A very fun climb for anyone staying on the Kenyan side of Mount Elgon National Park. Offers a chance at high elevation climbing in a jungle climate resulting in truly inspiring views while still being mild enough not to take much time or money.
Getting There
You'll have to hire a Kenyan Park Ranger to bring you via pickup truck. It takes less than an hour to get to the trailhead but the road is narrow, curvy, and often includes dropoffs near the side. This is probobly the scariest part of the trip but makes for a good adventure. Funnily enough the only reason I ended up climbing Endebess Bluff is because the pickup trail (I won't call it a road) on the way up Mount Elgon was blocked from the Kenyan side by a huge tree that we couldn't budge.
Route
The ranger should drop you off at a possibly partially hidden trailhead. From here the canopy will obscure the view of the top but once you get on the trail its easy to find your way up. Takes about 45 minutes. Very steep at times but no more than class 2 climbing as I remember. The top is obviously somewhat exposed with the cliffs but offers great veiws and no real danger unless you're messing around. From the top you can see into parts of Uganda and the whole Kenyan side of the Mount Elgon National Park, also the city of Kitale is not far. While you're around please stop by and spend some money. I say that because people there like most of Kenya are struggling and an increase of tourism will help improve their lives. There are many orphans on the street so give them food and shoes which is better than money, which may be stolen or exchanged for "glue", a drug. This is acually why I was in the area in the first place, to volunteer with my grandparents who were serving as LDS missionaries.
Red Tape
Usually none unless some poachers cause trouble. Be prepared for a ranger to try and squeeze a bribe out of you, though.
When to Climb
I'd avoid the rainy season since the steep trail may get muddy.
Camping
I'd advise staying at the Park Lodge and making day trips to the many awesome sites like this there are cool caves and waterfalls nearby.
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