Mount Longonot Hike
1st of July 2012 was a perfect day to head out of Nairobi for some hiking. My recent hike was Ngong Hills which was a total success. After preparing for Mt. Longonot, we met in town at 9AM and the group of 12 hikers headed out along Waiyaki Way in three cars. The weather was gloomy and at 17 degrees everyone was worried whether this was a really good idea.
Adrenaline kicked in after we made a stop at the Great Rift Valley View Point along Mai Mahiu Rd. Mt. Longonot was visible from this point, half covered in clouds. Everyone predicted what a challenge this would be. The 1 hour journey to Mt. Longonot National Park continued, arriving by 11am.
While at the parking lot we met two other hikers, made friends and we summed to a total of 14. Local residents pay Ksh.200* while non residents part with Usd.20*. We noted a big group of The Irish Army doing their training as they ran back to the entrance gate, all worn out. It seemed like some really intense training going on. A notice on the board said that Jones had set a record of 1 hour 20 minutes running up the mountain, round the rim, and back. All ready, backpacks and all, we started the walk. One lady pointed out that now she had all the reason to have as most junk food she could. There was a mixture of fun and excitement as we headed out.
Mt Longonot is a stratovolcano. It has fairly steep slopes covered with volcanic ash. Remember to pack good fitting shoes. Just as we reached the base of the mountain, temperatures rose and cloud cover made the hike really enjoyable.
The mountain can be navigated in two ways: A straight ascend to the top and back down or reaching the top and circumnavigating the crater rim. The crater has a circumference of 7.2Km and on we went!
Once atop the view is magnificent. You get to see Lake Naivasha, a ‘baby crater’ as we called it and this magnificent view of Oloonongot Crater on the mountain. The route round the crater has some steep, challenging areas but totally enjoyable. The summit of the mountain is roughly halfway round and at around 3pm we were at the peak, at altitude 2780M. It was an unbelievable moment as we had a snack and took group photos. It is so scenic and Kenya shows you its best all round as far as the eye can see. The vegetation is unique. I saw some plants I’d never seen anywhere else.
Mountain climbing builds me psychologically. It’s a good outdoor activity in that you may hypothetically view the mountain as a challenge. Before embarking on a hike, you prepare to face the challenge directly. You feel your body wearing out as you climb but you still want to push on and accomplish the task. Once you are at the summit of that Mountain, a well deserved tap on the back fills your heart with joy. Some scream to the top of their voice! It’s an awesome feeling and you are likely to be planning on other mountains to climb already. Life should be tackled like that.
[Video coming soon. Watch Ngong Hills Hike video HERE]
I’m told that rock climbing is also a very good activity with similar personal development challenges. I can’t wait!
All ready to descend, we carried on, round the rim and down along the slope. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds. You have to be careful of the steps you make to avoid slipping or twisting an ankle. We approached the gate and saw different game animals such as zebras, antelopes and giraffes grazing at a stone-throw distance. I felt like nature was rewarding us with such a beautiful sight. Four and a half hours later, Mt. Longonot was aced and I look forward to Mt. Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimambogo (maybe in reverse order).
What’s your outdoor sport? Which places have you hiked and how did you like it?
*Confirm current rates in case of change.
Additional Photos Credits to :Lynette Rattos & Goldi Flocks
A Visit to Voyager Ziwani Camp – Heritage Hotel
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This one began with us grabbing coffee for breakfast and fueling, destination, 257km away from Nairobi to Voyager Ziwani Camp – Tsavo West National Park. I enjoy touring Kenya by road as I absorb majestic scenery.
A couple of minutes later we were along the Nairobi – Mombasa highway towards Emali, 100 km from Nairobi through beautiful, vast savannah, greened thanks to the long rains. The road is smooth and after making a turn at Emali for the 100km drive to Loitokitok, nature gave us its best as far as the eye could see. It was beyond my imagination– with the Chyulus on the left in Tsavo West and Kilimanjaro hidden by dark clouds further on the right.
Tarmac winds through land that depicts wildlife up until two hills on either sides of the road that seem to open up a world of stunning beauty, more like a welcome to the land of wildlife. Two hours after we left Nairobi, we reached Oloitokitok for a tank refill. It’s a border town and Tanzanian cell phone service providers welcome us, giving us an idea of how far south we’d gone. Some 57km with a bit of off road driving, we were welcomed by friendly staff to the shadow of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.
