My Experience
How often do you hike?
Do you like hiking?
Ever been to Mount Longonot?
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| Mount Longonot: the sign of victory |
I enjoy hiking, but I don't do it very often. I do it when I get a chance, which is rare. But anyway, I have been to Mount Longonot, not once but twice. Once I did it when I was in primary school, and I didn't like it coz our headteacher made us wear the full school uniform, knowing well that we were going for a hike. Imagine hiking up a mountain with your school dress and black leather shoes......let me give you some minutes to imagine. Yeah......that was us, innocent hiking Mount Longonot with our long dresses and heavy leather shoes. The guys couldn't say the same thing coz they were in shorts......I can hear you say that's not fair.
I'm not here to talk about my primary school life, but an adventurous hike to Mount Longonot. So, the other time I did it was on 1st May 2024. You might wonder why I remember the date, this date just has to be remembered coz it was a season of heavy rains in Kenya, and a larger percentage of the country was flooded.
Mind you, this was an organized hike, so we went as a group from Chuka. For me, I knew the trip was not going to happen coz a road in Embu was destroyed by the rains. For me, this was the first red flag. But......" God is good all the time, and all the time God is good," the trip did happen. On this Labour Day, we woke up early and started the trip at around 5:30 AM. The journey was okay, and when reaching Embu, we used an alternate route, which was longer, unlike the highway.
We were out of the Mount Kenya region and we were at Kahawa Wendani, right outside Kenyatta University........here's the second red flag. The road was flooded really, really badly, and it was not good for the small cars, because of the high water levels. Here, buses and trucks showed off. Remember I mentioned God is good, we were in a 'matatu' which was a bit high, and so we managed that tiny river.
The rest of the journey was okay, and no more red flags were realized. It took us roughly 5 hours and 30 minutes from Chuka to Naivasha. If you are traveling from Nairobi, the journey is shorter, around 2 hours.
The Journey is not boring since the Great Rift Valley viewpoint is en route. The drivers stop there for a few minutes so that we can enjoy the views, buy curios, and also for a washroom break.
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| Views from The Great Rift valley View Point |
So, How is Mount Longonot
From a distance, the mountain looks like a small hill, so if you've never done hiking before, the size from a distance would give you psyche. Mount Longonot is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service because there are wild animals. The interesting bit about this hike is that you don't just get tired with grace, but you also get to feed your eyes with the beauty of the wild animals feeding. Animals found there are giraffes, zebras, and buffaloes.
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| Mount Longonot from a distance |
While hiking up the mountain, it's advisable to be in a group or have a guide because the buffaloes might be up there having their breakfast or lunch. Speaking of lunch, it's good to have a few snacks while hiking and also plenty of water. Don't torture your body, eat, and hydrate.
Mount Longonot is an easy hike, and a beginner can tackle it well if the right pace is used. The terrain is not that bad, actually, there are man-made stairs made just to make it easy for hikers to go up the mountain. The place is just green with plants that are thorny but green(don't know the name)
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| Stairs up Mount Longonot |
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| Mt Longonot Vegetation |
Once you get up there, you realize the view is worth all the struggle. The views are just beautiful and there is a crater up there that has been dormant for the longest time (this is just the geography story), but if you asked the residents around there what's the deal with the crater, they'll offer a really interesting story (when visiting Mount Longonot, look out for this tea)
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| The dormant Mount Longonot Crater |
So up the mountain, you can decide to go around the crater, which is about 7 kilometers, mind you, this is more kilometers than hiking up, which is about 2 kilometers. You can also chill up there, take nice Instagram photos, and breathe in the fresh air. The descent is not that bad.
What I Would Recommend
- Go with a group of friends that psyches you up
- Wear proper hiking gear
- Carry enough water
- Go with a free mind, ready to have a great experience
Back to my experience
After descending, it started raining. I know I was done with the red flags, but this was the third and last red flag. So, as it was raining, we had to move fast before the flood caught up with us. I know this was stupid, but it was the only way.
Anyway, we reached Chuka safely, and to me, it was a nice and adventurous day. Definitely a day that I can never forget, the 3 red flags won't even let me.
If you ever want to go hike up Mount Longonot, just reach out, and we will do it together.
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