5-Day Mount Kenya Climbing via Chogoria Sirimon

You’ll meet with your guide at a central location in the CBD and depart for Nanyuki at 8:00 am, driving through the agricultural country up to Chogoria town for lunch. After lunch, you will take a 4×4 and drive up to the edge of the bamboo forest where you’ll start your trekking through the dense bamboo forest for a distance of 10 km to the Mt Kenya Bandas.

Main Destination:

Mount Kenya

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

After breakfast and sorting of porter loads, you’ll set off up the mountain at a nice and easy pace. A slightly longer walk via Lake Ellis gives scenic views of Mugi, Ithanguni, and the Giants Billiards Table, whilst if you follow the river near road head, upstream for about 3 km, the foreground scenery and flora are particularly beautiful. Lunch on the banks of a stream, then it’s time to cut up the left-hand hillside to our camp at about 3,600m, well away from any of the more touristy areas.

Main Destination:

Mount Kenya

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Similar early start again well off the beaten track to follow a ridge up the mountain for about 3 hours to eventually join the tourist track on the normal Chogoria route at an altitude of about 4,100m. Breathtaking views over the Gorges Valley and back over towards Ithanguni and the Northern Moorlands. Lunch is served at a small stream crossing, before continuing for a further hour to the Mintos Hut area at 4200m and our night’s rest. The afternoon is spent relaxing at camp, though a 10-minute walk to the “Temple” is well worth the effort. This is a 150-meter vertical cliff that gets its name from the position visitors often adopt when peering over the edge — they look as if they are praying. An early night is recommended as you are attempting the summit the next day.

Main Destination:

Mount Kenya

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

You’ll have a pre-dawn attempt at the summit starting at 3:00 am. You’ll hike for about three hours up to Point Lenana (4985m), the hiker’s summit, arriving there in time to watch the African sunrise. You’ll descend to Shipton camp for breakfast. After breakfast, you’ll begin a 5-hour descent via Mackinder`s valley to the Old Moses camp (3,300m). The descent is gentle and it offers ample time to enjoy fascinating scenery which includes the moorlands before reaching the camp.

Main Destination:

Mount Kenya

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included