Mount Kenya National Park
When a German missionary in 1833 reported a snow-capped mountain just 10 miles south of the equator, everybody thought he was quite mad. It still sounds absurd but it is true. Mount Kenya National Park includes a variety of habitats ranging from higher forest, bamboo, alpine moorlands, glaciers, tarns and glacial moraines. Mount Kenya is an extinct volcano dominating the landscapes of the Kenyan Highlands and is often obscured by cloud but when it clears a magnificent snowy peak dominates the skyline and permanent glaciers grace its slopes. Its existence was confirmed to the western world in 1849 but it still took another 50 years before anyone climbed to the 16,900-foot summit. It is an ancient extinct volcano, during whose period of activity (approximately 2.6 million years ago) it is thought to have risen to 6,500 m. There are 12 remnant glaciers on the mountain, all receding rapidly, and four secondary peaks that sit at the head of the U-shaped glacial valleys. With its rugged glacier-clad summits and forested middle slopes, Mount Kenya is one of the most impressive landscapes in East Africa. Kenya Central Highlands are full of intrigue and the local Kikuyu people believe that their God Ngai inhabits Mt. Kenya. As a result they always position their houses to face towards this sacred peak. The park was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997 and is also a Biosphere Reserve, covers 715 sq km and includes two small salients. The climate, flora and fauna varies with altitude. At altitude ranging between 11,000 and 16,900 feet this national park is only 175 kilometers north of Nairobi approximately 3 hours drive with the Equator line running through the area. There a number of airstrips in this area which is also serviced by a daily scheduled flight. |
