Africa's Other Mountains

Buffalo and bamboo, moors covered with forests of 12-foot-tall giant heather, small rodentlike hyraxes that look like marmots, but are said to be related to elephants, elephants themselves, as well as rhinos, monkeys, giant forest hogs, duikers, zebras, antelope, and the occasional lion; glaciers, moraines, towering rock pinnacles, hanging valleys, waterfalls; forests of giant groundsel and lobelia: All of these and more are to be found on and around Kenya's highest peak.

Mount Kenya actually has three major summits. The highest are the so-called twin peaks, Batian and Nelion, respectively 17,053 and 17,017 feet. Point Lenana, at 16,350 feet, is the so-called trekker's peak. To climb the additional 700 feet, you've got to have technical mountaineering and rock-climbing experience.

Several routes lead up the mountain, but two are most popular, each of which is named after a town at the mountain's base. On Mount Kenya's west side is the Naro Moru route, the quickest and easiest path, despite the fact that it is actually the least scenic and for several miles it goes through a stretch of land quite accurately known as the vertical bog. At the bottom of this route, you'll find the lovely Naro Moru River Lodge, a full-service resort with a guide service and gear rental. Bunkhouse accommodations are available for travelers on a budget; for those with fatter wallets, there are beautiful cabins.

From the lodge, it's a 13-mile drive to the park gate, and another five miles to the meteorological station at the end of the road, where most climbers camp the first night. The first day of walking leads from the met station (elevation 9,840 feet) to MacKinders Camp (elevation 13,645 feet). The next morning's walk traditionally starts very early in order to reach the summit by sunrise. It's about a four- to five-hour trek (every step of it uphill) to Austria Hut (elevation 15,600 feet). From there, it's a quick half-hour scramble to Point Lenana, the trekker's summit.

The only problem with this scenario: Most people cannot acclimate to climbing to 16,300 feet in a mere two days. Mount Kenya has a well-deserved reputation for altitude sickness, and the relative ease of the Naro Moru route practically guarantees it.

One solution: Slow down. Another solution: Take the hard way, which also happens to be the long way, and the scenic way.