Mt. Kenya
Denissa Baidya
Supportive Material Speech
April 12, 2012
Mt. Kenya
Mt. Kenya is Africa’s second highest mountain at 5199 meters after Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is part of the central highlands in Kenya. Throughout the hike, there are several stations located in the different heights which are the recommended locations for spending the night. With its rugged glaciers and forested slopes, it’s one of the most impressive landscapes. In my experience, climbing this mountain was a very hard task to complete and not anyone could do it without enough preparation, but at the same time, you don’t have to be a professional climber, you only need encouragement and determination to complete this task. We had to go through a lot of prep hikes and climb other mountains to prepare ourselves mentally and physically before we got to Mt. Kenya. These prep hikes were necessary not only to learn how to climb a mountain but also to train us in knowing what to do during difficult circumstances and any unexpected situations.
During prep hikes, the first mountain I climbed was the Ngong Hills with the highest peak at 2,460 meters. Throughout the hike, the trail thins out into a channel before you climb the next hill and just when you think the worst is over, the steep hills begin to pop up, with each taking its toll on you. The view all around is outstanding which makes the effort worthwhile. As you climb, the view on the right is of the Great Rift Valley which is the earth's crust that weakened and tore itself apart million years ago, creating a pointy rift that is thousands of kilometers long across the African continent and on the far left side is a wonderful view of the city if Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. On a lucky day, you may encounter buffalos and sheep all around the higher hills due to the abundant bushes at these higher altitudes on the range.
The second mountain I climbed during the prep hikes was Mt. Longonot. It’s a dormant volcanic mountain designated as a national park,
Supportive Material Speech
April 12, 2012
Mt. Kenya
Mt. Kenya is Africa’s second highest mountain at 5199 meters after Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is part of the central highlands in Kenya. Throughout the hike, there are several stations located in the different heights which are the recommended locations for spending the night. With its rugged glaciers and forested slopes, it’s one of the most impressive landscapes. In my experience, climbing this mountain was a very hard task to complete and not anyone could do it without enough preparation, but at the same time, you don’t have to be a professional climber, you only need encouragement and determination to complete this task. We had to go through a lot of prep hikes and climb other mountains to prepare ourselves mentally and physically before we got to Mt. Kenya. These prep hikes were necessary not only to learn how to climb a mountain but also to train us in knowing what to do during difficult circumstances and any unexpected situations.
During prep hikes, the first mountain I climbed was the Ngong Hills with the highest peak at 2,460 meters. Throughout the hike, the trail thins out into a channel before you climb the next hill and just when you think the worst is over, the steep hills begin to pop up, with each taking its toll on you. The view all around is outstanding which makes the effort worthwhile. As you climb, the view on the right is of the Great Rift Valley which is the earth's crust that weakened and tore itself apart million years ago, creating a pointy rift that is thousands of kilometers long across the African continent and on the far left side is a wonderful view of the city if Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. On a lucky day, you may encounter buffalos and sheep all around the higher hills due to the abundant bushes at these higher altitudes on the range.
The second mountain I climbed during the prep hikes was Mt. Longonot. It’s a dormant volcanic mountain designated as a national park,