Climbing Mt. Kenya
"Climbing Mount Kenya through the adventurous ""Kamweti"" route starting from Castle Forest Lodge will lead you on old elephant pathways through dense rain- and bamboo forests to the highland swamps and moorlands of Mt. Kenya.
At McKinders camp the route meets all other routes for the final climb conquering point Lenana.
On average you will walk 5-6 hours per day and guides will prepare a camp in the evening either in the bush or in the neighborhood of a cabin. The ""kamweti"" route will take you from 5 to 7 days depending on the route descending.
Whilst highest mountain tops of the Mount Kenya - Batain and Nelion - can only be climbed by experienced mountaineers and using the right gear, Point Lenana, the third highest summit, can be climbed by anybody provided you are in the right condition for climbing. Although the mountain top can be reached relatively easily, you should be well prepared, not only for varying weather conditions, like cold, snow and rain, but also for problems, like altitude sickness."
Mount Kenya used to be for the native population a kind of Olympus. Mogai, father of the universe, created the mountain as a final resting-place for people, proving his power to perform miracles. He named it Kere Nyaga. Until the beginning of the 20th century the Masai lived on the plateau between Mount Kenya and the Alberdares, where they worshipped Ngai, goddess of rain and good weather. They named the mountain Ol-Donyo-Eibor, which means "white mountain". The Meru, who live in the north-eastern part of the mountain, believe humans came into being on the mountain. The current name of the mountain is derived from Kere-Nyaga, the name given by the Kikuyu to the mountain and the country. Later on this became Ke-e-nya-a, nowadays Kenya. Mount Kenya is the highest mountain of Kenya. With a height of 5199 meters it is the second highest mountain of Africa. In the beginning the mountain was probably more than 6000 meters high. Powerful eroding by mainly ice has resulted in a number of peaks, U-shape valleys and small mountain lakes.