The Rift Valley escarpment walk is at its best in the dry months of July through October. The trails are firm underfoot, the skies are clear, and the views across the valley floor stretch for a hundred kilometres on a good day.
We start early, at 6:30 AM, while the air is still cool and the acacia woodland casts long shadows. The first two hours are a gradual descent along the escarpment wall, following game trails that have been used for centuries by Maasai herders moving livestock between the highlands and the valley floor.
By mid-morning the heat builds, but so does the wildlife activity. We've seen giraffe, zebra, eland, and once, on a quiet July morning, a pair of leopard tracks crossing our path from the night before.
The key to enjoying this walk is pacing. We stop for a long shaded picnic lunch around 11:30, and resume in the later afternoon when the heat softens. By 4 PM we're setting up camp under a grove of acacias, and the escarpment wall behind us is glowing amber in the setting sun.
If you're planning this walk, bring a sun hat, at least two litres of water, and a willingness to walk slowly. The escarpment rewards those who aren't in a hurry.
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