a little, but perhaps not enough to know all the difficulties in carryout the trip he planned. My favorite passage, however, displays his marvelous artistic insight into the relationship between men and nature, nature and words: I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of how they finagled materials to create their gear, amazing. And I enjoyed even more the view of life at the POW camp--really a microcosm of society itself, who would have guessed?Drive 15 kms to the Gathiuri Forest in one hour and start the trek to Giant Bamboo Camp at 2600m (10 kms, about 4 hours) through montane forest, hagenia and giant bamboo. Elephant and buffalo are prevalent here. Donald Shebib described The Ascent as being about Italian honor, "a person caught between personal good and the common good." We have our own license to operate tours in Kenya and are a fully bonded, insured and registered tour operator When the clouds covering Mount Kenya part one morning to reveal its towering peaks for the first time, prisoner of war Felice Benuzzi is transfixed. The tedium of camp life is broken by the beginnings of a sudden idea - an outrageous, dangerous, brilliant idea. a b c d e Weisberg, Sam (16 October 2013). "Sung Antiheroes: An Interview with "Goin' Down the Road" Director Donald Shebib". Hidden Films . Retrieved 13 June 2020.

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