Mount Kenya

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Mount Kenya
Peak of Mount Kenya
Elevation	5,199 metres (17,058 feet)
Location	Kenya
Prominence	3,825 m Ranked 32nd
Coordinates	0°9′S, 37°18′E
Type	Stratovolcano (extinct)
Last eruption	2.6-3.1 Ma
First ascent	1899 by Halford Mackinder
Easiest route	rock climb

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya, and the second-highest in Africa (after Mount Kilimanjaro). The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (5,199 m), Nelion (5,188 m) and Lenana (4,985 m). Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, over 100 miles northeast of Nairobi.

The mountain is an extinct (dead) volcano standing alone, which last erupted between 2.6 and 3.1 million years ago. Its slopes include several different biomes; the lowest parts are dry upland forest, changing to montane forest of juniper and podocarpus at about 2,000 m, with a belt of bamboo at 2,500 m that changes to an upper forest of smaller trees covered with moss and "goat's beard" lichen. Above a distinct timberline at about 3,500m (11,000 feet), there is an afroalpine zone, with its characteristic giant rosette plants. Twelve small (and rapidly shrinking) glaciers may be found scattered among the complex of seven named peaks, of which Batian and Nelion are the highest.

The area around the mountain is protected in the Mount Kenya National Park.

The Kĩkũyũ people traditionally held that their supreme being Ngai lived on Mount Kenya, which they call Kirinyaga.

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, C. Ollier and J. 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 metres (16,354 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 is home to one of the Global Atmosphere Watch's atmospheric monitoring stations.

On July 21, 2003, a South African registered aircraft, carrying 12 passengers and two crew, crashed into Mount Kenya at Point Lenana: nobody survived. This was not the first aircraft lost on the mountain; there is also the wreckage of at least one helicopter that crashed before 1972.

Contents 1 Water streams starting around Mount Kenya 2 Routes up Mount Kenya 2.1 Meru Route 2.2 Chogoria Route 2.3 Kamweti Route 2.4 Naro Moru Route 2.5 Burguret Route 2.6 Sirimon Route 2.7 Timau Route 2.8 Peak Circuit Path 3 Main Peaks of Mount Kenya 4 Glaciers on Mount Kenya 5 Huts on Mount Kenya 5.1 Around the Peak Circuit Path 5.2 On the routes 5.2.1 Chogoria Route 5.2.2 Naro Moru Route 5.2.3 Sirimon Route 5.3 On Nelion 5.3.1 Austrian Hut 5.3.2 Shipton's Camp 5.3.3 Howell Hut 6 Mount Kenya in literature 7 References 8 See also 9 External links

[edit] Water streams starting around Mount Kenya

• the Sirimon
• the Liki
• the Nanyuki
• the Nazita
• the Nitmi
• the Tnuchi
• the Nyamindi
• the Sagana
• the Nairobi
• the Naro Moru
• the Burguret

[edit] Routes up Mount Kenya

Clockwise starting from the north ^[1]

• Meru Route
• Chogoria Route
• Kamweti Route
• Naro Moru Route
• Burguret Route
• Sirimon Route
• Timau Route

The three routes used most frequently are the Chogoria, Naro Moru and Sirimon Routes. The entrances to the park on these routes have gates that are staffed, but the other routes do not have gates and special permission is required from Kenya Wildlife Authority to use them.

[edit] Meru Route

This route leads from Katheri, south of Meru, to Lake Rutundu following the Kathita Munyi river. It does not lead to the peaks, but up onto the alpine moorland on the slopes of the mountain^[1].

[edit] Chogoria Route

This route leads from Chogoria town up to the peaks circuit. The 32km from the forest gate to the park gate are often done by vehicle, but it is also possible to walk. There is much wildlife in the forest, with safari ant columns crossing the track, monkeys in the trees, and the potential for seeing elephant, buffalo and leopard. The road is not in good condition, and requires careful driving and walking. Near the park gate the bamboo zone starts, with grasses growing to 12m high.

