User:Mehmet Karatay/Mountaineering on Mount Kenya

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Mount Kenya is a popular mountain with climbers and walkers due to its close proximity to Nairobi.[citation needed] It has several walking routes to the main peaks, and the third-highest summit (Lenana) can be ascended by most walkers.[1][2] However, to reach the two highest peaks it is necessary to climb.[3] There are many huts on Mount Kenya which range greatly in quality.[1] These huts are used by walkers and climbers on their way to and from the peaks.

Climbing routes[edit]

There are many peaks on Mount Kenya which require rock climbing.

Most of the peaks on Mount Kenya have been summited. The majority of these involve rock climbing as the easiest route, although some only require a scramble or a walk. The highest peak that can be ascended without climbing is Point Lenana, 4,985 metres (16,355 ft).[1][2] The majority of the 15,000 visitors to the national park each year climb this peak. In contrast, approximately 200 people summit Nelion and 50 summit Batian, the two highest peaks.[3]

Batian is usually climbed via the North Face Standard Route, UIAA grade IV+. It was first ascended on 31 July 1944 by Firmin and Hicks.[4][5] The route is usually climbed in two days. The Normal Route is the most climbed route up Nelion. It was first climbed by Shipton and Wyn-Harris on 6 January 1929.[5][6] It is possible to traverse between the two peaks, via the Gates of Mist, but this usually involves spending a night in the Howell hut on top of Nelion. There is a bolted abseil descent route off Nelion.[1]

The satellite peaks around the mountain also provide good climbs. These can be climbed in Alpine style and vary in difficulty from a scramble to climbing at UIAA grade VI. They are useful for acclimatisation before climbing the higher peaks and as ascents in their own right.[1]

Walking routes[edit]

Map showing the walking routes and huts around Mount Kenya

There are eight walking routes up to the main peaks. Starting clockwise from the north these are the: Meru, Chogoria, Kamweti, Naro Moru, Burguret, Sirimon and Timau Routes.[7] Of these Chogoria, Naro Moru and Sirimon and used most frequently and therefore have staffed gates. The other routes require special permission from the Kenya Wildlife Service to use.[3][8]

The Chogoria route leads from Chogoria town up to the peaks circuit path. It heads through the forest to the south-east of the mountain to the moorland, with views over areas such as Ithanguni and the Giant's Billiards Table before following the Gorges Valley past the Temple and up to Simba Col below Point Lenana.[7] The Mountain Club of Kenya claims that Ithanguni and the Giant's Billards Table offer some of the best hillwalking in Kenya.[1]

The Naro Moru 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. The route starts at Naro Moru town to the west of the mountain and climbs towards Mackinder's Camp on the Peak Circuit Path.[8] The terrain is usually good, although one section is called the Vertical Bog.[1]

The Sirimon route approaches Mount Kenya from the north-west.[7] The path splits on the moorlands, with the more frequently used fork following the Mackinder Valley and the quieter route traversing into the Liki North Valley.[7] The paths rejoin at Shipton's Cave just below Shipton's Camp on the Peak Circuit Path.[1]

The Peak Circuit Path is a path around the main peaks, with a distance of about 10 km (6 miles) and height gain and loss of over 2000 m (6,600 ft).[7] 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.[2][8]

  • The Gorges Valley is a major feature on the Chogoria Route.
    The Gorges Valley is a major feature on the Chogoria Route.
  • Vertical bog on Mount Kenya on the Naro Moru Route.
    Vertical bog on Mount Kenya on the Naro Moru Route.
  • Looking towards the peaks up the Mackinder Valley on the Sirimon Route.
    Looking towards the peaks up the Mackinder Valley on the Sirimon Route.

Accommodation[edit]

Accommodation on Mount Kenya ranges from very basic to luxurious. The more luxurious lodges are found on the lower slopes, in and around the forest.[9] These lodges have hotel-style accommodation, often with log fires and hot running water.[10][11] Many offer guided walks and other activities such as fishing and birdwatching. The huts higher on the mountain are more basic. Most have several bunkrooms with beds, and also offer somewhere to rest, cook and eat. Some also have running water. A few huts are very basic bothies only offering a space to sleep that is sheltered from the weather.[1][12] Beds in the huts can be reserved at the park gates.[3] Camping is allowed anywhere in the National Park, but is most encouraged around the huts to limit environmental impact. It is possible for campers to use the communal spaces in the huts for no extra fee.[3]

  • Austrian Hut is found near the Lewis Glacier on the slopes of Pt Lenana. The hut sleeps 30 people, with Top Hut nearby for porters.[1]
    Austrian Hut is found near the Lewis Glacier on the slopes of Pt Lenana. The hut sleeps 30 people, with Top Hut nearby for porters.[1]
  • Liki North Hut is a small bothy in the Liki North Valley.[1] It offers little more than shelter from the weather.
    Liki North Hut is a small bothy in the Liki North Valley.[1] It offers little more than shelter from the weather.
  • Shipton's Camp is at the top of the Sirimon Route.[2] It has a large communal area and running cold water.
    Shipton's Camp is at the top of the Sirimon Route.[2] It has a large communal area and running cold water.
  • Camping is allowed anywhere within the National Park.[3]
    Camping is allowed anywhere within the National Park.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Allan, Iain (1981). The Mountain Club of Kenya Guide to Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro. Nairobi: Mountain Club of Kenya. ISBN 978-9966985606.
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference cordee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e f Kenya Wildlife Service (2006), Mount Kenya Official Guidebook, Kenya Wildlife Service{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ Alpine Journal, 1945
  5. ^ a b "Mount Kenya Online Climbing Guide". Archived from the original on 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  6. ^ Alpine Journal Vol. 42
  7. ^ a b c d e Mount Kenya Map and Guide (Map) (4th ed.). 1:50,000 with 1:25,000 inset. EWP Map Guides. Cartography by EWP. EWP. 2007. ISBN 9780906227961.
  8. ^ a b c "Mount Kenya Online Trekking Guide". Archived from the original on 2007-12-17. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  9. ^ "Castle Forest Lodge". Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  10. ^ "Serena Mountain Lodge" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-19. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  11. ^ "Lake Rutundu Log Cabins on Mount Kenya". Archived from the original on 2007-10-04. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  12. ^ Reader, John (1989). Mount Kenya. London: Elm Tree Books. ISBN 0-241-12486-7.
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