Rising from the shores of Lake Naivasha up to an elevation of 9,108ft, Mt Longonot is the highest volcano in the Great Rift Valley. Its name is derived from the Masai word oloonong'ot, meaning "mountains of many spurs" or "steep ridges". One of the youngest volcanoes in the world, it is thought to have last erupted in 1860.
Mt Longonot is known for its exceptional scenic beauty and amazing V-shaped valleys. A dense forest of small trees covers the vast crater floor; small steam vents are found spaced around the walls of the crater. From the top (on the rim of the crater) you can enjoy breathtaking views of the surroundings, offering an unforgettable and arresting sight.
Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth. Rise free from care before the dawn, and seek adventures… we should come home from far, from adventures and perils and discoveries every day, with new experience and character.
- - Henry David Thoreau
Of the gladdest moments in human life, me thinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the laden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares, and the slavery of hope, one feels once more happy.
- - Sir Richard Francis Burton, wanderlust-struck explorer, author, poet, and linguist
I paused to recover my breath. I looked about me to form some notion of the topographical features of the extensive landscape that lay before me. The view well repaid the toil of climbing - indeed when does not a mountain prospect repay the adventurer?
– - Joseph Thomson (Through Maasai Land)
The scene was of such an astounding character that I was completely fascinated, and felt under an almost irresistible impulse madly to plunge into the fearful chasm. So overpowering was this feeling that I had to draw myself from the side of the pit.
- - Joseph Thomson, explorer and first white person to climb Mt. Longonot in 1884
1 comment:
wow - amazing volcano crater. i didn't realize there were volcanos there! Gail B.
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