Once in the park the track passes through rosewood forests, with lichens hanging from the branches. At one point the path splits, with the smaller track leading to a path up the nearby Mugi Hill and across to Lake Ellis.

Near the trackhead a small bridge crosses the Nithi stream. Following the stream downriver a few hundred metres leads to The Gates Waterfall. The path heads up a ridge above the Gorges Valley, with views to the peaks, Lake Michaelson, The Temple, and across the valley to Delamere and Macmillan Peaks. Halls Tarns are situated right on the path and above The Temple, which is a 300m cliff above Lake Michaelson^[2].

As the path carries on it crosses the flat head of the Nithi River and then the slope steepens. The path splits, heading west to Simba Col, and south west to Square Tarn. These are both on the Peak Circuit Route.

[edit] Kamweti Route

This route follows the Nyamindi West River^[1]. The route is restricted, if it still exists. It is not mentioned in the official guidebook published by the Kenya Wildlife Service, so is quite probably no longer passable^[3].

[edit] Naro Moru Route

This route is taken by many of the trekkers who try to reach Point Lenana. It can be ascended in only 3 days and has bunkhouses at each camp so a tent is not necessary. The terrain is usually good, although one section is called the Vertical Bog.

The track starts in Naro Moru town and heads past the Park Headquarters up the ridge between the Northern and Southern Naro Moru Rivers. At the roadhead is the Meteorological Station, to which it is possible to drive in the dry season. The route drops down into the Northern Naro Moru Valley to Mackinder's Camp on the Peak Circuit Path.

[edit] Burguret Route

This route has restricted access^[3]. It starts in Gathiuru, and mainly follows the North Burguret River, then continues up to Hut Tarn on the Peak Circuit Path.

[edit] Sirimon Route

This route starts 15km east around the Mount Kenya Ring Road from Nanyuki. The gate is 10km further along the track, which can be walked or driven by two-wheel drives^[2].

The track climbs up through the forest. On the north side of the mountain there is no bamboo zone, so the forest gradually turns into moorland covered with giant heather. The track ends at Old Moses Hut and becomes a path. This continues up the hill before splitting into two routes. To the left, the least used path goes around the side of the Barrow, to Liki North Hut. The vegetation becomes more sparse, with giant lobelia and groundsels dotted around. The path climbs over a ridge, before rejoining the main path ascending the Mackinder Valley. Shipton's Cave can be found in the rock wall to the left of the steep path just before reaching Shipton's Camp.

From Shipton's Camp, it is possible to ascend the ridge directly in front of the camp to the site of Kami Hut, which no longer exists, or follow the river up to Lower Simba Tarn and eventually to Simba Col. These are both on the Peak Circuit Path.

[edit] Timau Route

This is a resticted route^[3]. It starts very close to the Sirimon Route, at Timau Village, and skirts around the edge of the forest for a considerable distance. It used to lead to the highest point on the mountain to which is was possible to drive, but has not been used for many years. From the trackhead it is possible to reach Halls Tarns in a few hours, then follow the Chogoria Route to the Peak Circuit Path

[edit] Peak Circuit Path

This is a path around the main peaks, with a distance of about 10km an height gain and loss of over 2000m. It can be walked in one day, but more commonly takes two or three. It can also be used to join different ascent and descent routes. The route does not require technical climbing.^[4]

[edit] Main Peaks of Mount Kenya

• Batian (5199m)
• Nelion (5188m)
• Lenana (4985m)
• Pigott (4957m)
• Thompson (4955m)
• Dutton (4885m)
• John (4883m)
• Melhuish (4880m)
• John Minor (4875m)
• Krapf Rognon (4800m)^[4]
• Peter (4757m)
• Slade (4750m)
• Terere (4714m)
• Sendeyo (4704m)
• Midget (4700m)
• Arthur's Seat (4666m)

