Hell's Gate

Max's Grade 6 class visited the Hell's Gate National Park for a field trip.  This is a small National Park in Kenya and has great soil and rock formations.  Max`s Science class went there to study the rock.

In 1981, Africa`s first geothermal station was built near Hell`s Gate.  It harnesses the heat of the underground hot springs and geysers.  There is one area of the gorge where the water coming from the rock is boiling hot.  Some say this is where the name came from..... the explorers believed that wall was very close to the gate of hell.  The geothermal station provides almost 25% of Kenya`s electricity.  The steam locked 1500m underground is said to be one of the hottest sources in the world.

Legend also says that the park is named Hell`s Gate because when Mount Longonot erupted a hundred years ago, the lava and ash spilled into the nearby gorge.   The bodies of hundreds of Maasai people were found under many layers of ash.

The hike is spectacular for its scenic cliffs, volcanoes, gorges, and geothermal steam.  The trek is not always easy and a local guide is helpful to point out the variety of plants and animals, like the rock hyrax.  Max`s class stayed close to the guide as he described the sighting of a puff adder snake (Africa`s most dangerous snake) earlier in the day. 

Obsidian rock is also visible on the ground and in one cave in particular.  Obsidian is formed when a volcano erupts.  The lava spills out and cools extremely quickly to form the glass-like rock.  We have several large pieces of obsidian in our home being used as door stops.