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third highest mountain in Kenya - Mount Lesatima Traditional Cache

Hidden : 6/3/2016
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
4.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Cache above 4000 m hight?!

There is only one peak. The guides (you need minimum one or two, depending on the actual regulations of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) ) will know the best way to the peak. So the measured coordinates are not really relevant.

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 spellings, such as Ol Donyo Le Satima, and means "mountain of the bull calf".
The peak lies at the northern end of the Aberdares, which themselves are along the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley, and is their highest point. Around it stand a number of sharp volcanic cones called "the Dragon's Teeth". There are moraines between 3,600 and 3,800 metres on the north west of the mountain.

 

 

Ensure - going on this trip - that you start quite early: It will take its time for walking and for adjusting to the height!

 

http://www.kws.go.ke/content/aberdare-national-park

 

KWS will charge some money depending on wether you are resident or tourist... They will give you minimum one guide (with weapon, see pics) for company. Usually you have to pick up the guide at Wandare gate. I recommend bringing sth for digging: Driving to the starting point is not easy for everyone... Not necesarry to mention you need a good 4-weel-drive-car for climbing to 3500m altitude. Your guides should help you finding Wandare gate, Parking uphill and then the walk to the top (6 km uphill, 6 km downhill. nevertheless: the hight is the challenge!) We needed two approaches to reach the top: The first time we experienced some thunderstorm coming in and decided to abort our trip asap...

 

Update April 2019: Found out, that you can approach Cache as well from the north; Possibly entering Rhino Gate or Shamata Gate. Possibly staying in Cedar Retreat before approaching: Then you are used to the elevation a bit. Prevents you getting headache possibly... Cedar Retreat is some nice log cabins recently build/opened at roughly 3000 m hight .

 

The cache is a small filmdose under a stone.

If you reach the top at approx. 4000 m altitude, you find only one tree close to the very top (about some meters distance). In front of the tree you find under one stone the cache. The stone has NOT to be lifted. So: Even if the coordinates shouldn't be correct (measured only one time with garmin tracker): An easy find once you are there...

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

frr qrfpevcgvba / cubgbf

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)