Nodes in Lukenya

Crouch start matched in low crack on the side of the boulder you arrive at from the picnic tree path, follow crack out of roof and then climb arete left to finish left over the exposed overhang.

Same start as Joker but goes right out of roof and up the short face to the top.

To the right of Jack. Sit-down start matched on the thin edge, powerful moves up and to the right out of the roof then left up the short pace. Amazing, precise moves!

A sharp and aesthetic traverse of the boulder. Start matched in "The Joker" crack and proceed to make a full traverse of the boulder utilising the features on the main face to the end of the climbable holds marked by a short horizontal crack with a small pocket at it's end. Once the furthest hold right "the pocket" has been achieved, the climber may top out. Note: the top edge of the boulder is off limits. The climber must dance around on the holds and features on the main face and belly of the boulder.

To the right of Heavy is the Head. Sit-down start with hands on low on quasi symmetrical crimpy edges, a few big moves straight up to the top. Deceptively difficult and low percentage.

Start left hand in pocket and right hand on good side pull, moves right and up on slopers, crimps, and small feet. One of my all-time favorites at Lukenya! On the backside of the boulder - needs at least two pads and a decent spotter to avoid the nearby boulder in a fall.

Start on the same holds as For Every King a Crown, but then go left and up with big side-pulls and cool body positions.

Start on pocket/crack at the end of 'Final Boss' and proceed to do the problem in reverse up to where you join 'Jack.' From here, the problem proceeds up and left, sharing a stylish top out with 'The Joker.'

An alternative finish to Heavy is the head. Start on the same holds as for Heavy is the head, but when you arrive at the decent crimp about midway in match and head out left rather than right.

Low featured boulder walking towards main wall from picnic tree. Unfortunately quite a few ticks around the base during tick season! Good to warm up with plenty of eliminate and traverse possibilities.

Up the slab on the left side of the boulder, starting low and right then making your way up and to left, topping out near the tree branches. Slabby and technical climbing.

Sit-start on the low jug on the left-hand side of the boulder (right of the slabby face). Go straight up the arete.

Sit start from the big jug in the middle and find your way directly up a couple hand moves to an easy top.

Sit start (practically a lie start) from the low jug in the middle of the boulder. Traverse out right through the 45 degree crack and continue to top out at the far right corner.

Eliminate problem starting with a sit start on the "handle" jugs on each side of the flat shelf to the right of the other starts. Power up to the top lip, avoiding the cracks in the middle. Cracks off for feet too, so enjoy the mantle!

Full traverse of the boulder. Sit-start on the start jug of Ticked off on the left and work your way right and to the top-out of Tickle me Elmo. Avoid all holds at the top of the boulder before the top-out on the far right.

A slabby boulder to the left of the main face. At its base is a narrow gap between it and another much lower and flatter boulder. This narrow gap makes placing pads and protecting from falls a somewhat tricky affair that demands a tad more focus than the average boulder

An enticing little slab problem up the middle of the boulder. Stand-start in the gap between the two boulders with hands just above waist height. Go either up and slightly left (easier) or up and slightly right (harder). Great for learning how to slab climb. Can be padded by filling in the gap with pads after the climber is above the height of the neighbouring boulder.

Stand-start just right of the left arete. Go straight up.

Stand-start on the same holds as for "Just grab and smear" and proceed to traverse right into "Leg day gains" and finish up via the latter sequence.

Stand-start up the right-hand arete of the boulder.

Big, leaning boulder a bit of a hike up the hill from picnic tree parking

Stand start on lowest possible holds facing each other, both have 90 degree corners and the left hand is small and sharp. Find your way up and across the ridge line to the top. Top out as far left as you can without getting stuck in the thorns.

Sit-start with both hands as low as possible - left in a small crack and right on the ledge which is also used for the right foot. Go straight up the face, with some deceptively tricky and balancey moves.

Boulder on the right of the path just past Egyptian with a high-quality V5.

Great little V5 up the overhanging nose of the boulder. Start matched on the good holds about chest height and use power or heel-hook trickery straight up.

Up the crack on the left-hand side of the boulder. Sit-start matched in the crack as low as possible, up to where it ends and straight up the juggy boulder above.

