Mount Kenya (3)

The majestic Mount Kenya had long been a source of fascination for Europeans, but it wasn't until 1849 that the mountain was first seen by a European. Dr. Johann Ludwig Krapf, a German missionary stationed in Kitui, a town about 100 miles away from the mountain, saw it from a distance on December 3, 1849. Krapf was told by the local Embu people that they avoided ascending the mountain due to the intense cold and the "white matter" that rolled down the mountain with a loud noise, leading Krapf to conclude that there were glaciers on the mountain. He also noticed that the rivers flowing from Mount Kenya, unlike other rivers in the area, were continuously flowing, leading him to believe that the mountain was the source of the White Nile. Despite Krapf's sighting, some remained skeptical of his claims until Joseph Thomson passed by the mountain in 1883 and confirmed its existence. It wasn't until 1893 that an expedition led by British geologist Dr. John W. Gregory successfully reached the glaciers on the mountain. From then on, exploration of Mount Kenya increased, particularly after the completion of the Uganda Railway in 1899.

Mount Kenya has a long and storied history of exploration, starting with the first European sighting of the mountain by German missionary Dr. Johann Ludwig Krapf in 1849. For many years, Europeans were unable to confirm Krapf's sighting, and some even began to doubt its veracity. It wasn't until 1883 that Joseph Thomson was able to pass close by the mountain and confirm Krapf's claim. The first European exploration of the mountain's upper reaches took place in 1887, when Count Sámuel Teleki reached an elevation of 4,350 meters on the mountain's southwestern slopes. However, it wasn't until 1893 that an expedition led by British geologist Dr. John W. Gregory was able to ascend Mount Kenya and reach the glaciers at the top of the mountain. In 1899, an expedition led by Sir Halford John Mackinder made it to the summit of the mountain, with Mackinder, Cesar Ollier, and Josef Brocherel reaching the top on September 13th.

Mount Kenya has a rich history of exploration, starting with its sighting by German missionary Dr Johann Ludwig Krapf in 1849. However, it wasn't until 1893 that an expedition led by British geologist Dr John W Gregory reached the glaciers on the mountain. In 1899, Sir Halford John Mackinder led an expedition to the mountain and successfully reached the summit of Batian, one of the mountain's main peaks, on 13 September of that year. Despite Mackinder's success, there were few expeditions to the mountain in the years following. Most of the exploration that took place until after World War I was done by settlers in Kenya, rather than on scientific expeditions. It wasn't until 1929 that the first ascent of Nelion, another main peak, was made by Percy Wyn-Harris and Eric Shipton. In 1930, Shipton and Bill Tilman made the first traverse of the peaks, ascending one peak and descending the other.

The majestic Mount Kenya has long been a site of fascination and exploration for both Europeans and locals. Dr. Johann Ludwig Krapf, a German missionary, was the first European to report seeing the mountain in 1849, but it wasn't until 1887 that Count Sámuel Teleki managed to reach 4,350 meters up the mountain's south western slopes. In 1893, a British expedition led by Dr. John W. Gregory became the first to reach the mountain's glaciers, and in 1899 Sir Halford John Mackinder made the first ascent of the mountain's highest peak, Batian. In the early 1930s, the Mountain Club of East Africa was formed, and in 1949 it split off to become the Mountain Club of Kenya. Many new routes were explored in the following decades, and in 1972 the Mount Kenya National Park Mountain Rescue Team was formed. However, not all adventures on the mountain have been successful; in 2003, a plane crashed into its slopes, killing everyone on board, and in 2012 a massive fire ravaged the area.

