The Challenge:

Any Maasai (Masai) takers?

Mathayo will try almost anything!

Are you ready?

Mathayo showed us how to climb the Alpine Mountain at the YMCA Haynes Camp!

He went all the way to the top, and set the standard for the rest of the En-kata Choir!

“Show me your muscles, Mathayo!”

The trick to group dynamic among this group of Maasai (Masai), is that if Mathayo tries it and lives, the brave Martha will likely also have enough guts to give it a go as well.

And if Yona sees that Martha can do it, well, he can’t very well let his wife show him up, now can he?

But there’s just one problem…

Yona is scared of heights!

But he made it all the way to the top! And with a little tickle from his friend Jacob on the way down, he relaxed on the safety of solid ground!

And Isack made fun of his shaky-chicken-leg climb.

But if you’re going to make fun of Yona, Isack, you’d better be able to show him up!

Isack practically ran to the top of the Alpine Mountain… and he was the first to attempt the rope ladder.

The women took turns in my long shorts… Naitapoaki was particularly fond of them!

Only Karduni didn’t climb. She couldn’t bring herself to wear “suruweli” (trousers).

We let her off the hook since she’s a Maasai (Masai) grandma.

Nemburis, mother of five, 29ish years old, followed Isack’s lead, and climbed the ropes.

Sifa defeated her fear and pressed on all the way to the top!

Jacob climbed. Maliaki climbed despite his fear.

Jo showed us all how to shimmy up a pole!

After everyone else had successfully made it to the top, I thought I’d better have a really good excuse for not making it…

so I attempted the swinging ladder.

And I made it to the top!

Thanks Michael and Val for making this wonderful experience happen!