Very aesthetic boulder overlooking the plain and Mombasa Road up the hill past Egyptian. Lopiro le nkare means wave in Samburu.

Deceptively difficult climb up the black face on the backside of the boulder. Sit-start matched on obvious crimp in middle of face, and find your way straight up.

Line up the arete. Start matched on the lowest good holds, move up to the next set of good holds and jump for the top!

An instant classic heading diagonally left up the clean face to final sloppery sequence at the top. Start matched at the break in the horizontal crack rail.

Up the slab on the easier right-hand face of the boulder. Sit-start on the big crack, straight up via one slightly tricky friction foot move.

Up the centre of the main face. Same sit-start as for Rising tides. Instead of crossing with right hand to the pocket though, take it with your left and go straight up, using the diagonal crimp on your right and stretching for the top. Probably harder for shorter climbers.

Lovely technical climbing up the right-hand arete of the main face. Sit-start in the big crack, then work your way up with right hand using the arete and left on face holds. Figure out how to get your feet high and go for the finishing jugs at the top!

Small boulder below Egyptian crag, with a few decent problems in the lower grades. Good for warming up or learning how to move on jugs in an overhang.

Sit-start matched in the low crack on the left of the boulder, traverse all the way across following the gently rising crack, finishing on the far right where a small vertical crack splits the top.

Same start as for Screaming hyrax, but go up the earlier diagonal crack.

Start on the higher crack on the left of the boulder, and follow it up to to its end and top out.

Boulder just below the distinctive Dino Egg, with a nice sharp V5 and easier V1.

Up the right-hand arete of the boulder.

A pleasingly aesthetic line, though the start hold is very tough on the skin. Stand-start with left hand on an incut hold low on the arete and right hand on a higher very sharp and small crimp. Bump up the left hand and get feet higher before going up to the decent hold just right of the arete, and from there to top on okay holds.

The slab at the base of Egyptian. Comprises the start of some trad routes via easier ground on the left of the slab and the tree on the right, with nice technical climbing up to the first platform which can be done as a boulder.

Start from the Sarcophagus chalk mark, and move almost directly up. It gets easier, but a lot headier near the top. You can relax once you've finished! Could be considered E3 5c, but there's no gear worth speaking of. Come down off the tree to the right.

Easy access to dozens of stunning boulders. Most of them with good landings.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there, but you're more likely to encounter rubbish and maybe a spectator or two. Can get hot in the afternoons as it doesn't benefit from the shade offered by the Lukenya cliffs.

GPS location of the entrance to Watertower area

Entrance

Larger boulder opposite Power Cube, with an undercut bottom and slabby top.

Stand-start compressing the left-hand arete of the boulder, with feet low underneath. Go left and up on decent holds to establish on the slab and easy to the top.

Lowball boulder close to the watertower, with a couple of powerful problems.

Sit-start on the left of the boulder, with hands matched in a low decent diagonal crack. Couple of powerful moves up a jug above and top out.

Sit-start on the right of the boulder, with hands matched in the good low horizontal crack. Powerful moves to reach the arete and top out.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there.

Stand-start on the obvious lowest usable holds. Go straight up, using face or arete holds as you like.

On the left side of the boulder from Baby Slap. Stand-start on good feet and and handholds. Up jugs to the top.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there.

#crimpy #juggy

Stand-start just behind the small tree, which can be padded so you don't fall into it. Left hand starts on a small left-hand crimp (couple of fingers) and a right-hand pinchy crimp. Straight up from there, with a fun big move to the finishing jug. One for Moonboard aficionados.

To the right of Crème Brûlée. Sit-start on lowest holds. First move is hardest, straight up to the finishing jugs. Short but sweet.

Squat-start in the cave on two decent holds, move up and then left to big underclings, keeping tension to join the end of Sugar Rush. Crux is maybe avoiding dabbing the rock behind you!

Stand-start on decent hold in the horizontal crack. Move up using the arete and hold on the face to the jugs above. With 2 or 3 pads the landing is better than it looks - fun easy climb.

Imposing boulder on the lower slope of the first outcrop from where you park your car, with a big diagonal crack running through it.

