5 Most Challenging Hiking Routes in Kenya

 

For outdoors people, hiking has to be one of the best forms of recreational activities on the list. In fact, hiking should be on your list even if you don’t exactly consider yourself very “outdoorsy”. Think about it:

  • You get to spend a day out in the sun.
  • You get to see all kinds of birds.
  • You get to stretch those legs.
  • You get to do it with friends.

You also get to do it while carrying cool hiking gear like those famous adventurers you used to admire as a kid. What could be better than that? Well, maybe only the fact that you might come across some wild scenery such as waterfalls, pools, cliffs and 300-year-old Baobab trees! Yes, hiking is exciting…and exhausting.

Some of the Best Hiking Trails in Kenya

As a country with just over 6.2% forest cover (we really should work on increasing that) and about 20 mountains including Africa’s second highest peak (Mt. Kenya), you can be sure that there are plenty of hiking opportunities within her borders.

Hiking trail in the forest

Some of these hiking destinations can be considered a “walk in the park” while others will require a bit more preparation than just jumping into your hiking shoes and taking off in that general direction. While both types of hiking destinations can be very refreshing in their own ways, this list only covers the most gruelling hiking routes. If you are headed to any one of these places, you had best be prepared to take on a real challenge:

1. Taking on Mt. Kenya (Naro Moru Hike)

Note: This is not part of going up the mountain. To get to Point Lenana, you would need about a week to 10 days.

That, however, doesn’t mean that you can’t sample a bit of what Mt. Kenya has to offer. If you have 6-8 hours (Yes, 6-8 hours) then you can go up to the Met Station which lies at an altitude of 3,050m (about 10,000 ft.). This gruelling hike will start at the Naro Moru gate of the Mt. Kenya National Park and take you through the forest as well as bamboo zones.

About two hours into the hike, you will begin the steep climb at Percival’s Bridge and it’s also about the same time that you might start seeing elephants, colobus monkeys and even some buffaloes. So not only is this one of the most difficult hikes in Kenya but it’s also one of the most scenic.

If you have it in you, extending your hike for about another hour will bring you to the Alpine Zone where you will get breathtaking views of the peaks as well as strange yet eerily attractive vegetation such as the giant heather, Senecio, tussock grass and lobelia.

2. Get a Bird’s Eye view of Kajiado from Ngong Hills

By far one of the most popular hikes, the Ngong Hills is a very short distance from Nairobi CBD. You can easily get to the hills by car but to scale them, you have to go by foot. The entire hike might take about 5 hours, depending on your fitness levels and which route you take.

The most common route will take you to a trail that cuts through some village and a wind farm riddled with huge mills and finally to an old radio repeater station. From then on you will face a series of hills with the trail taking you south towards a place known as “Kona Baridi” (directly translates to “Cold Corner”) which will mark the end of your hike.

3. Conquer the Rift Valley through Mt. Longonot

Image Credit: Olly Parsons

Mt. Longonot is one of the many mountains within Kenya’s border. Currently categorized as a dormant volcano, Mt. Longonot steep and jugged slopes have provided many a thrill seeker with the perfect hiking opportunities. About an hour away from Nairobi, Mt. Longonot can be conquered in a day. For the most part, the hike will take about 4 hours and will take you to over 2,276 m (7,500 ft.) above sea level.

The hike up the mountain will take you about 4 hours and you will need an additional two hours to walk around the mouth of the crater itself which is kind of the entire point. The views of the Rift Valley from atop Mt. Longonot are worth every aching muscle.

4. Visit Enchanting Water Falls in the Aberdare Ranges

With an average elevation of 3,500 meters, the Aberdare Range is a mountain range north of Nairobi in Nyandarua County. The ranges are 160 km long and home to some of the most iconic waterfalls and hiking trails the country has to offer.

Your hiking trail options are numerous when you decide to take on the Aberdare Ranges. You could either go with the Kereita Forest option or the Ragia Forest alternative but the most popular happens to be the Elephant Hill hiking option.

Considered one of the most challenging hikes in the country, the Elephant Hill option brings you face to face with about 7 hours of hiking in the Njabini Forest. Waterfalls, streams, strange vegetation and unpredictable weather are all things you can expect when you take on the Aberdare Ranges.

5. Tame the Wild North as you Conquer Mt. Ololokwe

Mt. Ololokwe is a distinctive flat-topped mountain overlooking the Samburu plains in Kenya’s northern frontier. It’s actually a short distance from Archer’s Post (a local settlement occupied by the Samburu people and also used as a training ground by the British Army).

About 340kms from Nairobi, this lone mountain is located on Namunyak Conservancy and is referred to as “Ol Donyo Sabache” by the locals. At6 2,000 meters above sea level, Mt. Ololokwe stands out in this mostly arid area. As you go up the mountain, your hiking trails will mostly be made of rugged paths created by elephants as they periodically go up the mountain to find water. The hike takes about 3 hours.

The trip alone is worth every minute but the views from the top of Mt. Ololokwe are absolutely unforgettable.

Do you have a particularly challenging hiking trail that you love? Share it with us in the comment section below.

Our Readers Comments

  1. This is quite a great hiking masterpiece. I find it very interesting, informative and comprehensive. I have to share this with my fellow hikers and bookmark it for future reference.

    Thanks

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