Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya offers a completely different side of the country from the savannah. Africa’s second-highest mountain, an ancient extinct volcano, rises to three high points, Batian at 5,199 metres, Nelion at 5,188 metres and Point Lenana at 4,984 metres, which draw climbers and trekkers. For those who do not climb, the forested middle slopes, alpine moorland and high tarns reward anyone who simply wants mountain air and space.

The mountain also matters deeply to the communities around it, holding a spiritual significance that Kenya Wildlife Service notes alongside its natural value, and that adds meaning to every visit. Its status reflects both: it is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, designated in 1978, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1997, protected within a complex of national park and national reserves.

Kenya Wildlife Service notes that its mountain and forest parks differ from the warm, dry country where most parks lie, and that the central highlands are cool and humid. It describes April to June, the long rains, as the low season, when roads may need four-wheel drive, and July to March as the main season. The Kenya Meteorological Department adds a second rainy season from October to December, which affects the mountain too.

The peaks are reached through three official gates: Sirimon Gate off the Nanyuki–Meru road, Naromoru Gate near Naro Moru town on the Nyeri–Nanyuki road, and Chogoria Gate on the Embu–Meru road. Each gate begins a different approach to the upper mountain, which is why treks are often named after them. The closest commercial airstrip to the park is at Nanyuki, on the mountain’s north-western side.