Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest peak is regarded as the realm of Ngai, god of the local Kikuyu people. Traditionally, all Kikuyu home were built to face this sacred peak. They call it Kirinyaga, or place of light.
The mountain is an awe-inspiring sight. Its ragged series of peaks are crowned with snow, and its slopes are thick with forest. The mountain is best seen at dawn, when the days early light silhouettes its impressive summit high over the surrounding plains. Mount Kenya is an imposing extinct volcano dominating the landscape of the Kenyan Highlands. The mountain has two main peaks – Batian 5,200metres) and Nelion (5,188 metres). The mountains slopes are cloaked in forest,bamboo, scrub and moorland giving way on the high central peaks to rock, ice and snow. Mount Kenya is an important water catchment area, supplying the Tana and Northern Ewaso Ngiro systems. The park includes a variety of habitats ranging from higher forest, bamboo, alpine moorlands, glaciers, tarns and glacial morains.
The Park, which was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997 and is also a Biosphere Reserve, covers 715 square km, and includes the peaks consisting of all the ground above 3,200 metres with two small salients extending lower down to 2,450 metres along the Sirimon and Naro Moru tracks. Surrounding the park is Mount Kenya National Reserve with an area of approximately 2,095 square km.
Climatic conditions – Climate, flora and fauna on Mount Kenya varies with altitude
Major attractions – Pristine wilderness, lakes, tarns, glaciers and peaks of great beauty, geological variety, forest, mineral springs, rare and endangered species of animals, high altitude adapted plains game. Unique montane and alpine vegetation with 11 species of endemic plants.
Wildlife – Giant forest hog, tree hyrax, white-tailed mongoose, elephant, black rhino, suni, blackfronted duiker, mole- rat and over 130 species of bird
Access – Access Roads: 175 km from Nairobi, the park can be reached on Nanyuki-Isiolo road via Sirimon Track or Nyeri-Nanyuki road near Naro Moru. The park is also reachable via Chogoria on the Embu-Meru road, about 150 km north of Nairobi. Airstrips: The closest commercial airstrip to the park is at Nanyuki
Accommodation – Lodges: There is currently no lodge in the park. Various lodges offer accommodation in the region. KWS self-catering accommodation: Batian Guesthouse, Sirimon Bandas. In addition there are various bunkhouses and climbing huts are on the climbing route.
Best time to visit – All year round
Activities – Mountain climbing, wildlife viewing, camping, cave exploration. Trekking takes between 3 and 5 days, through a fascinating world of forests, wildlife, unique mountain vegetation including podocarpus and grounsel, and finally one of the world’s rarest sights, equatorial snow. For those who don’t want to climb the Mountain the cool highlands that surround its base are well worth a visit. The forests are ideal for game viewing, and there are crystal clear mountain streams that abound with Trout.