Mount Kenya Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Kenya

Highest point
Elevation	5,199 m (17,057 ft)
Prominence	3,825 m (12,549 ft) Ranked 32nd
Listing	Seven Second Summits Country high point Ultra
Geography
Location	Kenya
Geology
Mountain type	Stratovolcano (extinct)
Last eruption	2.6–3.1 MYA
Climbing
First ascent	1899 by Halford Mackinder, with guides César Ollier and Joseph Brocherel
Easiest route	Rock climb

Mount Kenya is the tallest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in all of Africa. Only Kilimanjaro is taller! The very top parts of Mount Kenya are called Batian (5,199 meters high), Nelion (5,188 meters high), and Point Lenana (4,985 meters high).

This amazing mountain is found in Kenya, about 16.5 kilometers south of the equator. It's also about 150 kilometers north-northeast of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. Did you know that the country of Kenya is actually named after Mount Kenya?

Mount Kenya is a type of volcano called a stratovolcano. It was formed about 3 million years ago, after the East African Rift started to open up. Long, long ago, before ice covered it, the mountain was probably about 7,000 meters tall! For thousands of years, a huge ice cap covered it. This ice carved out the mountain, creating many valleys that spread out from the center. Even today, there are 11 small glaciers on Mount Kenya. The forests on the mountain's slopes are super important because they provide water for many people in Kenya.

Nature and Wildlife on Mount Kenya
- Unique Plants and Animals
- Water and Weather
Exploring Mount Kenya
- Early Explorers
- Climbing the Peaks
Images for kids
See also

Nature and Wildlife on Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya has different areas of plants and animals as you go from the bottom to the top. The lower parts are covered in various kinds of forests. Many unique plants and animals live only on Mount Kenya. These include giant lobelia plants, senecio plants, and a special type of rock hyrax.

A large area of 715 square kilometers around the mountain's center is protected as Mount Kenya National Park. In 1997, this park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than 16,000 people visit the park every year to see its beauty and wildlife.

Unique Plants and Animals

The plants on Mount Kenya have to be very tough. They are specially made to handle the big changes in temperature between day and night. For example, the Senecio keniodendron is a plant that has adapted to these extreme conditions.

Animals like Hyrax are also very good at living in this challenging climate. You can find them even at the highest parts of the mountain. In the forests, you might see Safari ants marching in long lines. They are easiest to spot when they cross the paths.

Water and Weather

The water that flows from Mount Kenya helps over 2 million people. The mountain's weather is affected by something called the Intertropical Convergence Zone. When this zone passes over the equator, Mount Kenya gets its wet season. During the dry season, mornings are usually clear and cool, but the mountain often gets hidden by clouds by midday.

Exploring Mount Kenya

People have been exploring Mount Kenya for a long time.

Early Explorers

An explorer named Joseph Thomson reached the lower parts of Mount Kenya. He helped confirm that the mountain was real, after it was first seen by Krapf. Later, in 1887, Count Sámuel Teleki was the first European to actually step onto Mount Kenya. His group climbed up to 4,350 meters high.

Climbing the Peaks

The first people to reach the very top of Mount Kenya were Halford Mackinder and his guides, César Ollier and Joseph Brocherel, in 1899.

There are many peaks on Mount Kenya that are popular for rock climbing. For example, Shipton and Russell were the first to climb Point John in 1929. Point Lenana is the third highest peak, and it's the one that most climbers try to reach.

Images for kids

Mount Kenya, as seen from a SkySat satellite
Many groups living near Mount Kenya believe it is sacred. They used to build their homes facing the mountain.
Mount Kenya was a stratovolcano and probably looked similar to Mt. Fuji (shown above).
The central peaks of Mount Kenya are volcanic plugs that have resisted glacial erosion. (Left to right: Point Thompson (4955m), Batian (5199m) and Nelion (5188m))
The Lewis Glacier is the largest on Mount Kenya.
Frost heaving causes patterned solifluction lobes below Mugi Hill.
Runoff from Mount Kenya provides water for over 2 million people.
The timberline forest is commonly in cloud. The trees are relatively small and covered in lichens and mosses.
Many plants that live on Mount Kenya, like this Senecio keniodendron, have to be specially adapted to the extremes in temperature.
Hyrax are able to cope with a more extreme climate and are found up to the highest elevation.
Safari ants swarm around the forest in long columns. They are easiest to see when they cross the tracks.
The Intertropical Convergence Zone affects Mount Kenya's wet and dry seasons.
In the dry season, mornings are typically clear and cool, but the mountain is hidden in cloud by mid-day.
Joseph Thomson reached the foothills of Mount Kenya and confirmed Krapf's discovery.
Count Sámuel Teleki was the first European to set foot on Mount Kenya. His expedition reached 4,350 meters.
Shipton and Russell made the first ascent of Point John up the south-east gully in 1929.
There are many peaks on Mount Kenya that require rock climbing.
Batian on the left, Nelion on the right, and Slade in the foreground.
Lenana, the third highest peak, is the most ascended.
Mount Kenya, left to right: Point Lenana (4985m), Nelion summit (5188), Batian summit (5199m).
Krapf Rognon (4,800 meters) and Krapf glacier.
Midget peak can be climbed in a day.
Terere and Sendeyo are two craggy outlying peaks.
Mugi hill and the Giant's Billiards Table offers some of the best hillwalking in Kenya.
Nelion from Batian in Dec 1974.
Looking down the Diamond Glacier to Pt John.
The Gorges Valley is a major feature on the Chogoria Route.
Vertical bog on Mount Kenya on the Naro Moru Route.
Looking towards the peaks up the Mackinder Valley on the Sirimon Route.
Austrian Hut is found near the Lewis Glacier on the slopes of Point Lenana. The hut sleeps 30 people, with Top Hut nearby for porters.
Liki North Hut is a small bothy in the Liki North Valley. It offers little more than shelter from the weather.
Shipton's Camp is at the top of the Sirimon Route. It has a large communal area and running cold water.
Camping is allowed anywhere within the National Park.
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club is a resort located in Nanyuki at the base of Mount Kenya. The resort has over 120 rooms and is one of the most exclusive in the region.

Mount Kenya facts for kids

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