THE ABERDARE RANGES
MOUNTAIN  CLIMBING HIKING/CLIMBING THE ABERDARES

Aberdare National Park:
The Aberdare National Park covers the higher areas of the Aberdare Range of central Kenya, and the Aberdare Salient to their east. This park is located 180 km from Nairobi and stretches over a wide variety of terrains because it covers altitudes from about 7,000 feet to 14,000 feet above sea level. Established in May 1950, the Aberdare National Park covers an area of 767 square kilometers and forms part of the Aberdare Mountain Range. The park contains a wide range of landscapes - from the mountain peaks that rise to 14,000 feet above sea level, to their deep, v-shaped valleys intersected by streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Moorland, bamboo forests and rainforests are found at lower altitudes.

Wildlife:
Animals easily observed include the lion, leopard, baboon, black and white Colobus monkey, and sykes monkey. Rarer sightings include those of the golden cat and the bongo - an elusive forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest. Animals like the eland and spotted and melanistic serval cats can be found higher up in the moorlands. The Aberdare National Park also contains a large population of the black rhino. Visitors can also indulge in walking, picnics, trout fishing in the rivers and camping in the moorlands. Even the bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park, including the Jackson's Francolin, sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers. It is a traditional belief of the Kikuyu that the Aberdare Mountain Range, where this park is located, is one of the homes of 'Ngai', or God.

Facilities:
Visitors to the park can find different types of accommodation according to their taste, ranging from the Treetops tree-house lodge, to the Ark - built in the shape of Noah's Ark - and three self-help banda sites, eight special campsites and a public campsite in the moorland. There are also five picnic sites. Both Treetops Lodge and Ark Lodge provide excellent nighttime wildlife viewing. From here, visitors can observe various animals, such as elephant, buffalo, lion and rhino, which get attracted to the waterholes. The park also includes two airstrips - at Mweiga & Nyeri.

5 DAYS HIKING/TREKING ABEDARES RANGES

DAY 1:NAIROBI - NYERI

Drive from Nairobi in the morning, through Central Kenya coffee and tea farms arriving Mountain Lodge in time for lunch. Take an afternoon nature walk in the Mount Kenya forest that assists you with the much needed acclimatization in Aberdare. If time permits, have an acclimatization hike to the famous mau mau caves, where the Kenyan freedom fighters stage their freedom struggle. Dinner and overnight in Mountain Lodge

DAY 2:NYERI TOWN - REEDBUCK CAMP

Today you transfer to Aberdare National Park via the park headquarter to pick a ranger and then enter the park through Tree top Gate for game viewing and a short walk visit to the scenic waterfalls enroute to Reedbuck campsite for overnight. Dinner and over night at the camp.

DAY 3:REEDBUCK CAMP - TENTED CAMP

After breakfast, start a 5-6 hours hike through a track dotted with giant heather, tussock grass, open forest glades and rose wood to arrive at Honi river. The hike offers opportunities to encounter with buffaloes, elephant and many antelopes. Picnic lunch is served enroute. Dinner and overnight at tented camp.

DAY 4: TENTED CAMP

Early breakfast and hike for 5-6 hours through forest and lastly moorland on the way up the Road head, then to the mouth of Honi river. The day¹s hike offers adequate acclimatisation in preparation for the following day peak attempt. Dinner and overnight at tented camp.

DAY 5:TENTED CAMP -LESATIMA -NYERI TOWN

Hike up the Satima peak (4001m) taking 2 - 3 hour to arrive in time for an African dawn. On clear day there is opportunities to observe Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro on the horizon and even the surrounding vicinity of Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and the Daiga hills. Descent back to the roadhead to connect with a transfer vehicle back to Mountain Lodge for a nice hot shower and a late lunch.and onward transfer. End of the tour.