★★★ The Three Amigos HVS

Approach: walk uphill from Lerata towards starting slabs below prominent white nose in gully (3hrs, following elephant tracks).

1. 25m 4c/16 Climb easily to small roof, turn roof at small break, and proceed boldly up slab to shelf & large flake/boulder belay.

2. 50m 4b/14 Cross slab leftwards to hollow corner. Up corner until bush stops progress, then step left around arête (20m). Climb easy slabs to belay in seat-sized cave below overhang.

3. 35m 5a/17 Proceed right around corner, then up blank slab following faint crack/overlap to shady tree. Traverse 5m right to belay on bush.

4. 58m 4a/14 Walk right around corner, then surmount small boulder on left (physical crux). Continue up slabs following lines of weakness to belay on tree roots below roof.

5. 45m ? Traverse left under overhang, then follow complex root system to shelf above. Climb grassy ledges to significant palm tree next to rock. Tree belay. A comfortable night can be had here (if not raining).

6. 20m 5a/17 Traverse right around arête (nuts) into vegetated corner. Udge up chimney/offwidth to escape rightwards onto sloping ledge. Belay at back of horizontal crack.

7. 20m 4c/16 Step back leftwards into chimney and pass convenient chockstones to large ledge. Clamber further up steep, vegetated gully and then rightwards over ledges to belay on prominent palm tree. Would combine nicely with previous pitch.

8. 20m A1, ? Climb up boulders in soggy cave in right-most gully (aid). Up large palm tree (à cheval?) to wide ledge, which continues rightwards around arête. Crawl coolly along ledge, to belay on small palm tree.

9. 20m 4a/14 Continue right around corner, over massive boulder, through thick vegetation to triangular clearing with elephant skull and striking fig tree. Climb short, steep wall to belay in copse.

Walk uphill (30m?) to right-hand gully.

1. 20m 4c/15 Scramble up broken blocks past vicious palm tree. Briefly chimney up, to exit left onto featured face (pigeon holes). Continue direct to ledge & tree belay.

2. 20m - Traverse left through cactus field and around corner to grassy ledge. F.A. party climbed 10m higher to nut belay under overhang; likely unnecessary.

Descend left-hand edge of grassy ledge 8m to vegetated plateau.

Walk (climbers') left following line of rock until upward-trending gully is reached. Continue further left to next gully.

1. 25m 4c/16 Gain large, flat boulder at right-hand end. A sporty move gains the overhanging slab (50°). Easily up gearless slab to tree & steep wall on right. Attain wall via tree, and belay from huge palm tree on top.

2. 50m 4a/13 Ascend filthy gully on right and then proceed leftwards to gain slab above belayer. Climb leftwards to arête and then turn corner to continue rightward onto upper slab. Continue over flat rock to belay in woodland.

Scramble upward and then left to finish.

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