On our first night after a nature walk and dinner, I jotted this note in my notebook at 2155Hrs. These words best describe that particular moment:
I’m warm in bed (many thanks to the surprise hot water bottle) writing this note at Voyager Ziwani in Tsavo. It has been a rainy evening but I’m not complaining at all. It’s my first time to spend a night in tented camp out in the wild and so far I love it! It’s a completely new experience. Adrenalin rushes whenever a hippo stares blank at you from the pool or when you hear birds shake tree leaves. The air is so fresh with a scent of the wild. My shoes got muddy and when I looked down to wipe them my eyes were met by ants building colonies and dragon flies following my every step. There’s so much Life and I feel embraced by mother nature.
The environs are music to the ears. Crickets, birds singing (over a hundred species of them!) and river water flowing down a stream from the hippo pool. Right now my tent zip is shut and I have a whistle by my bedside (keeping in mind what we were told earlier “If the animals disturb you, blow this.”) I was also told that later after midnight, once the generator is switched off, hippos will graze right outside my tent!
Earlier today, at around 4:30pm, we took a nature walk round the pool. We saw crocodiles, a family of hippos that number over 40 huge ones and so many different species of birds. It’s mind blowing. Our guide, Salim, is a walking encyclopedia, with so much info and you realize where you fit (well, hopefully not in a food chain..) Looking forward to seeing hippos graze! G’nyt.
At 2am I was woken up by hippos grazing a couple of feet away from my pillow on the other side of the tent! I didn’t move an inch and in pitch dark, I aborted the plan to use my flashlight to take a look at motomoto. I woke up the following morning to the sound of birds singing and I stepped out of the tent onto the green campsite.
It’s a night to remember; no telephone disturbances, sleep is so sweet and nature just has a way of soothing you to maximum relaxation. Ziwani has an amazing restaurant and bar serving a wide variety of delicacies. There’s a bonfire area where traditional dances are performed. I highly recommend a visit. Truly memorable. Other activities you can embark on include night game drives in Tsavo, ranch tour of Gicheha farm, trips to lakes Chala and Jipe, tours of World War II battlefields including the “Sniper Tree’ and “Salaita Hill”, the Adventurers’ Club for keeping children active while on safari and so on. Bird watchers are guaranteed a fabulous time. Learn more here.
There’s an airstrip right next to the camp and if you opt to drive down, use a 4X4 with fuel enough.
Below is a brief video of the camp. I’m editing a better one with the tents, nature walk, etc.. Visit this link again soon. Feedback is welcome under comments sections or tweet @eGichomo. Enjoy!
One of East Africas most established and innovative safari names, Heritage Hotels offers seven Kenyan properties in three different brands: Voyager Safari Camps and Beach Resorts in Tsavo and Mombasa; the famous Intrepids Camps in the Maasai Mara and Samburu, and the Great Rift Valley Lodge at Lake Naivasha; and the luxurious five-star Mara Explorer tented camp and the romantic Arabian isle hideaway of Kipungani on Lamu Island.
General Information on Heritage Ziwani Camp
Day 8 Isiolo – Nairobi [Turkana Expedition Finale]
Turkana Expedition was a great success. 8 Days later, over 1,800 km on tarmac, rough terrain, mud, sand, bare and fertile land, sunny and rainy weather… we were concluding the Northern Circuit with a 201 km drive from Isiolo to Nairobi through Nanyuki.
We checked out of the grand Sarova Shaba Hotel at 10am. It was a smooth ride to Kongoni Camp in Nanyuki later in the afternoon for lunch. By 4:30pm we were headed to Nairobi and arrived safely at 9pm. Monday traffic welcomed us back to the city with a hug. I was already planning my next safari!
Turkana won my heart; from its friendly people, the magical scenery, and its serene natural environment. It’s a place I’d love to go back and check up on how everyone is doing. The experience humbled me; opening up my mind and making me appreciate my surrounding, personal space, culture as well as access to basic needs. Since the trip I’ve adjusted my mentality towards comfort, enabling me look at life from a broader perspective and eliminating the lack mentality.
The trip created a buzz across social media with comments on this blog as well as numerous tweets. Below are some of them:
https://twitter.com/EnricoBalbo/status/195053758823141376 https://twitter.com/njooro/status/198049199185592320I’d also like to introduce to you one of the Professional Photographers that accompanied us, Dipl. Ing. Hartmut Fiebig: Chairman of The 50 Treasures of Kenya Trust. Twenty years ago, he cycled from Egypt to South Africa, through Kenya, and our magnificent country won his heart. I was honored to interview him during our stop at Merille Town and here are his wise words:
[YouTube Interview] W.I.P. Kindly check later.