[edit] Glaciers on Mount Kenya

The glaciers on Mount Kenya are retreating rapidly. The Mountain Club of Kenya in Nairobi has photographs showing the mountain when it was first climbed in 1899, and again more recently, and the retreat of the glaciers is very evident^[5]. Descriptions of ascents of several of the peaks advise on the use of crampons, but now there is no ice to be found. There is no new snow to be found, even on the Lewis Glacier (the largest of them) in winter, so no new ice will be formed. It is predicted to be less than 30 years before there is no more ice on Mount Kenya.^[3]

Clockwise from the north:

• Northey
• Krapf
• Gregory
• Lewis
• Diamond
• Darwin
• Forel
• Heim
• Tyndall
• Cesar
• Josef

[edit] Huts on Mount Kenya

[edit] Around the Peak Circuit Path

• Austrian Hut/Top Hut (4790m)
• Two Tarn Hut (4490m)
• Kami Hut (site of) (4425m)

[edit] On the routes

[edit] Chogoria Route

• Meru Mt Kenya Lodge (3017m)
• Urumandi Hut (site of) (3063m)
• Minto's Hut (porters only) (4297m)

[edit] Naro Moru Route

• The Warden's Cottage (2400m)
• Meteorological Station (3050m)
• Mackinder's Camp (4200m)

[edit] Sirimon Route

• Sirimon Bandas (2650m)
• Old Moses Camp (3400m)
• Liki North Hut (3993m)
• Shipton's Camp (4326m)

[edit] On Nelion

• Howell Hut (5188m)

Caretakers are present at most of these huts ^[3], but not all. The huts range from very basic (Liki North) with little more than a roof, to luxurious with log fires and running water (Meru Mt Kenya Lodge). Most huts have no heat or light, but spacious with dormitories and communal areas. They also offer separate accommodation for porters and guides. The communal areas of the huts can be used by campers wishing to retreat from the weather or to store food away from the hyaena and hyraxes.

[edit] Austrian Hut

Austrian Hut is the highest hut on Mount Kenya, with the exception of Howell Hut on Nelion. It is a good base for the ascent of Lenana, or for exploring the surrounding area. Peaks that can be ascended with Austrian Hut as a base camp include Point Thompson, Point Melhuish and Point John. It is also the starting point for the Normal Route up Nelion, as well as other routes up to the summits.

The ridge from Austrian Hut has many lava formations. There is little flora here, as the ridge is covered in scree which freezes ever night and bakes every day, but there are still small flowers. There are no mammals or birds at this altitude.

[edit] Shipton's Camp

Shipton's Camp is home to many rock hyrax, as well as striped mice, many types of sunbirds and Alpine Chats. Mountain Buzzards fly overhead. The vegetation is dominated by giant groundsel, but there are many flowers and lobelia as well. On the skyline is a view of Points Peter and Dutton, with Batian overshadowing them. Also in view are Thompson's Flake and Point Thompson, with Point Lenana on the other side of the Gregory Glacier. In front of the main peaks is the Krapf Rognon, with the Krapf Glacier behind.

[edit] Howell Hut

This hut, on top of Nelion, was built by Ian Howell in February 1970. The corrugated iron for the hut was dropped onto the Lewis Glacier by helicopter and Howell carried it to the summit in thirteen solo ascents and built the hut.^[2]

[edit] Mount Kenya in literature

• Kirinyaga is also the title of a book by Mike Resnick.
• Facing Mount Kenya is the title of a book by Jomo Kenyatta about the Kikuyu.
• No Picnic on Mount Kenya is a story of three Prisoners of War who ascended the mountain in 1943, written by Felice Benuzzi^[6].

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Seven Second Summits
• Volcanic Seven Summits

[edit] External links

• Mount Kenya homepage
• UNESCO Natural Site Data Sheet on Mount Kenya
• Satellite picture by Google Maps
• Mount Kenya Geology and Glaciology