The settlement of Loyangalani (the place of the trees) on the south east shore of Lake Turkana is an oasis fed by fresh spring water derived some 25 km to the east. Here lies the grand volcanic massive Mount Kulal, its upper reaches a perfect catchment for the moisture laden clouds sporadically swept over from the eastern seas.

It is in this direction you head from amongst the numerous clusters of dome shaped reed huts that dominate the settlement. Once beyond its boundaries you enter a bolder strewn landscape of sparse scrubland characterised by scattered acacia bushes. Following the course of a dried riverbed, you pass small herds of camels and goats being driven up from outlying settlements to the last waterhole before Kulal. Here you are met by Turkana and Samburu herdsmen filling their skins in the early morning light before heading out to find whatever grazing exists on the parched landscape that surrounds them.

Now out of the dried riverbed, continuing on over the crest of a small hill, you are embraced by a hot blast of wind blowing relentlessly from the direction you are headed. Intermittently it whips up dust devils, your eyes following them as they weave a random course across the plain. Far ahead you can make out the foothills of Mount Kulal. On reaching these foothills the vegetation gives way to a landscape of lava boulders and polished rock formations which mark the beginning of, initially, a gentle climb on to the main western buttress of Kulal, then gradually becoming steeper as you gain in elevation. Passing a few Samburu manyattas (small holdings) nestled in the valleys below, you make your way along a sometimes precipitous path following the saddle of the mountain. It is now possible from this vantage point to survey the progress you have made, with Lake Turkana stretched out below, its northern extremity reaching far away into the horizon. This shimmering sea of jade separated from you by mile upon mile of brown desert scrub, strafed by a multitude of dust devils creating their own inimitable patterns. A beguiling view.

Upon nearing the peak, the contrast from what you have left behind below could not be more complete, as you find yourself walking through evergreen forests and verdant pasture, not so unlike a rural idyll set in the Pennines of northern England. The Masula, a powerful Samburu clan exert ancestral ownership of this mountain fortress to protect their livestock in times of strife from the marauding Turkana and Gabbra who inhabit the plains below. Also, as is the case with Mount Nyiru further to the south, its rich pasture lands and shaded forests provide succour to these people during periods of drought, bringing their cattle up into the hills to await rains persistent enough to trigger the cycle of regeneration upon the surrounding lowlands.

Mount Kulal has two main peaks (north and south) separated by a geological curiosity, the El Kajarata gorge, a fissure thousands of feet deep dropping right into the bowels of the mountain, which literally splits it in two. As a consequence after surmounting the higher peak at the north end, in order to reach the peak to the south you have to descend almost to the base of the mountain only to commence the hard slog up again. This follows another precipitous path which eventually brings you to Gatab, a sizeable Samburu community perched close to the mountain summit. On arrival in Gatab, one is immediately struck with the impression of what it must be like discovering 'Arcadia', such is the remoteness and verdancy of its setting. A small almost pyramidic outcrop of rock to the southern edge of the settlement encourages a small scramble to the top, rewarding the climber with panoramic vistas of the boundless expanse of desert and scrub stretching northwards to the borderlands of Ethiopia. To the south, the outlines of Mount Nyiru and Ol Doinya Mara are clearly visible. Perched in between these two mountain ranges, though not visible, is South Horr, another Samburu outpost and your eventual destination.

On descending from Gatab to the base of Kulal, you immediately leave behind the lush vegetation, to be confronted again by a naked barren land. This, the beginning of a vast plain separating you from those ranges seen from above. Heading in their general direction, eventually the prominence of Mount Kulal recedes into the distance until it resembles a mere mole hill. Looking ahead now, the giant northern buttresses of Ol Doinya Mara and Mount Nyiru welcome you as thorn scrub gives way to savannah and once again you find yourself amongst scattered herds of cattle and goats (better nourished it seems than those on the far side of Kulal).

The final leg of your journey is a pleasant stroll up a dried river course, before entering the chasm between the two mountains along a dirt track. The donkeys galloping ahead now in an almost uncontrollable fashion. It appears they have picked up the scent of fresh cool water ahead. By the time you catch up, just short of town, you find them on their haunches taking long satisfying draughts of water from a babbling stream. You do the same, disregarding the scattered packs the donkeys have discarded in their mad dash. You are now able to enter town much replenished with a spring in your step. The journey's end.