Mount Kenya is a popular destination for climbers, with many attempting to summit its peaks. The highest peak that can be ascended without climbing is Point Lenana, standing at 4,985 meters (16,355 feet). The most commonly climbed peaks are Nelion and Batian, with approximately 200 and 50 summits respectively. These two peaks often involve rock climbing, but some routes require only a scramble or walk. The mountain has two main climbing seasons, determined by its location close to the equator. During the northern summer, the rock routes on the north side of the peak are in good condition while the ice routes on the south side are in prime shape. This is reversed during the southern summer. Snow and ice levels on the mountain have been rapidly declining in recent years, making these climbs increasingly difficult and dangerous. The mountain is also home to several satellite peaks that offer good climbs, ranging in difficulty from a scramble to UIAA grade VI. These peaks are useful for acclimatization before attempting the higher peaks and can also be climbed as stand-alone ascents.

Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, offers a variety of routes for climbers and hikers. The rock climbing routes, which are located on the north side of the peak during the northern summer and the south side during the southern summer, range from a scramble to a climb at UIAA grade VI. There are also several ice routes, including the famous Diamond Couloir and the Ice Window route. These routes, which have been experiencing increasing difficulty and danger due to retreating snow and ice levels, require technical climbing skills. In addition to these technical routes, there are eight walking routes that lead up to the main peaks. These routes, which can be ascended in a day or up to three days, offer good terrain and stunning views of the surrounding areas. The most popular of these routes are the Chogoria, Naro Moru, and Sirimon routes, which have staffed gates and bunkhouses at each camp. The Peak Circuit Path, a 10 km loop around the main peaks, can also be traversed without the need for technical climbing.

Mount Kenya has long been a popular destination for hikers and climbers. The first European to report seeing the mountain was Dr Johann Ludwig Krapf, a German missionary, in 1849. Krapf inferred that there were glaciers on the mountain due to the intense cold and the presence of white matter rolling down the mountain, and also noted that the rivers flowing from the mountain were continuously flowing, unlike other rivers in the area which swelled during the wet season and dried up afterwards. It was Krapf who named the mountain "Kenya," although the derivation of this name is not certain. In 1887, Count Sámuel Teleki became the first European to explore the mountain, reaching a height of 4,350 meters on the southwestern slopes. In 1893, an expedition led by Dr John W Gregory reached a height of 4,730 meters and spent several hours on the Lewis Glacier. In the following decades, several new routes were discovered and climbed on the mountain, with the first ascent of Nelion in 1929 and the first traverse of the peaks in 1930. Today, most visitors to the mountain aim to summit Point Lenana, which can be reached without technical climbing, while fewer people attempt to summit Nelion or Batian, the two highest peaks, which require rock climbing. There are eight walking routes up to the main peaks, and accommodation on the mountain ranges from luxurious lodges on the lower slopes to basic huts higher up.

The origins of the name "Kenya" are shrouded in mystery, but it is thought to be related to words in the Kikuyu, Embu, and Kamba languages which all mean "God's resting place". In the 19th century, the German explorer Ludwig Krapf recorded the name as both "Kenia" and "Kegnia", which some believe to be a corruption of the Kamba version. Others, however, claim that this was a very precise notation of the correct African pronunciation, /ˈkɛnjə/. The Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai tells the story of how Krapf and Johannes Rebmann asked their guide, a member of the Kamba community carrying a gourd, what the mountain was called, and the guide, believing that the Germans were referring to the gourd, replied "kĩĩ-nyaa", which became the name of the mountain and then the country. The name was pronounced by colonial-heritage Europeans as /ˈkiːnjə/ for a long time, but this pronunciation has since been abandoned in favor of the African version.

The peaks of Mount Kenya have been given names from three different sources. Some have been named after Maasai chieftains, such as Batian, Nelion, and Lenana, which commemorate Mbatian, a Maasai Laibon or medicine man, Nelieng, his brother, and Lenana and Sendeyo, his sons. Terere is named after another Maasai headman. Other peaks have been named after European climbers and explorers, such as Shipton, Sommerfelt, Tilman, Dutton, and Arthur. The remaining names are after well-known Kenyan personalities, with the exception of John and Peter, which were named by the missionary Arthur after two disciples. There is also a group of four peaks to the east of the main peaks named after European settlers: Coryndon, Grigg, Delamere, and McMillan.