Tag: travel

Second peak of Iyale beyond the first copyright Rupi Mangat

Scaling Iyale

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Published 7 April 2018 Saturday Nation magazine

In the Taita Hills

Iyale bare crystalline peak - copyright Rupi Mangat
Iyale bare crystalline peak – copyright Rupi Mangat

I’m back with a mission. Staring at the gigantic bare rock face of Iyale, one of the high peaks of the Taita Hills, l’m sizing it up to summit it.

The Taita Hills is the amazing chain of massifs that make the Eastern Arc Mountains made of 13 mountain blocks. The Taita Hills in Kenya is the extreme northern end with the rest in Tanzania. These amazing and ancient forest-capped crystalline mountains are the first massifs to catch the wind-swept ocean breeze off the Indian Ocean.

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Hippos ashore Copyright Rupi Mangat

Nestled in Naivasha

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Published: Saturday magazine, Nation newspaper 24 March 2018

Above: Hippos ashore. Copyright Rupi Mangat

It’s late returning to Nairobi from upcountry. We find a campsite to spend the night on the fringes of the freshwater Lake Naivasha, the highest of the Great Rift Valley lakes in Kenya. There’s just enough daylight for a walk around the papyrus-lined shore with the hippos honking, preparing to come ashore to dine for the night.

The papyrus ruffles in the evening breeze. It is an amazing plant. Ancient Egyptians used it to make their scrolls that today show their ancient past. In terms of eco-services, the papyrus is home to wildlife like fish, birds and hippos. The green plant also stabilizes water levels and moderates temperatures around lakes and rivers. Yet today there’s less than 10 per cent around Lake Naivasha.

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The Story of Gedi

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Published: Saturday Magazine, Nation newspaper 17 March 2018

Above: The Palace in Gedi  Copyright Rupi Mangat

In the eventide, a skein of white wings glide over the blue of Watamu Bay to settle on the huge jagged Hemingway rock. Curious, l zoom in on the birds that appear as dots with the naked eye, l get my shots and send them to the birders.

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Grey Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) that breed in the Arctic Circle at Watamu bay February 2018 – flying in to breed here after a flight of 7000 km Copyright Rupi Mangat

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Amazing Arror

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Published:Saturday magazine Nation newspaper 10 March 2018

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The water furrows rush down the Cherangani Hills ay Arror Copyright Rupi Mangat

Water gushes down the hills of the Cheranganis at Arror. It’s picturesque in the setting sun with the village kids escorting us to the centuries-old furrows that were dug by their ancestors for fresh water to reach the dry plains.

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Chebara dam, 34 kilometers from Iten, it was opened in 1999 by the then president – Moi.

Revealing Rimoi

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Published: Saturday magazine, Nation newspaper 3 March 2018

Above: Chebara dam, 34 kilometers from Iten, it was opened in 1999 by the then president – Moi.

From Iten in Elgeyo Marakwet in western Kenya, the itinerary is set for Rimoi National Reserve along the new route that’s been chiselled down the Cherangani Hills. We have the option to turn right for Arror or left for Rimoi or Kamnarok national reserves.

At Chebara dam - 75-meter deep tunnel winding its way to the connecting underground passage to surface some meters away Copyright Rupi Mangat
At Chebara dam – 75-meter deep tunnel winding its way to the connecting underground passage to surface some meters away Copyright Rupi Mangat

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