Semi-arid thorn scrub best describes the vegetation of northern Samburuland where semi-nomadic pastoralists eke out a living from an unforgiving land. The region is characterised by grand vistas, poor soil and an unreliable rainfall. The mountain in the distance is Baio, which rises to a height of 5,746 feet.This land is shared by the cattle-owning Samburu (related to the _maa speaking Maasai) and their camel-owning Rendille neighbours. The languages, customs and origins of the two peoples are quite different.