Known as one of the coldest places in Kenya, the Aberdares in most Kenyan minds, is the last national park to visit. Thanks to the Capital FM evening show, Hits Not Homework, which targets the youth, and Kenya Wildlife Service , students whom would usually be at home sulking and waiting for their exam results in the midst of a television binge, braved the cold and experienced the beautiful Aberdares and its impressive dynamic landscapes for the first time.
Aberdare National Park
Aberdare National Park, famously conserved through the efforts of Rhino Ark and their continuous conservation efforts through the annual adrenaline-filled Rhino Charge, is an important water catchment area and feeds many of Kenya’s rivers including Tana River.
Ranging from 2,100 m to 4,300 m above sea level, all 766 square kilometres of Aberdare National Park is covered with some of the Country’s most diverse and impressive landscapes. From high mountain peaks, to deep v-shaped valleys with crystal-clear streams and rivers carved into them, to towering waterfalls, to lush indigenous bamboo forests, and to the Queen’s Caves where the Mau Mau used to preserve their meat – the list of things to see in the Aberdares just goes on.
Aberdares’ cold brings unique beauty
The Aberdares are definitely cold. With the high rainfall and altitudes, undoubtedly, trekkers will wake to frigid temperatures cold enough to see their breath and steam rising from their bare skin. But, it is because of this same cold that the Aberdares is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in Kenya, resulting in a backdrop blanketed beautifully in lush greenery.
Whether it’s the fog that envelopes the mountains, or the mist that slowly creeps across the landscape, or the water-logged soils that ooze into sparkling clean streams, or mystical moss that drapes on vegetation when the oxygen purity around you is at 80%, or the seas of yellow and purple wild flowers that are havens to many small mammals and insects – the Aberdares is full of inspiration no matter what direction you look. Not to mention, the game in the Park boasts the second largest population of Black Rhinos in Kenya, illusive leopards and incredibly rare Serval Cats.
Aberdares’ star power
The Aberdares, have not only been featured in memorable commercials such as in Safaricom’s showcase of their choir singing a powerful, emotional and patriotic song in front of Karura Falls; but also in Hollywood features like in Meryl Streep and Robert Redford’s Out of Africa – confirming the visually stunning beauty of the Aberdares.
Camping PhotoBlog:
Photo Credits: Susan Wong © All rights reserved.
