GUIDE ON MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK IN KENYA

Celebrating Kenya’s iconic landmark, Mount Kenya National Park offers a distinct highlands safari in central Kenya to the discerning AfricanMecca guest. Whether you are traveling alone, with a special someone, with a group or your family, the park is fascinating, majestic and glorious. The 276 square miles (715 sq. km) park is part of a larger wilderness that covers a total of 854 square miles (2124 sq. km).

Within the frontiers is a stunning variety of ecosystems that begin at the lower foothills and extend to the peak at 5199 meters. At the base are semi-arid plains that gradually transition to mountain forests, moorlands and glacier fields.

Mount Kenya is internationally recognized as an exceptional example of an equatorial mountain. With an enduring crown of ice, the area has eleven remaining glaciers, the largest of which is the vanishing Lewis Glacier between Teleki Valley and Point Lenana. Beyond the global environmental value of Mount Kenya, the extinct volcano is the national icon of Kenya, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a supremely protected escape for forest and lowlands wildlife and a much-desired feat for climbers who are enticed by the extreme terrain of vertical rocks and glacier summits.



Flora diversity is unimaginable and sure to be a noteworthy aspect of your forest tour at Mount Kenya National Park. Guests experience alpine and sub-alpine vegetation, as well as mountain and bamboo forests, tundra and grasses that reach as far as the snow. The varied plants and trees support species that change along with the elevation.

White and black colobus monkeys are found in the ravines, and Sykes’ monkeys can be viewed along the tracks. Earthen mounds of dirt in the Hinde Valley mark the homes of endemic Ruppell’s root rats, and subtle lines in the earth in the mossy glades show the underground routes that are used by mountain mole shrews. Your guide may also point out large mounds in the glades that are the result of giant mole rats.

Common large herbivores include zebras on the Sirimon inclines, and buffalos and elephants are seen at times on the Naro Moru trails and in the dense bamboo forests above 2400 meters. Also at this elevations are duikers, elands and other antelopes, as well as smaller denizens, such as rock hyraxes. These fauna are joined by more common species, including defassa waterbucks, bushbucks and many more.



Mount Kenya is infamous for unpredictable and sometimes savage weather. Conditions vary with elevation with areas above 4,000 meters being freezing cold with mist and wind. Temperatures range from 59 F (15 C) degrees during sunny days and 32 F (0 C) degrees on cloudy cool days. Nighttime temperatures drop to 14 F (-10 C) degrees.

Game drives are not offered in the park due to the delicate mountain ecology, challenging terrain and also the lower base being primarily dense forests rather than open plains. Instead, you are completely immersed in the wilderness on a more intimate level with guided nature walks. AfricanMecca Safaris can also arrange a full day hike or multi-day climbs to Lenana peak for guests who have the apt fitness and trekking experience.