Mount Elgon

Mount Elgon straddle Kenya, Uganda border ad has a wide range of fauna and flora plants. The region is famous for black and white colombus monkeys. The mountain ring has an area of about 3500 km².The mountain Elgon is named after the Elgeyo tribe, who once lived in huge caves on the south side of the mountain. It was known as "Ol Doinyo Ilgoon" (Breast Mountain) by the Maasai and as "Masaba" on the Ugandan side.

In 1896, C.W. Hobley was the first European to go round the mountain . Kmunke and Stigler made the first recorded attempt to climb the two peaks Wagagai and Koitobos in 1911. F. Jackson, E. Gedge, and J. Martin are the first recorded to have ascended the Sudek in 1890. The main peak is an easy climb and one does not need any mountaineering equipment or skills.

 

Elgon's is one of the largest intact calderas in the world. The mountain serves as a catchment area for a number of rivers among them is the Suam River also known as the Turkwel downstream and drains into Lake Turkana. Rivers Nzoia and Lwakhakha flows to the Lake Victoria. Kitale town is located at the foothills of the mountain. Mount Elgon National Parks  are protected areas on each side of the international border.