Highball. Up the diagonal crack splitting the boulder. Stand-start at the base of the crack, then move up it, breaking out left onto jugs towards the top.

Small boulder directly below 2 Min Crack.

Deceptively difficult and techy problem. Sit-start with left hand in lowest horizontal crack and right in a good low undercling. Make your way to a standing position via okay crimps, then up and right via weight shifts and tenuous body positions to top out on the right edge of the boulder on good holds.

Stand-start to the right of the crack in the middle of the boulder. Move up staying right of the crack.

Sit-start with hands matched in a good horizontal crack. Slightly strenuous first move up to a good hold, then good feet and handholds from there.

Sit-start on the far left of the boulder where the shallow crack ends. Start with hands in the crack - hard first couple of moves to get stood up, straight up from there. Climb always stays left of holds of 21 seconds.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there.

Sit-start in the concave section of the boulder, with right hand on a good incut side-pull and left hand on the left arete. Work your up out and up the boulder, avoiding the rock to the right of the crack once out of the cave.

Sit-start with right hand on the undercling next to the corner and left hand out compressing on the arete at about the same height (same start as Marco). Instead of going left as for Marco, go right through some fun moves onto the prow, finishing up this.

Great compression boulder. Sit-start with left hand on a good hold on the lefthand side of the arete, and right in a pocket, feet low underneath. Hug your way up the prow to juggy holds higher up.

SIt-start around the right side of the prow, with hands matched in the low slanting rail and feet underneath. Work your way up the right side of the arete - a few options available for holds.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there.

Crimpy, with a bad dropzone.

Crimpy, with a bad dropzone.

Crimpy, with a bad dropzone.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there.

Nice. Don't use the boulders on right and on left. #bad_dropzone #juggy

Stand-start with left hand just around the arete and right hand on the arete. Pull a couple spicy moves and then your top out of choice.

A steep boulder with a long prow.

Start on two small crimpers above the rock. Traverse left and finish as for act of blasphemy. #SD #traverse #crimpy

Start with your feet all the way at the bottom of the cave, on the boulder. Hard move to start. Then hard moves. #SD #crimpy

Sit-start with right hand on same start as act of blasphemy and left hand further left, in a wide t the large rail. Straight up trending left from there.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there.

Sit-start on the arete to the left of the crack, with right hand on the arete and left low on the face. Compress up the arete to good holds at the top, maybe with a sneaky toe-hook?

As the name suggests, up the crack on the left of the big face. Stand-start and jam or layback up to the big horizontal crack below the block above. Traverse right along this to finish.

Stand-start in the middle of the face. Straight up via good horizontal and diagonal cracks.

Stand-start on the right-hand arete of the face, with hands in the big low horizontal ledge. Straight up.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there.

Pumpy traverse on the juggy handholds going above the cave, with a slightly tricky finish.

Very crimpy low end 7c put up by a visiting climber in 2016, and the hardest problem at Lukenya as at 2020. Start in the cave on decent handhold, big reach out to a bad crimp on the lip then hard tension move with heelhook to get a good left handhold. Easy from there to top. Beta video: https://vimeo.com/178325970

Stand-start, delicate moves up the face, then easily over the top block.

Up the arete left of Sniffing Glue. Stand-start on two decent flat holds and work up the arete with power and precision to top out either straight up or left.

The Watertower side of Lukenya is not owned by the Mountain Club of Kenya, so please respect any instructions given by the landowners. So far bouldering has been well accepted there.

Fun boulder at the grade. Stand-start holding both sides, and work your way up with good compression holds and trickier feet. At the top can use a good footbold on the right of the arete.

Very tall boulder with a few problems.

Crimpy highball up the left side of the boulder, on the face.

Up the highball on good holds on the right.

Up the left-hand arete, bailing left before the overhanging top.

Up the vertical crack on the right.

Large and easily recognisable boulder sat alone in the plain, with an arched boulder perched on top of a much bigger, oblong rock. Problems ranging from V0 to V4, from lowball to highball and everything in between, make this a great option for groups of varying levels. Go-go Gadget Arms is probably one of the best V4s in Lukenya.