MT ELGON

Mt. Elgon
Mt. Elgon is the second highest mountain in Kenya. The mountain straddles the Kenya-Uganda border. The name Elgon is a corruption of a Maasai word. The Maasai  called the mountain Ol doinyo loo lkony or the  mountain of the Il-kony. Il-kony refers to the Sabaot people who live on the slopes of Mount Elgon. The Sabaots are a part of the Kalenjin community.



Quick Facts:
Height:  4321 metres or 14,178 ft.
Peaks: 
Wagagai - 4321 metres Uganda
Sudek - 4,302m  Kenya
Koitobos - 4,222m KenyaStatus: extinct volcano
Age: 24 million years

Mount Elgon has the largest surface area of any extinct volcano in the world (50 km by 80 km ). Mt. Elgon It contains the largest intact caldera, a collapsed crater covering over 40kms at the top of the mountain, sorrounded by a series of rugged peaks

Vegetation
Dense montane forest
Bamboo
Heath and moorland
Giant lobelia and groundsels

Wildlife
 Black and White Colobus Monkey,
Blue Monkey,
Birds such as
Golden Winged and Tacazze sunbirds, Ross's and Hartlaubs Turacos, Black and White Casqued and Crowned Hornbills, the endangered Lammergeier and the Jackson's Francolin.
Buffalo,
Duiker,
Hyena
Leopard.
Elephant

Mount Elgon is sorrounded by the Mount Elgon National park on the Kenyan side and the main entrance is at Suam in Kitale

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MOUNT KENYA

Mt. Kenya
This is the mountain that gave the country its name. The name Kenya comes from the Maasai word "erokenya", which means mist or snow. The Maasai called the mountain Oldonyo Le-rukenya in reference to its snow-capped peaks and enveloping foggy cloud. Another popular Maasai name for Mt Kenya is Oldoinyo Keri, meaning striped mountain. Mt. Kenya, fittingly is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa.

Quick Facts:
Age: 3 and a half million years old
Status: extinct volcano
Height: 5,199m (17,057 ft) tall.
Peaks: Batian - 5,199m (17057 ft) tall.
            Nelion - 5,188m (17,021 ft) t
            Lenana - 4,985 meter (16,355 ft)

Nelion peak is the hardest to climb only experienced mountaineers should attempt to climb. Lenana Summit however is ideal for amateur climbers. It’s possible to hike to the Lenana summit of Mount Kenya without mountaineering experience.


The peak is permanently covered by snow and glaciers. The upper reaches of the mountain has unique forms of flora and fauna.

Flora
Bamboo
Montane forest
Moorland and
Tundra
Alpine and sub-alpine flora.
These include tufts of tussock grassland, Spanish moss, giant groundsels and giant lobelia that have adapted to the treacherous mountainous climate.

Fauna
Leopards,
African elephants,
Black rhino,
Buffalo, 
Giant forest hog.
MonkeyS
 Hyrax species 


Mount Kenya is surrounded at its base by the Mount Kenya National Park, which is a popular tourist attraction. There are several lodges and hotels around Mt. Kenya.

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