What do you know about Mount Kenya? Did you know that it’s the highest mount in Kenya and second highest in Africa? Mount Kenya is a volcanic mountain situated in the central part of Kenya province lying immediately south of the equator. It is the second highest mountain in Africa after Kilimanjaro and the tallest in Kenya standing at 5,199m above the sea level. It is one of the World heritage sites in Africa and it was added in 1997 on the list. Its summits are featured with the steep pyramidal peaks, which are Batian, Nelion and point Lenana.
Being a strato-volcano, Mount Kenya is covered by ice and today 11 glaciers are still on the peak. It is also surrounded by Mount Kenya national park which is famous for its abundant wildlife. The mountain vegetation changes as it rises from bottom and these vary from tropical forest, to savannah to bamboo and then grasslands.
This mountain has abundant wildlife and appealing mountain lakes that are found on the upper slopes of Mount Kenya which are perfect spots for photography. The wide valleys, surrounding savannah with panoramic views of volcanic peaks makes the trek on this mountain more enjoyable on an African safari holiday.
Mount Kenya holds deep cultural value to the Kenyan people. Local tribes use this peak as a meeting place and it is seen as a throne of the gods. This mountain gave the country of Kenya its name and it holds a special place in the hearts of all Kenyans.
The main cultural groups that are found around this mountain are the Kikuyu, Embu, Maasai and Ameru. These are majorly agriculturalists and they depend on the montane forest due to its fertile soils that favour growth of crops and pastures for example the Maasai are typical cattle keepers.
Camping on Mount Kenya is done on different designated huts and they can be found in various routes which can be upgraded and among others include; Chongoria, Sirimon and Naro moru. You need to carry your own camping gears and if you don’t have, tell us in advance we will provide for you all the necessities.
Hiking Mount Kenya takes in different routes as observed above and all activities begin from the park headquarters. The most common route is Naro moru route because it does not require techniques in hiking. All the routes have their uniqueness and these are vertical bogs, glaciers, green lakes and diverse scenery and many more. All these routes take you to the summit of Batian and point Lenana in 5 to 6 days of adventure.
If you are an expert climber, the hike to Batian which is the highest peak of this mountain with 5199m is a great experience. This trek only involves hiking the ice rocks and it takes a full day. Only you need hiking gears like a kite to keep you warm and find yourself on the summit.
Getting to Mount Kenya from Nairobi.
You can use road and air but the most common means of transport is road transport which covers a distance of 175km from Nairobi city. It takes about 2-3 hours’ drive. You can also take scheduled charter flights that take you to the closest air strip to the mountain at Nanyuki.
Best time to hike Mount Kenya.
Though it can be trekked the whole year round, but the months of January to March and June to October are perfect for this kind of adventure. This is due to the fact that dry season renders hiking trails dry and easy to navigate than wet season when there’s a lot of fog in the mountain making navigation difficult.
