Mount
Kenya National Park
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Ground Information
 Mt. Kenya is an imposing extinct volcano
dominating the landscape of the Kenyan Highlands, East of
the Rift. Mt. Kenya lies about 140 km North, North-East
of Nairobi with its Northern flanks across the Equator.
The mountain has two main peaks - Batian (5200m) and Nelion
(5188m). The mountains slopes are cloaked in forest, bamboo,
scrub and moorland giving way on the high central peaks
to rock, ice and snow. Mt. Kenya is an important water catchment
area, supplying the Tana and Northern Ewaso Ngiro systems.
The park include s a variety of habitats ranging from higher
forest, bamboo, alpine moorlands, glaciers, tarns and glacial
morains.
The park, which was inscribed
by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997 and is also a
Biosphere Reserve, covers 715 km2, and includes the Peaks
consisting of all the ground above 3200m with two small
salients extending lower down to 2450m along the Sirimon
and Naro Moru tracks. Surrounding the park is Mount Kenya
National Reserve with an area of approximately 2095 km2.
Climate:
Climate, flora and fauna on Mt. Kenya varies with altitude.
How To Get There
Access Roads:
175 kms from 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 150km north of Nairobi.
Airstrips:
The closest commercial airstrip to the park is at Nanyuki.
Major Attractions
Pristine wilderness, lakes, tarns, glaciers and peaks of
great beauty, geological variety, forest, mineral springs,
rare and endangered species of animals, High altitude adapted
plains game, Unique montane and alpine vegetation with 11
species of endemic plants.
Facilities
Huts:
Liki North Hut; Minto's Hut; Austrian Hut; Mackinders Hut
; Judmare Hut; Shiptons Hut.
Bandas:
Sirimon Bandas, Warden's Cottage.
Lodges:
Mountain Lodge (Serena Hotels); Rutundu Fishes Lodge, Mt.
Kenya Safari Club
Activities
Mountain climbing, game viewing.
Common Vegetation
This varies with altitude and rainfall, and there is a rich
alpine and sub-alpine flora.
Between 1200m and 1850m, the
vegetation is mainly dry upland forest comprising of Croton
associations. Juniperus procera and Podocarpus spp. are
predominant in the drier parts of the lower zone (below
2,500m), with rainfall between 875 and 1400mm (Naro Moru
and Sirimon tracks on the western slopes). In wetter areas
(over 2200mm/year) in the south-west and north-east, Cassipourea
malosana predominates.
Higher altitudes (2,500-3,000m
with rainfall over 2000mm/year) are dominated by a dense
belt of bamboo Arundinaria alpina on south-eastern slopes,
and a mosaic of bamboo and Podocarpus milanjianus with bamboo
at intermediate elevations (2,600-2,800m), and Podocarpus
at higher and lower elevations (2,800-3,000m) and (2,500-2,600m).
Towards the west and north
of the mountain, bamboo becomes progressively smaller and
less dominant. There are also areas in zones of maximum
rainfall 2,000-3,500m with up to 2,400mm/year, where Hagenia
abyssinica with Hagenia revolutum predominate.
Above 3,000m, cold (low temperatures)
become a more important factor, tree stature declines, and
Podocarpus is replaced by Hypericum spp. A more open canopy
here results in a more developed understorey. Many of the
trees are festooned with mosses. Grassy glades are common
especially on ridges. High altitude heath between 3,000m
and 3,500m is characterised by shrubs with small leaves
like African sage, Protea and Helicrysum.
The lower alpine or moorland
zone (3,400-3,800m) is characterized by high rainfall, a
thick humus layer, low topographic diversity, and low species
richness. Tussock grasses Festuca pilgeri, and sedges Carex
spp. predominate. Between the tussocks there are Alchemilla
cyclophylla, Alchemilla johnstonii, and Geranium vagans.
Above the 3500m contour is the Afro-alpine zone, a moorland
characterised by tussock grasses, senecios and lobelias.
The upper alpinezone (3,800-4,500m)
is more topographically diverse, and contains a more varied
flora. Many of the species here are bizarre, especially
the giant rosette plants Lobelia telekii and Lobelia keniensis,
Senecio keniodendron and Carduus spp.. Senecio brassica
is found in both the lower and upper alpine zone.
There are a variety of grasses
on well-drained ground and along the streams and river banks
such as megaphytic Senecio battescombei and Helichrysum
kilimanjari.
Continuous vegetation stops
at about 4,500m although isolated vascular plants have been
found at over 5,000m. There are 13 species endemic to Mount
Kenya listed in Hedberg, (1951). |
