What Makes Mount Kenya Unique
Mount Kenya is said to be Africa’s second highest peak which is regarded as the dwelling place of Ngai, god of the Kikuyu people. Traditionally, all homes of the kikuyu were built to face this mountain peak. They call it Kirinyaga the place of light.
Mount Kenya is an awe-inspiring sight. Which is ragged series of peaks that are crowned with snow, while all its slopes are thick within the forest? Mount Kenya is best seen at dawn, when the day early light shouts its impressive summit to a high over the surrounding plains. The 5199 meter summit is a said to be a difficult technical climb and the lesser peak of Point Lenana (4985m) that can be easily reached by any fit trekker.
Nature history of Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya has many altitudinal ecological zones, between the savannas surrounding the mountain to the nival zone. There are also differing within the zones, depending on the side of the mountain and view placement of the slope. The south-east is said to be much wetter than the north, hence species that are more dependent on moisture are able to grow. Some species, such as bamboo, are limited to certain aspects of the mountain due to the amount of moisture.
Every zone has a dominant species of vegetation. Most of the species that live higher up the mountain are endemic, to Mount Kenya or East Africa.
How to get there
From the main road access to Mount Kenya is via Nanyuki or Naro Moru, both easily accessed from Nairobi by bus/matatu or private transport. Some trekkers and climbers access the mountain from Chogoria. There is an airstrip in Nanyuki with both scheduled and charter flights available. Many trekking companies can organize transfers from Nairobi to Mt. Kenya. See the Trekking, Mountain Climbing and Safaris and Tours sections for details.
Things to do at Mount Kenya
There are many numbers of things that includes, cultures, wildlife and activities that seem to be endless opportunities for visitors to Kenya. Kenya happens to offers a wide range of environments all within a close range of proximity to one another; it also has an excellent domestic travel infrastructure. Kenya’s rich nature of wildlife means that no two experiences in the wild are ever the same. Visitors that do come to Kenya can experience and view lots of completely different things from nature to scenery. In a one trip to Kenya, you can make a great visit to the tropical forests, attractive beaches, and deserts, climb mountains and explore the safari. In Kenya, one can say it is possible to plan a safari that blends adventure and relaxation, luxury and natural simplicity, social experiences and solitude.
In Kenya, you can experience a different safari every day. Here is what you can do while there:
- Water sports
- Go on safari
- Play golf
- Enjoy culture and heritage
- Night life entertainment
If you are a great fun of adventures then this is your place. Around Mount Kenya is surrounded with great fun activities among that are boat riding. Boat riding is one of the top fun adventures in the seas or lakes.
What is the first thing that rings on your mind when it comes to safari? Don’t know about you but safari in Africa is all about wildlife that is the likes of hippos, zebras, flamingos etc. If you love being around animals then this is your place.
Are you fun of golf? Would you like to learn to play golf? Fairmont hotel got you covered. Fairmont is among the biggest hotels around Mount Kenya and closest one. It has a big field to play and practice golf all day.
It’s often said that Africa is home of culture and heritage. Mount Kenya preserves culture through the often told stories of Gikuyu and their god Ngai who they worshipped at Mount Kenya. Culture is highly respected among this area also through form of art where people have drown a description of how life used to be during the early days.
Where adventures are mentioned so is entertainment. During the night you can spend the day outside watching traditional dances doing their things while other play with fire. The songs are meant to build the bond beauty the kikuyu god Ngai and its people.
Best time to visit Mount Kenya
The year is always divided into two wet seasons and two distinct dry seasons which mirror the wet and dry seasons in the Kenyan lowlands. The lower, south eastern slopes are the wettest as the predominant weather system comes from the Indian Ocean. This rainfall supports dense montane forest on these slopes. High on the mountain most of the precipitation falls as snow. Combined, these water sources feed 11 glaciers.
The current climate on Mount Kenya is wet, but drier than it has been in the past. The temperatures span a wide range, which diminishes with altitude. In the lower alpine zone temperature usually does not go below 12 °C (54 °F). Snow and rain are common from March to During December especially in the two wet seasons. The wet seasons combined account of the annual precipitation. The monsoon, which controls the wet and dry seasons, means that most of the year there are south-easterly winds, but during January and February the dominant wind direction is north-easterly.
Mount Kenya, like most locations in the tropics, has two wet seasons and two dry seasons as a result of the monsoon. From mid-March to June the heavy rain season, known as the long rains, brings approximately half of the annual rainfall on the mountain. This is followed by the wetter of the two dry seasons which lasts until September. October to December is the short rains when the mountain receives approximately a third of its rainfall total. Finally from December to mid-March is the drier dry season when the mountain experiences the least rain.
However having known all that you are well assured of the best time to visit, what to carry during the wet season on clothing and what to wear during the dry season.