The Turkana cultural festival will be held 18th-20th 2012 May at Loiyangalani. This will be a mind blowing exhibition of talent and cultures bringing all the tribes living near L. Turkana together. Don’t miss it. #TembeaKenya!
“In terms of scenery, the Northern Circuit I like it most.. because it has so many beautiful hills...” – Zack Kihato, Driver Guide, Gametrackers Safaris.
Special Thanks & Credits
The Kenya Tourism Board │Website│Twitter│Facebook│YouTube
The National Museums of Kenya│Website│Twitter│Facebook│
Citizen TV Kenya and @shirogaitho for running The Northern Circuit feature│YouTube
Karuwe Wachira : Professional Photographer extraordinaire │Website
Zack Kihato (aka. Zack Bauer) – Professional Driver Guide Gametrackers Safaris
All readers and travel enthusiasts from around the world! You inspire my writing.
Day 7: Marsabit – Isiolo
Sunday the 29th, 9AM breakfast was served in Marsabit. The weight of the journey was already being felt and I had my eye allergy (dust) to show while others had Nairobi Fly marks. We were 422 km from Nairobi and 222 km from our day’s destination, Isiolo.
Marsabit is very green and it had rained the previous night. The soil is red and fertile. The morning had heavy cloud cover. We were off to Isiolo, driving through patches of dry, dusty land.
Day 6: Koobi Fora – Marsabit
Early Saturday morning, after the night spent in laughter under the display of billions of stars, we prepared for yet another day-long drive. It’s a drive through dry and arid areas. Through Chalbi and Koronia deserts. Hot, dusty, sandy and bumpy conditions. A drive “back to Kenya” as most of the locals of Northern Kenya call it. Read more…
Day 5: Koobi Fora
Most of us had lost track of days and funny thing, the relaxing feeling of it being a Friday still kicked in. From dusk, everything was unfolding in a unique, relaxing manner.
Breakfast was served at 8:30am and the lake could be seen contrary to the previous night since we arrived at nightfall. There was no telephone network and a sudden ‘isolation’ feeling kicked in. I am not complaining though, it’s good at times to detach yourself from the usual emails and phone calls routine (especially through inevitable ways such as in this case). Read more…
Day 4:Loiyangalani – Sibiloi National Park (Koobi Fora)
That was some good night sleep. Everyone had rested well, thanks to The Pool! A full course breakfast was served and it was time to proceed with the adventurous journey.
The most effective and accurate weather forecast used in Turkana is word of mouth. You get to know about the roads you’ll use from people coming from the opposite direction. We did that and it was confirmed that the waters had subside and laggas were not so bad but very challenging. Destination, Sibiloi National Park.
The road north looked as below. Read more…
Day 3: Loiyangalani
After a bumpy, muddy ride full of twists, turns and skids at nightfall, we reached Loiyangalani at 8pm.
This was a long night. We had fresh fish from the lake for dinner and checked in our manyatta-like rooms. It had rained and there were lots of insects ‘welcoming’ us to their colonies. Everyone was preoccupied swatting them, scratching embarrassingly and many got marks to show. This was nothing close to leisure. This being the second night, I really didn’t know what else to expect later in the week and almost got a feeling of despair. Read more…
Day 2: Maralal – Baragoi – Loiyangalani
Greetings from Loiyangalani!!
Day 1: Nairobi – Nyahururu – Maralal
Today was a typical Monday morning in Nairobi. Heavy traffic, gloomy weather.. We met at Kenya National Museum, a team of 30 travelers who were excited and in a lively mood to leave the Nairobi routine.
10:30AM: Converged at Mountain view petrol station, along Waiyaki Way. The cars are in great shape, ready to tackle the rough terrain. 3 Nissans (one Navara, two 4.2D Patrols) and 3 Land Cruisers head out of Nairobi along Waiyaki Way towards the great Rift Valley, Northern Kenya. Read more…
Turkana Expedition: Preparations
Monday, 23rd April 2012, at 7:30AM is Day 1 of the 7-Day Turkana Expedition road trip.
There’s lots to consider while parking for such a trip, ie. Hot days, dusty roads, cold nights and possible rainfall.
Here’s the list of my luggage (from left to right as per the photo)
•Sneakers, Safari Boots and sandals.
