Kenya: Face to Face with the Dragon's Teeth
After the Covid-19 pandemic, what better way to get back into things than with a camping trip and hike with some friends and family to the mysterious Dragon's Teeth?
Running down the middle of Kenya is the Aberdare range. This highland area does not give up its' secrets easily. There are few roads and most of them require 4 wheel drive. Though there are lots of animals, it is not easy to see them because of the thick forest. Because it is so high in altitude, it's very cold. But for those who make the effort, its' secrets are fabulous.
We started off in the Southern part of the range, which is not quite as high in altitude as the North, but is still significant. It is mostly above 3,000m above sea level and to get up there you have to drive up on a steep, winding and seemingly endless road. As you get higher, though, the views get more and more stunning. Eventually you come to the entrance of the park and are welcomed by Kenya Wildlife Rangers who are dressed in their usual khaki uniform but also thick sweaters, scarves and woolen hats. This should have been a clue!
This part also has a lot more wildlife, though with lots of vegetation it is not as easy to see it as in some of the lowland parks. The highlight of this part of the park is a variety of waterfalls.
It's worth mentioning the interesting history behind the name of the cave behind the Magura falls. In 1952, Elizabeth was visiting this park when she got news that her father the King had died, and she was now Queen. In honor of that occasion, the cave behind the falls got its name: Queen's Cave. Apart from its history, the falls are soo lovely.
The most spectacular falls are the Karuru Falls. They are preceded by a short hike that doesn't really give any idea of what's coming up. Abruptly the path opens out to a sheer cliff and the falls plunge down 273 metres (highest falls in Kenya). It is so steep that it's difficult to show in a picture, and so if you want to get the full experience you are just going to have to come in person to see them.
The next day we moved camps to the Northern part of the park. There is no direct road through the park, so we had to exit the park and drive some distance and then re-enter from the Shamata gate. We drove through a small town and it should have been another clue that all the school kids had mboshoris (like a woolen beanie hat) and leg warmers as an official part of their school uniform. This part of the park had a stunning old forest that we drove through to get to our camp, which was really just a patch of exposed land next to a huge stone tower. "Drive until you see the 2 big rocks, then camp right there!" is what the ranger at the gate told us.
This was probably the coldest night I have ever spent camping, and that includes camping on Mount Kenya. It was below freezing and also it was crazy windy the whole night. The wind drives the cold right through your tent and sleeping bag. For once I had to zip my bag all the way up and use that cord that tightens it up around your head and leaves just a tiny hole for your eyes and mouth.
The next day was glorious, sunny and warm. We set off with our guide who had a full on automatic rifle. "Is that for dangerous animals?" we asked him. "No, it's for poachers" he replied. Which wasn't really that comforting.
After about 5 minutes, Rita said, "No way I am going to make it! I am going back!" After some convincing, she then proceeded to soldier on for the next 16 kilometers without complaint. Well done, Rita!
Our ultimate goal was Ol Donyo Le Satima, which is Masai for 'Mountain of the Young Bull'. To be honest, this was not an easy hike. Most of it is through a crazy swamp. Each step carried the risk that your foot would plunge into a pool of freezing mud. On the plus side, the windswept moors are achingly beautiful.
As we progress towards the peak, gradually the dragon's teeth come into view. These are volcanic cones that abruptly jut out of the moorland like some prehistoric creatures teeth. They are really spectacular and lend a surreal appearance to the landscape.
The peak itself is 4,001m (13,127ft) above sea level. Due to the high altitude, the plants give way to hardy species that are unique to this altitude like the giant groundsel and the giant lobelias.
Just before the peak there is a steep ascent, and of course it started raining and hailing to try and sap our final energy. Our friendly guide kept encouraging us and step by step we made it to the peak.
We enjoyed 360 degree panoramic views and the satisfaction of having made it to the top, then reality dawned that we still had to walk the eight Kilometres back to our base camp! In truth though, even though it was an arduous hike we absolutely enjoyed the stunning views. One day we will meet again, Dragon's Teeth.
