7 Days Sirimon To Chogoria Route

Depart after breakfast and journey north past diverse agricultural lands and landscapes to the slopes of Mount Kenya. After lunch at the base lodge you take part in some easy walks around this predominantly Kikuyu area, exploring local farms and villages and perhaps local schools. We can gain a privileged insight into the lives of the people who live on the slopes of Mt. Kenya and know that our visit is contributing towards their local economy. An extended evening walk through the forest, where a local natural history expert will reveal the medicinal plants, birds and animals found here. We’ll also get to meet and spend some time with our mountain guides.

Breakfast is followed by a full briefing and equipment check before we begin the trek – we’ll meet the full crew at this point. Each person has a personal porter and there are extra porters for camping equipment and food. Then a short vehicle transfer past the equator to Sirimon park gate. Our ascent of Mt Kenya, following the Sirimon route, this is one of the longest and gentlest on the mountain. It is also one of the most spectacular. We walk up to our first hut at 3,340m. On this route, we will pass through zones of dense forest, bamboo, giant heather and out onto high open moorland. 3-4 hours.

Emerging from Likii valley, climb and pass over a ridge to enter on a steep descent into the picturesque Mackinder Valley where you join to the normal route from the Old Moses camp. You arrive at Shiptons camp for hot lunch after a 4hour trek. Afternoon at leisure.

We stay at Shipton’s for two nights, and have a rest day. This is invaluable for acclimatization and will make the summit day more enjoyable. Highly recommended is a short walk on the summit circuit trail up to the Hausberg col (4,600m) OR go farther, passing between Oblong and Hausberg Tarns to Nanyuki and Two Tarns to enjoy panoramic views of peaks Batian (5199m) and Nelion (5188m). Having reached a high altitude of over 4600m the true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear, climbing high and sleeping low is excellent for acclimatization.

Trek via the Summit to Nithi, to the summit then \ Nithi Camp. After the rest day comes the highlight of the Mount Kenya trek: the stiff, but exhilarating, scramble by starlight up to Point Lenana, the “trekkers’ summit”, in time to see the African dawn from a vantage point of nearly 5,000m. We leave at 3am and climb the 800m to the peak in 3 hours. A further 3 hours down to a late breakfast by Hall Tarns in the magnificent Gorges Valley. Then in the afternoon another 3 hours down past spectacular chasms, waterfalls and weirdly eroded lava flows to camp by the track-head in the giant heather zone.

Short descent through the forest zone to the mountain cabins and afternoon relaxing. Log fires, hot showers, beers, and real beds for overnight. Wildlife viewing in evening – often from your cabin window as the elephant and buffalo graze outside!

After breakfast, set on morning journey to Chogoria. 4WD vehicles are provided but during the bad weather, climbers have to walk some distance as vehicles may not reach the bandas. From Chogoria connect with your vehicle for next destination or journey back to Nairobi.