•Lots of cotton t-shirts.
•Jeans and khaki trousers.
•Jersey and sweater for the cold nights.
•Caps and sunglasses.
•Torch.
•iPod and earphones.
•Modem and flash discs.
•Laptop.
•iPhone car & wall chargers.
•Digital cameras.
•Water, juice and energy drinks.
•Pain killers, Eno and mosquito repellents.
•Pen and Notebook.
•Travel guides.
•Mini towel and slippers.
•Toilette and other personal effects.
Professional photographers should also remember to carry their lenses, extra batteries and memory cards as well as lens cleaners.
What more do you think should be added to this list?
Turkana Expedition
The Kenya Tourism Board has organised a trip to northern Kenya. I’m honored to be among the team of travellers that will embarck in one of the most challenging road trips I’ve ever done. On Monday, 23rd April 2012, we’ll start our 7-day trip towards Turkana, Northern Kenya, by road. I’ve never visited the ares before and the first reaction upon getting the invite was excitement, followed by a chill of fear. Northern Kenya is known to be notorious with cattle rustlers (armed with guns and invading into villages, stealing cattle) but the same area boasts beautiful scenery with magnificent landscapes. It’s a photographer’s heaven. The later fact has helped me overcome the fear and take up this opprtunity to explore Kenya.
It’s a tough journey. I expect more of adventure and exploration with just enough luxury. I bet the temperatures are sky high but the best way to know is getting there.
The Route: NAIROBI – MARALAL – LOIYANGALANI – KOOBI FORA – MARSABIT – ISIOLO
I will document the whole journey (Day 1 to Day 7) on this blog. The blog URL is mobile. It’s also a great opportunity to have a week of iPhoneography which I’ve recently developed great interest in. Follow me on Instagram and Tadaa on the links below and see the pics.
Sit back, hold on, and join me on this journey.
Follow @eGichomo on Twitter │ Instagram │ Tadaa │YouTube
Related Post: Northern Kenya by @bikozulu
Tadaa, the best Instagram alternative for iPhoneographers [Review]
A few days ago, we got the news that Facebook acquired Instagram at $1Billion. This was just days after the release of the Android app. Many instagramers reacted to this and most were opting to close their accounts.
I have recently gained exceptional interest in iPhoneography and my first reaction to the release of the Android App was “will droid users really get it?” Apple has upgraded its iPhone camera and managed to bring pro and armature photographers together. Many professional photographers are using their iPhones to take photos more often than their expensive equipment, thanks to the portability of the phone and ability to slot it in spaces and angles that might be difficult or impossible with large cameras. Instagram has brought about a community of 30M+ iPhoneographers who were getting better by the day. I discovered other iOS editing Apps in the App Store and hence knew Android will definitely not match up. I gained an eye for photography and even learnt about angles and perspectives, rule of thirds, etc. thanks to a phone I carry around. Instagram was a community that gave me a sense of belonging and now I perceive it as an open field. I don’t stand a chance of learning more on iPhoneography since it’s now all about taking any photos, sharing them, and soon, Facebook might try to monetize the opportunity! However, I won’t delete my account just yet but my search for Instagram alternatives made me discover a brilliant iOS App built on Instagram’s template with more Twitter-like features for serious photographers. Read more…
Ngong Hills Hike
The Ngong Hills are peaks in a ridge along The Great Rift Valley. The word Ngong is a maasai word meaning ‘knuckles’ derived from the 4 highest peaks of the hills. Read more here
On Sunday morning, March 11th 2012, my friends and I headed out to Ngong to hike the hills.
Access and Route: It’s easier to access the hills from the North. Get to Ngong town and turn right to the police station. Use the steep dirt road past the police station and the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) station is approximately 2km away. That’s the point you make payment and security escort is provided. [Insist of police escort since there parts of the trail that have had a history of poachers attach.]
The peak of the Ngong Hills is at 2460 meters (8070 feet) above sea level. Read more…
How Powerful Twitter Is In Kenya
24 Hours ago, the petition Add Kenya as a Trend Location on Twitter went live. Visit the petition page for more details and remember to click on ‘Sign and Tweet’.
