Quick, Dirty and Wonderful at Gikuni
Almost all adults find pleasure in recreating childhood experiences. On the Gikuni hike, you will walk through farms as memories of your childhood school holidays upcountry with cousins resurface in your mind. Just like Sauti Sol, the Gikuni trail keeps it short and sweet. It only seeks to please. It will not tire you out or demand so much from you that you have nothing more left to enjoy the scenes.
Key Attractions
- The ride to the start off point will be short and mercurial. As the day starts off, you will find yourself walking through a residential area. Because it will be so early and probably so cold, you might suspect that you might have joined the wrong hiking group. But then, soon the farms will come into view and you will be glad you stayed on. You will notice that the people in this area take farming seriously. So much fresh produce everywhere, you might be tempted to call it a day and just touch all the plants. Food insecurity has made all of us a little crazy.
- Then comes a steep decline. Remember when the Gikuni trail was going to be nice to you? Well, this part of the trek is going to cast a doubt on that belief. Pretty soon comes into view a waterfall so majestic it seems like the water turns into vapor midway to the ground.
- The Gikuni trail will not be done with you yet, you have a longer way to go. Once you set off to see what the rest of the day has to offer you will encounter a dam ad later another waterfall. With so much to see and experience on the Gikuni trail, you might not notice the burn in your calves.
Challenge Level
The Gikuni hiking experience is a beginner friendly one. The slope might be a little steep but it is only a short walk before you are treated to a wonderful view. As long as you wear shoes with a good tread, you will be just fine sliding down the slope. If you are feeling a little silly, go ahead and slide on your butt.
Logistics
The central meeting point is on the benches near Bata Hilton Nairobi CBD. From there, we head out to take public transport to Karura. The journey is about one hour long costing approximately 250 shillings to the starting point.
The trail is also self-drive friendly in case you don’t want to take public transport.
What do you need for the trail?
Upper body:
- Head: Fleece Marvin/ hat
- Hiking buff/ scarf
- Sports bra
- Thermal T-shirt (polyester)
- Fleece jacket
- Down jacket
- Shell jacket
- Raincoat/poncho
- Water-resistant Gloves
Lower body:
- Thermal sleeves
- Hiking pants/Summit pants with fleece/Waterproof pants.
- Cotton socks (+ an extra pair or two in your backpack)
- Waterproof hiking boots
- Gaiters
Backpack:
- 3Ltrs water (bring a reusable bottle or a hydration pack)
- Snacks: fruit salad, energy drink, warm beverage, biscuits, sandwich, trail mix (nuts), etc.
- Personal items (ID, pocket money, hand sanitizer, facemask, phone, and camera, Lighter, Pocket Knife, and First-aid Kit)
- Trekking pole
- Headlamp
- Change of clothes and shoes in case you get wet or muddy.
- Sunglasses, sunscreen, sun protection
Here’s a list of resources for hiking gear you can check out.
Hiking Gear Vendors – Lets Drift
Can you bring your kids with you?
Yes. You can bring your older children to enjoy this hike. The younger ones might not be able to keep up with the steep slopes too well.
Now that you know about Gikuni, we hope to see you on the trails!
Similar trails
If you are a fan of interesting hiking trails in Kenya, Book now, be notified when tickets become available. Similar trails to Gikuni are:
Tigoni and Karweti Waterfalls
