Mt. Kenya

My name is Abdi. I am boy aged 16 years old. I am a tall skinny boy and I keep long dreadlocks. My parents were reggae funs from Ethiopia. I am the leader of our schools scout team and the leading Boy Scout in our District. I go to Kisumu Day High School In Kenya East Africa. I live on the shores of lake Victoria.

Our school is right on the Equator, so is our country Kenya. But can you imagine we have snow! Yes I said snow! In Kenya Africa, we have some of the finest 24/7 563 days a year snow and glacier courtesy of Mt Kenya my favourite place.

Peaks in view: Batian, Nelion, Point John

Some facts about Mt. Kenya

Mount Kenya is the second highest mountain in Africa. It is an extinct volcano. It dominates the Central Kenyan highlands, towering just seventy miles north of Nairobi, and ten miles south of the Equator.

The mountain was once much higher, but today it is a large dome, roughly 60 miles in diameter, from which rises the steep, eroded remains of its volcanic core. This summit is actually twin summits, a pair of rocky snow-capped peaks, Batian (17,057 ft./5199m) and Nelion (17,021 ft./5188m), separated by a narrow gap and surrounded by an intricate system of peaks and ridges, with many high glaciers.

More technically difficult than Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya offers some of Africa's finest rock and ice climbing. Huts are available along the most common routes, but the more serious routes may require bivouacs.

The mountain is heavily forested, and its ecological diversity is one of its primary attractions.

Mount Kenya in Africa early in the morning June 1990

A variety of plant life grows on the slopes, including camphor, cedar, and bamboo; while elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard roam the surrounding areas.