On Saturday we finally had the opportunity to visit Hell’s Gate National Park near Lake Naivasha. Hell’s gate is supposedly where the Lion King’s setting (especially Pride Rock) is based on. Right away we saw Pride Rock, although it looked very different than it did in the movie. There was an option to rock climb to the top, which of course, I could not pass up! Madison and I put on harnesses, rock climbing shoes, and helmets and started scaling the wall. For most of my climbing experience being in a gym, it was a bit more difficult than I anticipated. It was a great climb and we received encouraging shouts from our friends below. At the top the view was incredible. We could see plains for miles, dotted with the black and white stripes of the zebras, and beautiful plateaus looming in the distance. Two more groups climbed after us as we watched the Rock Hyraxes at the bottom with amusement and jumped away as they would get too close. After everyone who wanted to, climbed, we jumped back in the bus and headed to the gorges. On the way we saw buffalo, zebras, giraffes (including a baby!), impalas, and gazelles.
We paid for a guide to take us through the gorges because of the threat of rain (it had been raining the whole past week and was sprinkling throughout the morning). Rain in the gorge often leads to flash floods and guides know all the escape routes are. While we were lucky and it didn’t end up raining while we were down there, he was really helpful in getting us up onto ledges and lowering us further into the pits. The gorges were incredible and every bend was something else to marvel at. This hike was kind of like a nature adventure course, climbing up walls with ropes, jumping into ditches, and hoisting ourselves up over rocks. Overall, it was a fantastic day full of adventures and beauty. Towards the end of the hike we also came across steaming water from the hot springs below saw the largest geothermal plants in Kenya, supplying the country with 70% of its energy, as we exited the park. We said goodbye to our guide and headed off for the two hour drive home.
We paid for a guide to take us through the gorges because of the threat of rain (it had been raining the whole past week and was sprinkling throughout the morning). Rain in the gorge often leads to flash floods and guides know all the escape routes are. While we were lucky and it didn’t end up raining while we were down there, he was really helpful in getting us up onto ledges and lowering us further into the pits. The gorges were incredible and every bend was something else to marvel at. This hike was kind of like a nature adventure course, climbing up walls with ropes, jumping into ditches, and hoisting ourselves up over rocks. Overall, it was a fantastic day full of adventures and beauty. Towards the end of the hike we also came across steaming water from the hot springs below saw the largest geothermal plants in Kenya, supplying the country with 70% of its energy, as we exited the park. We said goodbye to our guide and headed off for the two hour drive home.