Lenana and beyond

Mount Kenya
2008

Elevating above the evaporating equatorial glaciers of Mount Kenya

Bob grew a beard on the climb

Sunrise from Point Lenana

Rugged terrain

Protea bud

Back lit

Malachite sunbird on giant lobelia

Malachite sunbird (Nectarinia famosa)
Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Red hot "I don't even know her" and quencher.

Mount Kenya
July, 2008

Forget me nots

Mount Kenya
July, 2008

Red flower

Mount Kenya
July 20, 2008

Deshka

Mount Kenya
July 19, 2008

Contemplation

Deshka
Mount Kenya
July 20, 2008

Hat and hail

Rugged contrast

Boggy descent

Bog
Sirimon Route
Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Brief chat

Chat
Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Chat

Chat
Mount Kenya
July 24, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

When the rax gets hy

Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
Family: Procaviidae (hyraxes)
Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Giant lobelia
Mount Kenya
July 23, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Darwin on the Mount

Darwin
Mount Kenya
July, 2008
Canon Rebel XSi

Mount Kenya has a complex shape with many peaks. The tallest two, Batian and Nelion, give Mount Kenya the distinction of being the second tallest mountain in Africa, after Kilmanjaro in Tanzania. Batian and Nelion rise precipitously and require a technical ascent. Most of those who claim the distinction of climbing Mount Kenya actually summit the third highest peak, Point Lenana. To further demean the accomplishment, there are actually mountains in Africa (such as Elgon) which are intermediate in elevation between Lenana and the highest points in Kenya.

That being said, Lenana is a true peak and reaching it is no small accomplishment. It required several days of hiking and acclimatization. It is well above, many of the equatorial glaciers. And the route we took from Austrian Hut required a final early morning scramble. This was a bit unexpected for me since the rest of the ascent was pretty much of a steady hike.

Our itinerary:

We took Chogoria route up and Sirimon route down

Night 1: The Bandas

Night 2: A cave near the trailhead of the Mintos trail

Night 3: Mintos camp

Night 4: Austrian hut

Night 5: Old Moses huts

The Chogoria route is breath-takingly beautiful - filled with valleys and vistas and waterfalls and glaciers.
It was hard to resist the allure of descending by a different route.
Sirimon began with a long descent into a beautiful valley, but ended up as a long slog through a watery bog.

The weather was quite changable and produced a wide variety of moods from foggy to bright sun and clear skies to hail.

Other images of Kenya

Masai Mara 2008

Kibera 2008

Kenya 2008

Images of Tanzania

Tanzania 2008 photo page

Tanzania 2007 photo page

Tanzania 2006 photo page

Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, Northern Tanzania 2006

Tanzania 2005 photo page

Scenes from Maweni 2005 photo page

Kilimanjaro 2003

Tanzania 2002 photo page

Maasai

Arusha page

Tanzanian friends page

Other images of Africa

Nile page

Rwanda page

Botswana page

Egypt page

South Africa page

Modified: June 12, 2014
Created: August 8, 2008
Contact: siegelr@stanford.edu
All pictures are protected by copyright. Do not use without permission.