| Home | Nairobi Safaris | Email us | Mombasa Safaris | Tanzania Safaris | Air Safaris |
Mountain Climbing
This
is the second highest mountain in Africa with (5199m) above the sea level.
This was first seen by a missionary by the name Krapf in 1849 but his stories
of snow on the equator were not taken seriously. Later on Joseph Thomson a
young scottish traveller confirmed its existence. This mountain has three
peaks Batian (5199m), Nelion
(5188m), and Lenana (4985m).
In
1963 an African by the name Kisoi Munyao
went upto the top and raised the Kenyan flag. Nowadays many people both
whites and Africans do climb upto the top and others go upto Lenana and do
gain certificates for that.
Mountain Health
If
it is your first time, you need to give yourself enough time to acclimatize,
so your body has a chance to produce extra oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
Above 4000m, you are likely to notice the effects of altitude and it’s how
fast you climb that is clitical. Give yourself atleast a week for the whole
trip and take at least three to five litres of water per day, try to avoid
alcohol. During your trip if you happen to feel tired and weak it is advisable
to remain in that altitude and if symptoms develop into unsteadiness on the
feet and drowsiness, descent immediately.
What is needed
A
full mountaineer need to have a warm sleeping bag, a thick sweater and a windproof
jacket if possible. Gloves and a wooly hat are also very important.Take enough
drinking water and a stove because you also need hot drinks. Some giudes do
provide such items on request if you do not have your own.
There
are four main routes, The Naro Moru Trail which provides the shortest and steepest
way to the top. The Burguret and
Sirimon trails from the northwest
has certain advantages: it’s relatively drier throughout the year
than the others, the scenery is more open and it’s renowned for its wildlife,
while Burguret passes through a long
stretch of dense forest and follow burgeret river through thick bamboo forest
and moorland. The fourth and the last is chogoria route which is beautiful
but much longer ascent up the eastern flank of the mountain. The most reliable
months are February and August, although January and most of July can be fine
too.
The four trails described here represents only the most obvious of mountain’s hiking possibilities. All ground above 3200m is within the boundaries of the National park, and if you had time and sufficient food, you could hike the forests and moors for weeks. The southern flanks of the mountain seem to have largely escaped the notice of hikers, but there are several forest station in the vicinity of Embu. Most of the southern slopes were designated “Kikuyu reserve”during coloial periods, so few European climbers created routes up here.
Accommodation on the mountain.
Taking
a tent, outside the Months of February or August, almost essentail because
the only other accommodation is on the mountain huts which can be so cold
at night. There is the old moses camp (3300m) at the roadhead, and Shimpton’s
camp bunkhouses (4200m) bed space at both of which is bookable at Mountain
Rock Hotel.
Tel: (+254) (020)
Email: jehome@nbnet.co.ke
All About Nairobi Mombasa Hotels. Malindi HotelsHotels in Diani. Lamu Island. Hotels Kenya Coast. Balloon Safaris. Air Safaris. Safety Tips Kenya. All About Tanzania. All About Zanzibar. Safaris In Tanzania. Safaris in Kenya. Flying Doctors Kenya. All About Kenya & People
Copyright2003 Africatravel by Jehome Tours
Copyright
Jehome Tours & Safaris. All Rights Reserved