The highest mountain in Kenya!
The highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (5,199 metres (17,057 ft)), Nelion (5,188 metres (17,021 ft)) and Point Lenana (4,985 metres (16,355 ft)). Mount Kenya is located in the former Eastern and central provinces of Kenya, about 16.5 kilometres (10.3 mi) south of the equator, around 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-northeast of the capital Nairobi. Mount Kenya is the source of the name of the Republic of Kenya.
Mount Kenya is a stratovolcano created approximately 3 million years after the opening of the East African rift. Before glaciation, it was 7,000 m (23,000 ft) high. It was covered by an ice cap for thousands of years. This has resulted in very eroded slopes and numerous valleys radiating from the centre. There are currently 11 small glaciers, which are shrinking rapidly, and will likely be gone forever by 2050, due to global warming. The forested slopes are an important source of water for much of Kenya.
There are several vegetation bands from the base to the summit. The lower slopes are covered by different types of forest. Many alpine species are endemic to Mount Kenya, such as the giant lobelias and senecios and a local subspecies of rock hyrax. An area of 715 km2 (276 sq mi) around the centre of the mountain was designated a National Park and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
The Challenge
To complete the challenge you must reach the summit of one of the 3 peaks:
- Batian – 5,199 metres (17,057 ft)
- Nelion – 5,188 metres (17,021 ft)
- Point Lenana – 4,985 metres (16,355 ft)
If you want you can also share your health stats for the days showing distance and times or your well deserved food & drink rewards at the end of the hike!
All photos tagged to @travelmedals on Instagram and Facebook.
After completing the challenge you can reward yourself a custom Travel Medals Mount Kenya summit medal.
Click on the medal to be redirected to our store or click here.
Additional Information
For the basics and background, visit the Wikipedia page for Mount Kenya. For more a further deep dive into the mountain and the entire park, please visit the UNESCO site. Then finally for more information on the country check out Magical Kenya the Kenya tourist boards site.
Mount Kenya National Park
Africa’s second highest mountain and one of its most beautiful. This video shows 4 days hiking Mount Kenya following the scenic route Chogoria gate – Point Lenana – Sirimon gate. Point Lenana is the third highest peak (4,985 m/16,355 ft), and the highest one that can be reached by trekkers, without technical climbing. This video was produced by Amazing Places on Our Planet the perfect channel to immerse yourself in scenic beautiful places around our planet without the distraction of words.