This idea came about after @natekev was kind enough to respond to my tweet, below. We often relate to at least 3 worldwide trending topics and often have Kenyans On Twitter (KOT) contributes to a number of Top 10s. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a category where all 10 trends make sense to us?
https://twitter.com/eGichomo/status/170807954977730561
Well, that ‘someone’ to organize the petition turned out to be me. Within 20 minutes, The petition was live and signatures started streaming in. I’m a numbers-person and some of the updates I’ve gives are as below:
1 Hour later, 60 tweets reaching 53,437 tweeps.
6 Hours later, 132 tweets reaching 97,880 tweeps.
20 Hours later, 168 tweets reaching 110,513 tweeps.
24 Hours later, 178 tweets reaching 115,053 tweeps.
Within 11Hrs, #AddKenyaToTrends petition became a New #1 petition on act.ly
Here are some of the notable reactions in the #AddKenyaToTrends petition hashtag:
Top 10 iPhone Apps of 2011
The App Store (iOS) was opened in July 10, 2008. As at early July 2011, 200 million iOS users had downloaded over 15 billion apps from its App Store. As of May 2011, Apple approved its 500,000th app and 37 percent of all apps are free with the average price $3.64. 30% of revenue from the store go to Apple, and 70% go to the developers of the app. Now that’s a Huge Store!
Here’s my list of the Apps I couldn’t do without in 2011. List of according to preference.
*Click on the Name of the App to be directed to the App Store page.
1. TweetBot Price: $2.99
.
Tweetbot automatically became my default twitter client after I purchased it. It offers the most amazing twitter experience. It has a great design, many options on integrated services such as Read Later, Image & Video upload, Mobilizer and customizable tabs. It also manages your lists well, push notification and funky sounds. My favorite is tweet options where you can double/tripple tap a tweet, hold, swipe to the right/left for conversation/replies resp. and so forth. Without a doubt, Tweetbot is a twitter client with personality. I recommend you give it a try.
Acer Smart Phones
Rapid Communication Ltd is a telecommunications solution provider and an exclusive partner of the iTouch brand of mobile phones. Rapid also has a strong strategic technology alliance with Iskratel, QPAY Spot & Zing Mobile.
Rapid Communications has grown to be one of the most effective telecommunications solution providers for innovative solutions, services and products of its kind from Kenya to the rest of Africa and the Middle East maintaining quality products and services in the market.
That’s why I decided to do this blog post on their Acer Smart phones running the Android OS. Check out the video below.
Song of the Week : Hard-Fi – ‘Fire In The House’ & Tiesto Remix
Last year I published a post expressing my opinion on music and a couple of people shared their love for Enya, whom I had specifically featured in the post. A year later and my love for music has grown even stronger, could this be my new high?
I have to share this song: “Fire In The House” by the band Hard-Fi. I discovered them through the Tiesto podcast. Great song, Tiesto’s remix will blow your socks off!! He took it to a whole other level… Enjoy.
Instagram & Photography
I recently downloaded the Instagram App for iOS and just a couple of days after, I’m totally hooked!
It’s a photographers heaven. There are brilliant photos of just about anything. The app uses the concept of Twitter where users create accounts and follow each other.. Only that the timeline (photo stream) consists of awesome photos. Hashtags can be used and you tag someone as well as comment; where the user is notified in the news tab.
Ideas are limitless and the FREE app comes with gorgeous filter effects. It has Twitter and Facebook integration and you can share your photos with family and friends. There is a photographer in everyone, and the photo steam is always breathtaking not forgetting the “Popular” tab which displays photos with the most reactions.
Here are some of my pics that I have shared so far. They’ve received some likes and pretty encouraging comments. What’s your Instagram user name? Share in the comments area and I’ll definitely follow back.
Follow eGichomo on instagram.
rO Photography
Photography is the science, art and practice of drawing with light. We’ve all at one point in life captured moments using a camera. Technology has made photography experience fantastic through invention of powerful cameras and lenses, smart digital cameras and camera integration in cell phones. People have made careers out of it as well as hobbies. Photography complements travel. A picture says a thousand words. This post is dedicated to all who have a passion in photography and one of them is rO. I introduce you to Riyaz Osman.
__________________________________________________________________________________
PROFILE
NAME: Riyaz Osman
EMAIL: riyaz.osman@gmail.com
URL: rO Photography Twitter: @ri_yaz
Professional Photographer living and working in Nairobi, Kenya.
________________________________________________________________________________
- Which Camera do you use, lenses and other accessories?
I use a Nikon D5000. I have a standard 18-55mm Nikon lens, and managed to get a 55-200mm zoom lens. I got a Nikon flashlight as well to compliment night shots. A friend (zaheen) recently bought me a tripod to work with!
egichomo.wordpress.com 
Recent Comments