A family escapade!!.. Lenkiyou.. ‘the cows dewlap’

I dont know of many places on our earth that one could wake up with a view like this !  along with peace, quiet.. just the birds singing.. D4 and Uni enjoying the most incredible view of their life time!.. The Ndoto mountains, at dawn, with the Milgis lugga winding its way below.. taken from Northern Lenkiyou..

Not many places on earth that could beat this for a morning tea view!!

We are on No 5 family trip to remember Simon, my adventurous brother who finally ‘adventured’ too far in 2014!..! This year we are with Hugo, my other brother, &  Antoinette, Ileana, Simons wife, Fonsi and D4 Simons sons, Pete and I..  Our destination is the very top of the north end of Ol Donyo Lenkiyou  the real name for the Matthews range… Meaning the cows dewlap because of how good a cows health becomes if living there!.. The most important mountain in the northern string in the view of many Samburu.. they say if they loose this then its the end of them??!!  Any way it is magic and we will do all that is in our strength to keep it pristine with them..

Just a few pics to show you the ABSOLUTE beauty of this place!!

Little ‘fonsi’ now five and a half getting a pull up the mountain!

First we had to climb it.. With the thought ‘ No pain no gain’ in mind.. We all head up..

 

the CROWN & JEWEL of our mountain climb!! a beautiful crowned eagle youngster

our first camp looking across the lenkiyou range onto Kimanic.. the peak

Our first camp.. over looking the east side of the range..

Its a tough life out there!! tea looking on to the forest!

somewhere in this beautiful bit of forest are some rare Debrazza monkeys, but they weren’t going to show themselves..

One of the team told us he saw some monkeys in the forest below us.. We presume they were Debrazzas, because of their  patience and hiding abilities! We searched high and low! These clever Monkeys can hide for hours .. Even making sure their tail is not hanging down.. they put it along the branch!

Onwards and upwards! Cycads.. a feature of this fabulous mountain

these amazing plants lived on earth even when the dinosaurs were alive.. they have to be extremely successful to be still going!..

 

This particular Cycad only lives in these mountains.. NO where else!!

I think I’m right in saying these rare colobus monkeys are also only found in this mountain range??

Another jewel of these mountains!.. This very rare colobus monkey!

Our hard working patient porters.. told to be as quiet as possible so that we would not miss a thing!

our porters carry every luxury we needed!!

On the top.. !!

The team, on Legwe!!

The place where the birds live!! yes look at it.. its JUST beautiful!..

a sweet VERY very friendly little robin chat.. He was very happy to share his home with us all

 

A sun set to beat all sunsets .. it lasted for at least 45 minutes.. unheard of on the equator.. So imagine this we are in the most amazing place with the best sunset ever.. must be from Simon!!

Fonsi and his new friend Burian.. they were inseparable!

So typical of the lenkiyou mountains.. Forest and views to die for!

D4 told me this was one of his happiest weeks ever!!

Hugo, my brother making sure nobody comes close, with a drop of 1000 feet below!!! happiness in the wilderness!  he had to crawl his way back!!

The forest was full of flowers …

Cape chestnut.. the pink, green and blue sky are iresistable!!

casually watching the climbers from a distance.. a klipspringer..

a special little mountain antelope..

looking back to where we have come from!.. 

Little fonsi of five and half walked over 100 kms with no problem!!

spot the Elephant!..

Dont know why this lovely butterfly lay dead on the forest flour it was still perfect!? lets hope he died of old age!!

Lamunyani sunset.. good bye to another incredible day in paradise!

in memory of a crazy brother, his family now have conquered 4 peaks …   Poi, Upe and Alimisio and now Lekwe!.. All beautiful places on earth… All in the area that the Milgis Trust protects!