Sleeping Warrior Hill

The Sleeping Warrior is the volcanic ridge south of Lake Elementaita that appears in almost every photograph of the lake. Seen from the highway it reads as a man lying on his back, and the peak forming the profile’s nose is the summit walkers aim for. It is the best half day walk in this part of the Rift.

The Shape and the Names

The whole appeal is the outline, and the reclining figure is unmistakable once pointed out. Who the figure is depends on who is asked: the National Museums of Kenya records a local belief that it is the bust of a great Maasai laibon, and another that it is Lord Delamere, the landowner whose estate became the conservancy surrounding the lake, which is where the older name Delamere’s Nose comes from. Ugali Hill next to it is named for its resemblance to the maize meal staple and is the taller of the two at about 2,300 metres. The two are usually walked together.

Walking It

The common route starts near the lake, runs several kilometres along the shore on flat dusty ground, passes the hot springs, reaches the base of the hill and climbs sharply to the summit. Reckon on four to five hours and something in the region of a dozen kilometres, with almost all of the effort in the final ascent. The full circuit taking in both hills is a different proposition: the National Museums of Kenya puts it at 25 kilometres and around six hours for regular hikers, eight to ten for anyone slower.

It is moderate rather than hard, and exposed from end to end. There is no shade on the shore section and none on the climb, and the sun at this altitude is stronger than the temperature suggests.

This is unfenced conservancy and sanctuary ground and there is game on it, including buffalo. Walks here are arranged and accompanied rather than done alone, and access is mostly through Soysambu, which controls most of the land the route crosses.

The View and the Wildlife

The summit gives the whole basin at once: Lake Elementaita immediately north with its pelican islands, the Eburru hills south, the Gilgil hills east and the Mau ranges west. The walk in crosses grazing country carrying zebra, eland, gazelle, warthog, buffalo and giraffe, and Soysambu Conservancy records over four hundred bird species. The hot springs on the shoreline are a fixed stop, warm enough that people wash in them.

Arranging a Walk

The hill sits in Nakuru County between Naivasha and Nakuru, roughly 140 kilometres from Nairobi, and most people walk it as a day trip from the capital or a morning from a bed at the lake. Routes usually begin at the sanctuary gate or at Soysambu.

Access charges apply and there are two potential payers, which is what catches visitors out. Lake Elementaita Wildlife Sanctuary is a Kenya Wildlife Service protected area with entry on the national fee schedule, set out on the Lake Elementaita page. Soysambu Conservancy is private land and sets its own separate charges for the ground the trail mostly crosses. Confirm which applies before setting out, carry water for the whole day, and start at first light. Hiking in Kenya covers what altitude does to a walk of this length.

Questions Walkers Ask About the Sleeping Warrior

How long does the hike take?

Four to five hours for the common version, around a dozen kilometres, most of it flat walking along the lake with a sharp climb at the end. The full circuit over both hills is put at 25 kilometres and six to ten hours depending on fitness.

Why is it called the Sleeping Warrior?

Because the ridge reads as a reclining human figure from the highway and the lake. Local belief differs on whose figure it is, between a great Maasai laibon and Lord Delamere, which is where the older name Delamere’s Nose comes from.

Can it be walked without a guide?

It should not be. The route crosses unfenced land holding buffalo and other game, most of it under Soysambu Conservancy’s control, so walks are arranged and accompanied and access is agreed in advance.