The Mount Kenya Circuit
Aberdare National Park
This 296-Square-Mile (767 Km2) Park Of Luxuriant Forest Includes Much Of The Aberdare (Renamed Nyandarua) Range Of Mountains. Guests Of Two Tree Hotels, Treetops And The Ark, Are Entertained By A Variety Of Wildlife Visiting Their Water Holes And Salt Licks.
The Park Can Be Divided Into Two Sections By Altitude. A High Plateau Of Undulating Moorlands With Tussock Grasses And Giant Heather Lies Between Ol Doinyo Lasatima (13,120 Ft./3999 M.) And Kinangop (12,816 Ft./3906 M.). This Region Affords Excellent Views Of Mt. Kenya And The Rift Valley. Rhino, Lion, Hyena, Buffalo, Elephant, Eland, Reedbuck, Suni, Black Serval Cat, Bushpig And, Very Rarely, The Nocturnal Bongo Can Be Seen.
On The Eastern Slopes Below Lies The Forested Hills And Valleys Of The Salient, Home To Black Rhino, Leopard, Forest Elephant, Buffalo, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Giant Forest Hog, Black And White Colobus Monkey.
Night Temperatures Range From Cool To Freezing As Most Of The Park Lies Above 9800 Feet (2988 M). A Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Is Recommended For Travel Within The Park. The Ark And Treetops Are About 110 Miles (175 Km) From Nairobi.
Accommodation - Class B: * The Ark, A “Tree Hotel” Overlooking A Water Hole, Has Small Rooms With Ensuite Facili¬ties (104 Beds Total), Glass-Enclosed Main Viewing Lounge, And Outside Verandas On Each Level, Floodlit For All-Night Game Viewing, And Ground-Level Photo Hide. The Area Near The Ark Is A Rhino Reserve. Game Drives Into The Salient Are Offered. Guests Usually Have Lunch At The Aberdare Country Club Before Being Transferred To The Ark And Are Transferred Back To The Aberdare Country Club By Nine O’clock The Following Morning To Depart To Their Next Safari Destination. Children Under Seven Are Not Allowed.
Class B/C: * Treetops, The First Of The “Tree Hotels” (On Stilts), Older And More Rustic Than The Ark, Has Been Recently Refur¬bished. Only Suites Have Ensuite Facilities. Guests Usually Have A Buffet Lunch At The Outspan Hotel Before Being Transferred To Treetops And Are Transferred Back To The Outspan By Nine O’clock The Following Morning To Continue Their Safari. Children Under 12 Are Not Allowed.
Camping: Only By Special Permission From The Warden. Be¬ware Of Lions.
Related Information
Summit Circuit
Summit Circuit There Is A Circuit Between 12,139-15,092 Feet (3700-4600 M) Completely Around The Base Of Kibo Peak. Horombo, Bar¬ranco And Moir Huts Are On The Circuit, While Lava Tower, Shira, Kibo And Mawenzi Huts Are On Side Trails Not Far From The Circuit. A Tent Is Needed Since There Is No Hut On The Northern Side Of Kibo. Be Sure To Bring A Well-Insulated Pad For Your Sleeping Bag.
Mt. Kenya National Park
Mt. Kenya National Park Kenya's Highest Mountain And The Second Highest On The Continent, Mount Kenya Lies Just Below The Equator, Yet Has Several Permanent Glaciers. Mt. Kenya's Two Highest Peaks, Batian (17,058 Ft./5l99 M.) And Nelion (17,023 Ft./5188 M.), Are Accessible By About 25 Routes And Should Be Attempted Only By Experienced Rock Climbers. Point Lenana (16,355 Ft./4985 M.) Is A Nontechni-Cal Climb Accessible To Hikers In Good Condition And Is Best Climbed In The Dry Seasons. January-February Is The Best Time To Go When Views Are The Clearest And Temperatures Are Warmer On Top; July-October Is Also Dry But Colder.
