Fischer’s Tower

Fischer’s Tower is the volcanic plug beside the road just inside Elsa Gate at Hell’s Gate National Park, about twenty five metres of rough rock rising straight out of the valley floor. It is the first thing anyone sees on the way in, the most climbed piece of rock in Kenya, and where a great many Kenyans and visitors do their first outdoor climb.

What It Is and How It Got There

The tower is a plug: the solidified core of a volcanic vent, left standing after the softer rock around it eroded away. Central Tower, deeper into the park towards the head of the gorge, is the same thing on a larger scale and the more serious proposition of the two.

The rock is volcanic, sharp and abrasive, and it is the single most repeated piece of advice from people who have climbed here: it eats hands and it eats gear. Tape is worth carrying.

The Name and the Story

Kenya Wildlife Service describes the tower as a remnant of the ancient volcano, named after the German explorer Gustav Fischer, who was in the park in 1883 on the expedition that took him into Maasai country. That expedition was turned back and much of his party was killed.

The Maasai account is the one the park itself gives alongside the name. In it the rock is the figure of a chief’s daughter who turned to take one last look at her home before leaving to be married, against the dictates of Maa tradition, and was left standing there. It is told as a caution, and it is the version most local guides give first.

Climbing the Tower

Fischer’s Tower carries short routes in a wide range of grades, from straightforward scrambles to technical lines, and it is climbed by complete beginners on guided half days as well as by club climbers. Guides with equipment work at the base, and hiring one there is the normal way a visitor without gear gets up it.

There is no shade at the base and the valley gets hot by the middle of the day, so climbing here is a morning activity. Rock climbing in Kenya sets out the wider scene, of which this is the most accessible part.

Seeing It Without Climbing It

Most visitors never touch the rock. The tower is beside the track a short distance inside Elsa Gate, so the standard experience is stopping the bicycle, walking round the base and carrying on towards the gorge. Ordinary park entry covers that and there is no separate charge for the tower, though guided climbing is paid for at the base. Park fees are on the Hell’s Gate National Park page, and the road runs on from here to Hell’s Gate Gorge and the Olkaria geothermal spa.

Questions Visitors Ask About Fischer’s Tower

How tall is Fischer’s Tower?

Kenya Wildlife Service gives it as twenty five metres. It is a volcanic plug, the hardened core of an old vent left standing after the surrounding rock wore away.

Can a beginner climb it?

Yes, and many people’s first outdoor climb anywhere is on this rock. Guides with equipment work at the base and run short guided ascents. Bring something for the hands, because the rock is abrasive.

Is there an extra charge?

Not for the tower itself, which is covered by ordinary park entry. A guided climb is arranged and paid for separately with the climbing guides at the base.

How is it different from Central Tower?

Central Tower is the same kind of feature, larger, further into the park near the head of the gorge, and a more serious climb. Fischer’s Tower is the roadside one, and the one almost everybody means.

Is it worth stopping if you are not climbing?

For ten minutes, yes. It is the landmark that defines the entrance to the valley and walking round the base costs almost nothing out of a cycling day.

2 Places to Visit in This Area

Other sites in Hell’s Gate National Park, each with its own guide.

Hell's Gate Gorge Olkaria Geothermal Spa

Safaris That Visit Hell's Gate National Park

Every safari listed here that visits Hell's Gate National Park. Each is sold and run by an independent tour company. This site lists them and passes on enquiries; it takes no booking and charges you nothing.

Walking Safaris