John Barry (with Pat Littlejohn, Jan Rowe and Steve Sustad) February 2000

This team attempted the Yosemite-like unclimbed 760m N Face of Mount Poi (the 'Ayers Rock' of Kenya, situated in the Ndoto Mountains several hundred kilometres N of Nairobi) in February 1999, but injuries sustained by the leader when a large boulder came away caused that expedition to be curtailed. Maintaining their strict 'no-bolt' policy despite few obvious cracklines, this return visit was considerably more successful, and after 17 pitches of climbing up to 6A and E6 (plus an 'ungradeable lasso pitch which would have been the envy of the Pampas') the summit was achieved. after four fantastic days of climbing and two hammock bivouacs. They have called the route 'Dark Safari'.