The West Mt. Elgon National Park
The West Mt. Elgon National Park Seldom Visited, This 65-Square-Mile (169 Km2) Park Is A Huge, Extinct Volcano Shared With Uganda, And At 14,178 Feet (4321 M) Is The Second Highest Mountain In Kenya. Mt. Elgon Also Has The Giant Afro-Alpine Flora Found On Mts. Kenya And Kilimanjaro. The Forests Are Often So Thick That A Full-Grown Elephant Could Be Standing 20 Feet (6 M) From The Road And Not Be Seen. Buffalo, Waterbuck, Andbushbuck Are More Likely To Be Spotted. Kitum And Makingeny Caves Are Unique In Having A Good Portion Of Their Size Created By Elephants. Small Herds Often Enter
Samburu National Reserve
Samburu National Reserve This relatively small (64 sq. Mi./165 km2) but excellent park of scrub desert, thornbush, riverine forest, and swamps along the ewaso ngiro river is situated north of Mt. Kenya. Elephant and lion are plentiful as are beisa oryx, somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, grevy's zebra, and other species adapted to an arid environment. Samburu, probably the best park in northern Kenya, is located about 220 miles (355 km) north of nairobi. Under special arrangement, walking may be offered just outside the reserve. Accommodation - class a: * larsen's tented camp, situated on the banks of the ewaso ngiro river, has 13
Chogoria Route
Chogoria Route This Is The Most Scenic Route On The Mountain. From The Chogoria Forest Station On The Eastern Side Of Mt. Kenya, Hike Or Drive Ten Miles (16 Km) To Bairunyi Clearing (8858 Ft./2700 M.) And Camp, Or Continue For Another Four Miles/Six Kilometers (Four-Wheel-Drive Required) To Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge (9898 Ft./ 3017 M.) And Stay In Their Self-Catering Bandas. Hike Through Hagenia Forest To Urumandi Hut (10,050 Ft./ 3063 M.), Owned By The Mountain Club Of Kenya. Room For Camping Is Available Nearby. Minto's Hut (14,075 Ft./4290 M.) Is About A Six-Hour Hike From Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge. Space
Sirimon Route
Sirimon Route Ten Miles (16 Km) Past Nanyuki On The Nanyuki-Timau Road, Turn Right On A Dirt Road And Drive Six Miles (10 Km) To The Park Gate. Sirimon Is The Least Used And Most Strenuous Of The Three Major Routes On Mt. Kenya. The Northern Side Of The Mountain, Being Much Drier Than The Western Side (Naro Moru Route), Has No Bamboo Or Hagenia Zone. Acacia Grasslands Cover Much Of The Northern Slopes; Zebra And A Variety Of Antelope Are Likely To Be Seen. Although The Track Continues Up To The Moorlands To About 13,000 Feet (3960 M), It Is Better To
The South
The South The "Southern Circuit" Of Wildlife Reserves Includes The Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park And Mikumi National Park. The Selous And Ruaha Are Seldom Visited And Offer A Great Opportunity To Explore Wild And Unspoiled Bush.
MT. HOYO
MT. HOYO Fifty-Seven Miles (92 Km) North Of Beni And 12 Miles (19 Km) South Of Komanda, Take The Track To The East, Uphill For Nine Miles (15 Km) To The Colonial-Style Mount Hoyo Lodge (Auberge Du Mount Hoyo). Halfway Up This Track, I Came Upon A Line Of Millions Of Safari Ants Crossing The Road. Thousands Of Ants Had Joined Their Legs And Formed A "Cocoon" Across The Road, Protecting Those That Crossed Beneath. Mt. Hoyo Has Many Attractions. The Cascades Of Venus (1'Escaliers De Venus) Is A Stepped Waterfall In A Thick Jungle Setting Of Natural Beauty. The Cascades And The
The Bujuku Circuit
The Bujuku Circuit On Day One follow a dirt road from Ibanda three miles to Nyakalengija (5250 ft./1600 m.), then take the path to the Nyabitaba Hut (8700 ft./2651 m.). Many climbers prefer stay¬ing in a nearby rock shelter instead of the aluminum hut which can sleep up to 12 persons. Water and firewood are not available near the hut. Tent spaces are located nearby. Day Two is the most grueling of the circuit. Climbers pass heather and groundsel before reaching Nyamiliju Hut (10,900 ft./3322 m.). Again, the rock shelter is often preferred over the hut. Water is available nearby; there is
Ruwenzori Mountains National Park
Ruwenzori Mountains National Park This is the highest mountain range in Africa and home for the legendary "Mountains of the Moon." They rise 13,000 feet (3963 m) above the western arm of the Rift Valley to 16,762 feet (5109 meters) above sea level just north of the equator and are usually covered in mist. See "Ruwenzori Mountains" in the chapter on Zaire for a general description and a map of the region. Hikers in good condition can enjoy walking strenuous trails rising to over 13,000 feet (3963 m) in altitude through some of the most amazing vegetation in the world. There is