Ian Howell is famous among Mount Kenya climbers for building the hut at the top of Nelion, Mount Kenya’s second highest peak.  Ian celebrated his 80th birthday this year so I thought I’d post these extraordinary ‘before and after’ photos of the hut, plus Ian’s description:

“The hut was officially finished on 11th February 1970.  It was originally built in my garden in Isiolo and I probably started work on that about six months earlier.  Then the Kenya Police Airwing airdropped it in five loads each with its own parachute on to the Lewis Glacier at the beginning of January 1970, and it took me till 11th February to carry all the sections up to the top of Nelion and bolt it together.  Mostly I did this on my own and after about two weeks I felt I needed a change, so went down to the coast for a few days and just rested, swam and drank Tusker until I felt like going back to finish it, which I did.  So the hut had its 46th birthday earlier this year”.