Mount Kenya National Park Africa
This mountain is an imposing extinct volcano dominating the landscape of the Kenyan highlands. This mountain has got two main peaks, that is to say, Batian with 5200 metres and Nelion 5188 metres. The mountain 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.
Mt Kenya national park includes a variety of habitants ranging from higher
forests, bamboo, alpine moorlands, glaciers, tarns and glacial morains.
This park was inscribed by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1997 and
it covers 715 sq Kms, and includes the peak consisting of all the ground
above 32,000metres with two small salient extending lower down to 2,450
metres along the sirimon and Naro Moru tracks. Surrounding the park is
Mt Kenya national reserve with an area of approximately 2,095 sq Kms.
Major attractions
There are a variety of wildlife attractions which include lake tarns,
glaciers, pristine wilderness and peaks of great beauty, geographical
variety, forest, mineral springs, rare and endangered species of animals,
high altitude adapted plains of game. A unique montane and alpine vegetation
with 11 species of endemic plants.
A variety of wildlife is found in this park for example the giant forest
hog, tree hyrax, white-tailed mongoose, elephant, the black rhino, suni,
black fronted duiker, mole rat and over 1310 species of bird.
Getting to the park
The park can also be accessed by both air and road transport. Examples
of road transport may include fro 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 Kms
north of Nairobi.
There is an air strip that is closer to the park and this is at Nanyuki.
The park is approximately 140 km from Nairobi and has the size of 715
sq Kms.
Activities
There are a number of activities that take place in this park among them
includes mountain hiking, wildlife viewing, camping, cave exploration
among others.
The best time to visit the park is all year around therefore you can decide
to visit the park any time. Also the flora and fauna on Mount Kenya varies
with the altitude.
Accommodation
It has been reported that there is no lodge in park but various lodges
offer accommodation in the region. There also self catering accommodation
that is to say at Batian guest house, sirimon bandas
In addition there are various bank houses and the climbing huts are on
the climbing route.