Off the Beaten Path - Cherangani hills

The daunting barrier of the dramatic Cherangani Hills hides within its forests some of the finest mountain landscapes in the world. These wild, thickly forested hills are miles away from the popular tourist circuit with fine mountain landscapes. They are the fourth highest mountain range in Kenya and include rolling hills as well as dramatic mountain peaks, and forms the highest, most breathtaking and spectacular escarpments of the Rift Valley. Unlike most of Kenya's mountains and ranges, the Cherangani Hills are not volcanic in origin.

The highest elevation of the Cheranganis is the Kameleogon measuring 3580 meters high, making it the 4^th highest mountain in Kenya after Mt. Kenya, Mt. Elgon and the Aberdare Range. But besides Kameleogon, there are plenty of other peaks for those willing to meet the challenge;such as Chebon,the second highest crest standing at 3375 metres, Chepkotet in the north-central section at 3370 metres, Alaleigelat at 3350 m and lastly Sodang at 3211 m.

They are centered upon a forested escarpment and surrounded on three sides by sheer cliff faces. They are criss-crossed by walking paths, and ease of direction and undemanding slopes make this excellent country for relaxing hill walking. The paths cross open farmland, pass through sheltered valleys and wind their way up to forested peaks.

The Forest Reserves on Cherangani are made up of 13 administrative blocks, totaling 95,600 ha in gazetted area. Of this, c.60,500 ha is closed-canopy forest, the remainder being formations of bamboo, scrub, rock, grassland, moorland or heath, with c.4,000 ha of cultivation and plantations.

Kapkanyar, Kapolet and Kiptaberr Forest Reserves together form a large western block of forest, totalling c.20,000 ha. To the east, the Forest Reserves of Lelan, Embotut, Kerrer, Kaisungor, Toropket, Chemurokoi, Kupkunurr, Cheboit, Sogotio and Kapchemutwa are less well connected. Apart from a large south-eastern block along the escarpment crest, the forests here are fragmented and separated by extensive natural grasslands, scrub and (especially in the central part) farmland .

The Cherangani forests are important for water catchment, and sit astride the watershed between the Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana basins. Streams to the west of the watershed feed the Nzoia river system, which flows into Lake Victoria; streams to the east flow into the Kerio river system.

This area also embraces a place sacred to Kenyan Nationalist – the small town of Kapenguria, where in the 1950’s the colonial government stated the rigged show trial of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. The school room where the trial was staged is a shrine to the nation’s founding father and the prison and compound and cell where he was held is a  national monument

Getting here

You can drive almost all the way to the top of some peaks, but others involve strenuous , high altitude trekking .All the main routes cross the 3000 m contour, with decreased oxygen supplies. Car engine performance may be adversely affected by the altitude, and it is essential to carry extra supplies of fuel as consumption is heavy.

There are two approaches, from the Kapenguria-Marich Pass road, past a terrifying deep valley, or through the Kito Pass and up the Tot Escarpment. The main road is known as the Cherangani Highway, and is one of the most terrifying and challenging roads in Kenya. Grave mounds are concealed on top of the Kaisungur Range, venerated and closely guarded by the local people.

So what makes traveling here so special? chief among reasons ......you will feel like an explorer on an real expedition.

• You can drive through the hills and up to some of the hills if you have a 4WD vehicle for example Mount Kipteberr and enjoy the view spanning all the way to Mount Elgon on the Kenya/Uganda border

• Chesewe viewpoint forms an excellent location for a sun-downer where you can enjoy a 180 degree view of the Kerio valley and the Laikipia-Plateau with the Tugen Hills in the background.

• Kipkunur Hill  walk from Kapsowar, which is about 3063m high. The view from the top of the mountain is worth the climb. On the way you will appreciate the tropical mountain forest with many high-value timber trees and bamboo forest as you near the upper parts of the hill. The hills are also an important bird area (IBA) due to the diversity of bird species found in the region making it a birding mecca, and whether you are a serious ornithologist or a hobby birder, you should not miss the Cheranganis. There are excellent bird guides available locally. It’s also very likely that you will also get to encounter troops of monkeys like the sloppy Colobus and the rare De Brazza’s monkey, thought to only exist west of the Rift Valley until it was discovered living in the Mathew’s Range

• Chepkiit Waterfalls & Conservancy near Eldoret town . This is an impressive waterfall that can be appreciated, above and below, from several view points and platforms. The waterfall is surrounded by rocks and lush vegetation. It is an ideal place for a family picnic where you can enjoy and explore the rocks, forest and river. Access by public transport is also possible if you are taking a matatu from Eldoret  at a fee of Kshs.50 Kshs or you can take a boda boda for Kshs.100 from the Mulango Shopping Centre. The waterfall can be reached from the road linking Eldoret and Kapsabet. It is 26 km from Eldoret and about 6km from Eldoret International Airport. Coming from Eldoret on the main road towards Kapsabet, branch to the right at the Mulango Shopping Centre and follow the murram road for about 2 km.