CLIMBING MOUNT KENYA

Climbing Route: Sirimon down Route, Narumoro Route, Chogoria Route

About The Mountain
Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest Mountain, stands tall at 17,058 feet (5,199 meters). Mount Kenya, an extinct volcanic Mountain that erupted over 3.1 million years ago, is located right above the equator and to the surprise of many, has snow capped peaks.

Mount Kenya includes Mount Kenya National Park, which is approximately 715 square kilometers in size. The Park, established in 1949, is home to wide variety of wildlife and plant species. Over the last 50 years, animals of all sorts have been seen, like cheetah, buffalo, gazelles. Two main Rivers, which flow from the Mountain have promoted the abundance of animals; Rivers Uaaso Nyiro and Tana, flow right into major national parks like Tsavo.

The People Of Kenya And Peaks
Mount Kenya's 3 well-known peaks are: Point Lenana ( Le-naa-na ) at 16,355 feet, Nelion ( Neh-lee-on ) at 17,021 feet and Batian ( Mbaa-tee-ahn ) at 17,058 feet. These accented sounding names are from the Maasai tribe; they were named after famous olaiboni (leaders). They olaiboni had cooperated with the colonial government during the scramble for Africa. The Maasai hold Mount Kenya sacred because they believe this is where the first Maasai couple descended with their cattle; the number of cattle is a symbol of wealth to the Maasai.

In Kenya, you will hear Mount Kenya referred to as Kirinyaga, meaning "the bright big hill" in Kikuyu language. The Kikuyu believe their god, Ngai, lived on the Mountain and after creating the Earth; he created the first humans, Gikuyu and Mumbi.

The Mountain's Vegetation
Mount Kenya was formed from the explosive lava flow and the rapid cooling-heating process that followed, which accumulated the debris over a period of time. Volcanic soil has promoted the growth of a variety of vegetation types on the Mountain. The following table represents the vegetation type and approximate percent coverage.

Forest Vegetation And Coverage In Percentage
Bamboo - 10%, Bamboo and Forest Mix - 23%, Forest - 32%, Bushy Forest - 11%, Grassland - 8.5%, Plantation - 9%
Other - 6.5%

During your climb of Mount Kenya, you have the opportunity to see most of the above vegetation