Mount Kenya

The mountain is an extinct volcano standing alone, which last erupted between 2.6 and 3.1 million years ago. This mountain dominates the landscape of the Kenyan Highlands, East of the Rift Valley. Mt. Kenya lies about 140 km North, North-East of Nairobi with its Northern flanks across the Equator. The mountain has two main peaks - Batian (5200m) and Nelion (5188m). The mountains slopes are cloaked in forest, bamboo, scrub and moorland giving way on the high central peaks to rock, ice and snow. Mt. Kenya is an important water catchment area, supplying the Tana and Northern Ewaso Ngiro systems.

The missionary Johann Ludwig Krapf was the first European to report a sighting of Mount Kenya, in 1849. The first recorded ascent of Mount Kenya was made by Halford John Mackinder, Cesar Ollier and Josef Brocherel on 13 September 1899. The highest point (Batian) is a technical climb; the classic Diamond Couloir climbing route is a Grade IV of about 20 pitches, up to YDS 5.9 in difficulty. Nelion was first climbed by Eric Shipton in 1929, and Shipton and Bill Tilman completed the traverse of the ridge between the two highest peaks. Point Lenana, at 4,985 m (16,355 ft), can be reached by a hiking trail. Mount Kenya is best climbed in January or February on the south side and August or September on the north side.

Mount Kenya was the second of the three highest peaks in Africa to be seen for the first time by European explorers. The first European to see it was Dr Johann Ludwig Krapf, a German missionary, from Kitui, a town 160 km (100 miles) away from the mountain. The discovery was made on 3 December 1849, a year after the discovery of Kilimanjaro.

Dr Krapf was told by people of the Embu tribe that lived around the mountain that they did not ascend high on the mountain because of the intense cold and the white matter that rolled down the mountains with a loud noise. This led him to infer that glaciers existed on the mountain. The Kikuyu confirmed these happenings.

Mount Kenya also has a fair splattering of wildlife, particularly on the lower slopes of the mountain. You can expect to see elephant, rhino, buffalo leopard, bushbuck, several species of duiker, giant forest hog, and colobus and Sykes monkeys. There is also prolific birdlife around the mountain, ranging from huge eagles to multicoloued sunbirds.

For the adventurous and outdoor types there are a variety of hiking and mountain climbing trails to choose from. For those safari enthusiasts who enjoy ‘taking it easy’ - Mount Kenya Safari Club is the place to stay. Mount Kenya Safari Club has been a mecca for the rich and famous ever since it was founded in 1959. Set in beautifully manicured grounds, this is definitely the most sophisticated and romantic way to experience the area.