Mt Ololokwe area, Rock climbing

2a 2b+3a 3b+4a 4b+5a 5b+6a 6b 6c 7a 7b 7c

Map

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1 Ololokwe main face 2 Cat 3 Mouse 4 Snake Temple 5 The Ololokwe Golf Club 7 Ololokwe Bouldering 8 Lower Bastard Bush Buttress 9 Upper Bastard Bush Buttress 13 Baboon Cliff 14 Camel Cliff

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Seasonality

Summary

Massive cliff with some adventurous routes in a remote setting.

Description

Ololokwe is the main draw to this area; a monolith which takes up the horizon as you drive up. Cat and Mouse are the other highlights, with hard climbing, including a 50 m sport route in a stunning location. Other crags offer a range of shorter trad and sport routes, and various degrees of bushwhacking and choss.

Access issues

Conservancy fees need to be paid to Namunyak Conservancy for access to most climbing areas. Sabache Camp can advise on this and guides.

Approach

For most crags in the area it is best to hire a local Samburu guide to find the climbs, provide a watchful eye for wildlife and anything else and offer a fascinating insight into the local area.

Where to stay

Sabache Camp (http://sabachecamp.com/) in the valley behind Ololokwe has bandas and camping, and offers MCK rates (3500 KES per person per night full board as of December 2020, plus conservancy and access fees). They also have enthusiastic climbing guides and some equipment available.

Ethic

Kenyan climbing ethics apply; anything that can be protected with natural protection should be, and climbers should leave no trace and be respectful of the incredible nature and local culture. Some practices seen in the valley to be avoided by future developers include: painting route names on rocks, overbolting and bolting of naturally protectable routes, and retro-bolting of

History

History timeline chart

First routes put up by MCK members as far back as the 1960s, with more routes added in dribs and drabs over the years by Ian Howell, Andrew Wielochowski and Alex Fiksman. Two Hot Rocks expeditions established more routes. Interest from abroad spiked in the late 2010s with visits by climbers from Patagonia (Kate Rutherford, Brittany Griffith, Jonathan Thesenga) the North Face (Cedar Wright, Alex Honnold, Maury Birdwell) DMM (Alex Schweikart and Christopher Igel), and Crag-VT (Kris Fiore and Luke Mendola). The result is a glut of new routes on Ololokwe itself, Cat and Mouse, and various crags in the Sabache valley, including trad, mixed, sport and bouldering. Lots more potential awaits for those with time and motivation!