Experience Mount Kenya! In the 2800 sq. km National Park and National Reserve, there are over 800 recorded plant species and a wide variety of wildlife such as elephant, buffalo, eland, bushbuck, waterbuck, zebra, colobus monkey, and the ubiquitous Mount Kenya rock hyrax. If you are an experienced climber, there is excellent rock climbing to the twin peaks of Batian (5199 m) and Nelion (5188 m). If you are new to climbing, the third-highest peak is Pt. Lenana (4985 m), which can be reached by any fit walker. Mount Kenya is a World Heritage Site and UNESCO describes it as “one of the most impressive landscapes in Eastern Africa with its rugged glacier-clad summits, Afro-alpine moorlands and diverse forests that illustrate outstanding ecological processes.”
Geologically significant, the mountain is actually a stratovolcano thought to have previously looked similar to Mt. Fuji. The top of the mountain is composed of volcanic plugs that have been preserved in spite of glacial erosion. Composed of several varying and impressive bands of vegetation, the sheer velocity of the mountain makes for diminishing species of plants as the mountain grows taller. However, nature lovers are likely to still be impressed by the unique vegetation found at the top of the mountain, consisting of mosses and small alpine plants.
There is likely something to be found for everyone in this impressive geological and natural achievement, and the sheer size of this mountain alone makes it an impressive destination for any Kenyan visitor.
