Best time to visit Mount Kenya National Park
If you’re looking for the best time to visit Mount Kenya National Park, which is the second-highest peak mountain in Africa, with its highest peak standing at approximately 5 199 meters above sea level. It also serves as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a realm of the mythical Kikuyu god is known as Ngai. The ancient Kikuyu people built their customary homes facing this sacred peak as they believed it was a place of light; hence the name Kirinyaga.
Temperatures at Mount Kenya National Park are cooler than throughout most of the country. The climate is subtropical or temperate. The rainy season runs from March to May and from October to December when it is drizzly and cloudy. Rainfall is moderate on the lower slopes and heavier higher up. The sunniest months are from December through March.
December to March are the sunniest months and perhaps the best time to visit. There are some cloudy periods and rain from March to May and drizzle from October to early December which may restrict clear views. However, Mount Kenya National Park is open all year round.
Since Mount Kenya has mountain geography, the climate and weather vary with altitude. At high altitudes, it is freezing cold, misty, and windy. The vegetation is mainly alpine and sub-alpine flora, bamboo forests, moorland, and tundra. The vegetation changes notably as you ascend because of the variations in temperatures.
Climbing Mount Kenya is far less technically challenging than a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, but mountaineering experience is recommended if you’re to reach the summit safely. The highest peaks of Batian (5199m) and Nelion (5188m) can only be reached by mountaineers with technical skills, but Point Lenana (4985m), the third-highest peak, can be reached by trekkers and is the usual goal for most mortals. When the clouds part, the views are simply magnificent.
Get in touch with Enclose Africa Safaris, for the best hiking safari planning to hike Mount Kenya