Sigiria Forest #6: Getathuru Riverside
The cache, a screw-capped plastic jar, is hidden at about head height under some twigs in a hole in a partially hollow huge tree on the south bank of the small Getathuru River some 20m east of the wooden foot-bridge over the river.
The far side of the tree is also the home of a colony of busy/buzzy creatures - so do take care to avoid detection when retrieving and replacing the cache . . .
To reach the cache (refer to trails map in the Gallery or download a Google Earth file of the trails here): after paying the forest entrance fee, from the Parking at the Karura Forest entrance (Gate A) to the east off Limuru road @ S 01 14.826 E 36 49.021 head back out of the gate and down to the main road. Cross this busy road (carefully!) and pick up the access track to the Sigiria Forest a short distance north @ S 01 14.993 E 36 48.931 follow this down a short distance and across the stream to the Sigiria Forest Gate @ S 01 14.804 E 36 48.901 close to the trailhead at Junction 54. From here head left (SW) to J69. Turn left here and head down to the river & cache location.
This river is part of the Nairobi River Basin system which consists of numerous streams and rivers originating either in the Ngong Hills or the southern part of the Aberdare mountains flowing from west to east. The main nine Basin rivers from north to south are:
- Ruiru River
- Kamiti River (Gathara-ini)
- Rui Ruaka
- Karura River (passes through the northern part of Karura Forest)
- Thigiri River (forms the northern border of Sigiria Forest)
- Gitathuru River (aka Getathuru)
- Mathare River
- Nairobi River (the main channel)
- Kirichwa River
- Motoine-Ngong River
The Gitathuru River has its source in the highlands just south of Limuru some 26m NW of Nairobi. It passes through Wangigi trading centre then along Lower Kabete Valley before passing through Sigiria Forest and the cache location. From here it flows along the southern border of Karura Forest and first joins the Mathare River some 5.6km ESE of the cache location in Mathare just south of Utalii College on Thika Superhighway. After flowing another 5km NW the Mathare River joins the Nairobi River in Dandora. After a further 29km WNW the Nairobi River joins the Athi River which then flows a further 400km SE to exit into the Indian Ocean just north of Malindi.
Forest Entry Fees (free parking)
Open from 06h00-18h00
Citizen (adult/child): Kshs 100/40
Resident: Kshs 200/100
Non-Resident: Kshs 600/300
Permission to place the cache was kindly granted by the Director of the Kenya Forest Service