Mount Kinangop (or Ilkinangop) is a mountain in the southern
Aberdare Range
The Aberdare Range (formerly the Sattima Range, Kikuyu: ''Nyandarua'') is a 160 km (100 mile) long mountain range of upland, north of Kenya's capital Nairobi with an average elevation of . It straddles across the counties of Nyandarua, Nye ...
about north of
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
, Kenya.
It is within the
Aberdare National Park
The Aberdare National Park is a protected area in the Aberdare Mountain Range in central Kenya located east of the East African Rift Valley. It covers the higher areas and the Aberdare Salient to the east.
Overview
The park is located about 10 ...
.
A dormant volcano, Kinangop overlooks the
Kinangop Plateau
The Kinangop Plateau is a region in Kenya that lies between the Kenyan Rift Valley to the west and the Aberdare Range to the east. It takes its name from Kinangop Mountain, which rises in the Aberdares to the east.
Geographical features
The edge ...
to the west and the
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately in total length, that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it i ...
beyond.
Kinangop is the second-highest mountain in the Aberdares after
Mount Satima
Mount Satima, also known as Mount Lesatima and often abbreviated to Satima or Lesatima, is the third-highest mountain in Kenya and the highest in the Aberdare Range. The Maasai name is Oldoinyo Lesatima, which has a variety of alternative spellin ...
.
The lower levels of the mountain have extensive bamboo forests. Higher up it is covered by tussock grasses.
The main peak is a rocky outcrop surrounded by open moorlands.
Due to the height, temperatures are cool and may drop below freezing at night.
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
{{refend
Kinangop