MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK

The Park was created around Africa's second highest mountain. It is a favourite with trekkers and serious mountain climbers. The Forest and lower slopes abound with elephant, Cape Buffalo and fantastic bird life, as well as Giant Forest Hog. There is one 'Tree-hotel', Mountain Lodge, which is 165 kms from Nairobi. Further north is the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club set on the edge of the Forest leading to the lower slopes of the Mountain. On the huge Ol Pejeta Ranch there is the luxury Sweetwaters Tented Camp.

Mount Kenya is an imposing extinct volcano dominating the landscape of the Kenyan Highlands. The mountain has two main peaks – Batian 5,200metres) and Nelion (5,188 metres).

The mountains slopes are cloaked in forest,bamboo, scrub and moorland giving way on the high central peaks to rock, ice and snow. Mount Kenya is an important water catchment area, supplying the Tana and Northern Ewaso Ngiro systems. The park includes a variety of habitats ranging from higher forest, bamboo, alpine moorlands, glaciers, tarns and glacial morains.

The Park, which was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997 and is also a Biosphere Reserve, covers 715 square km, and includes the peaks consisting of all the ground above 3,200 metres with two small salients extending lower down to 2,450 metres along the Sirimon and Naro Moru tracks. Surrounding the park is Mount Kenya National Reserve with an area of approximately 2,095 square km.

Climatic conditions - Climate, flora and fauna on Mount Kenya varies with altitude

Major attractions - Pristine wilderness, lakes, tarns, glaciers and peaks of great beauty, geological variety, forest, mineral springs, rare and endangered species of animals, high altitude adapted plains game. Unique montane and alpine vegetation with 11 species of endemic plants.

Wildlife - Giant forest hog, tree hyrax, white-tailed mongoose, elephant, black rhino, suni, blackfronted duiker, mole- rat and over 130 species of bird

Access - Access Roads: 175 km from Nairobi, the park can be reached on Nanyuki-Isiolo road via Sirimon Track or Nyeri-Nanyuki road near Naro Moru. The park is also reachable via Chogoria on the Embu-Meru road, about 150 km north of Nairobi. Airstrips: The closest commercial airstrip to the park is at Nanyuki

Accommodation - Lodges: There is currently no lodge in the park. Various lodges offer accommodation in the region. KWS self-catering accommodation: Batian Guesthouse, Sirimon Bandas. In addition there are various bunkhouses and climbing huts are on the climbing route.

Best time to visit - All year round

Activities - Mountain climbing, wildlife viewing, camping, cave exploration.