Snow On The Equator

I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of HW Tilman's Compendium The Seven Mountain-Travel Books and tackled the first book, Snow on the Equator as my third read of 2023. Always nice to tuck away a 5 star read early in the year!

Published in 1937, Snow on the Equator tells of Tilman's time in Africa - after the war (1919) he was awarded some land in Kenya in the lottery. Not developed or accessible land, just jungle, made available to him to do with what he wanted. This was not uncommon - last year I read Elspeth Huxley's The Mottled Lizard, and her father was likewise awarded land here, as were a great many others.

Tilman starts his story with travelling to, then developing up his land, planting in coffee and flax, building his houses (two temporary ones before the third, once the best location was resolved). For 10 years, he pretty much worked his guts out making his farm successful. One trip to England and some hunting trips accounted for all his time off the farm.

Tilman shares a few chapters about hunting - buffalo and elephants - the elephants under special licence, where he accompanied a friend D.– who was a ‘Vermin Control Officer' (vermin are just animals in a place you don't want them, we are told, much like weeds are just plants in the wrong place) and responsible for moving elephants out of a certain valley and into another - those killed were the stubborn remnants who refused to relocate.

More on point for Tilman, he then explains that another (coffee) planter nearby was also keen on mountaineering. Referred to only as S.–, Eric Shipton becomes his mountaineering companion, as the two plot ways to leave their farms for periods of time to explore the mountains. Trips to Kilimanjaro (Kibo and Mawenzi peaks) (albeit unsuccessful due to weather); Mount Kenya; and Ruwenzori (The Mountains of the Moon) are all undertaken over a period of years. For each of these expeditions Tilman talks through the planning and logistics, the history and then the climbs. For me he got the level of detail right - nothing ultra technical, and not a catalogue of every step, but a detailed outline of the success (or otherwise).

By 1932, the market having dropped out of flax and coffee, Tilman makes the call to pack in the plantation and sell it on to another, and hooks up again with friend D.– (the Vermin Control Officer) to participate in the gold rush at Kakamega (Kenya). D.– was keen on staking as many claims as he could, and the partners ended up with many claims - unfortunately many were in places nobody else seemed interested - and yielded predicable results! After a lot of investment, and little return (but lots of promise!), Tilman again gave his notice of abandoning the claims, reluctantly D.– agreed.

Tilman, unsure what his next move was, had unfinished business with Kilimanjaro, and with Shipton otherwise occupied, set off to tackle it himself. Very different weather allowed him to solo summit all of the peaks, although this time alone didn't necessarily resolve his plans. Reluctantly, he decided to visit ‘home', but wasn't keen on a steamer voyage. Without much cash to spend on travel, he hit on the idea of returning to England from the west coast of Africa, and given it was too far to walk, struck on the idea of a bicycle.

And so, he set off on a 3000 mile (4800km) cycle trip, from Kenya to Cameroon (French Cameroon at that time), taking two months to complete. Tilman tells of all the pertinent details, from purchasing the bike to his accommodations and experiences along the way. The helpful people, the unhelpful people, the good roads, the bad. River crossings, wild animals, missionaries and border officials. Great stuff.

5 stars.