Mount Kenya Trek, Africa's Second Highest Mountain | Hike Mountain Kenya
Climbing Mount Kenya (5,199m) is a treat for any lover of sublime, steep rock faces and remote, wild places. This is not a mountain of one peak, but many - a cluster of spikes, spirals, and summits that draw ever more captivating the closer you get. When the clouds clear, this ancient, extinct volcano can be seen on the drive-in from Nairobi - its summit towers standing tall above the surrounding landscape of farmlands, forests, and hills, which roll on a plateau 4000m below.
Mount Kenya is often said to be a mountaineer’s mountain. That is, at least partly, because the highest two peaks on the mountain (Batian, at 5,199m, and Nelion at 5,188m) can only be reached with specialist mountaineering equipment, and of course, the knowledge of how to safely use it. The highest point that most hikers reach is the third-highest summit, Point Lenana, which sits at 4,985m. It's Africa’s second highest mountain behind only Kilimanjaro. Though Kilimanjaro is higher, Mount Kenya is considered a more interesting climb - owing to the more demanding mountain faces, which provide challenging rock and even ice climbing routes. That's despite the proximity of the equator, which sits just 12 miles (20km) south.
Mount Kenya is the highest of all Kenya Mountains. Mount Kenya is roughly circular, about 60km across at the 200mm contour, where the steep font hills rise out of the gentler slopes of the centered highlands. Other major summits on the mountain include Point Piggott 4,957m, Point Dutton 4,885, and Point John 4,883m. Of the three main peaks (Batian, Lenana, and Nelion), point Lenana can be reached by climbing Mount Kenya trekkers and the other two are only for technical climbers.
The elevation of the mountain from the surrounding plains at 800m is huge and adds to the perceived height. Though the approach may be gentle in places, the summit peaks sit amidst a collection of sharp cliffs and jagged rock formations.
Only a few people each year summit Batian, and Point Lenana itself is a stunning trek - still requiring high fitness levels, a head for heights, and, if you choose the more adventurous routes, a real sense of adventure.
The route up the mountain can take anywhere between 3-8 days and passes bamboo forests and high-altitude moorlands before arriving at the bare ice and rock of the alpine peaks. Hiking alone is prohibited, so a guide will be required.
The wider Mount Kenya National Park was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997, and UNESCO wrote that “with its rugged glacier-clad summits and forested middle slopes, Mount Kenya is one of the most impressive landscapes in East Africa.”
How long it takes to climb Mount Kenya entirely depends on what route you take and how long you take to acclimatize. The range is around three to eight days, with most people taking somewhere between five and six days to climb the mountain. Take it “pole pole” as the locals say - going at your own pace and enjoying the views- and you’ll have the best time.
MOUNT KENY CLIMBING ROUTES:
The two highest points on Mount Kenya, Batian and Nelion, sit just 140 meters apart, and are often referred to as the “Gates of Mist”. The Normal Route on both is a Grade IV climb and was first ascended in 1929. Batian is climbed in two days, and Nelion in one. The route begins above the Lewis Glacier, which can be reached from the Austrian Hut, and today, it’s usually climbed in twenty-roped pitches. The summit of Point Lenana is more accessible to hikers without ropes.
There are three key approach routes that you can take to reach the Teleki Valley and the Summit Circuit Path on Mount Kenya. From there, you can then go on to trek to Point Lenana or if you’re more of a mountaineer, to climb Nelson or Batian. Below, we’ve provided a brief description of each of these three ascent routes - Naro Moru, Chogoria, and Sirimon.
NARO MORU ROUTE:
This is the quickest and most commonly trekked path up to the higher parts of the mountain. Though not the most scenic, it’s often the one chosen by tour operators due to ease of access. Starting from the string of shops that form Naro Moru, a well signposted path will take you, via Percival’s Bridge, 17km to the entrance to the Park, at 2,400m. From here, you head up on a paved road to the Meteorological Station (known as the Met Station, and a good accommodation option) at 3,050m. You could drive this section, but for acclimatization purposes, it’s recommended that you walk.
From the Met Station, you’ll head on to find a narrow footpath that leads to a forest and the wet moorland known as the “vertical bog” - a marshy section of trail. After a period in open moorland, you’ll reach the south side of the Teleki Valley, and descend to Mackinder’s Camp (where there is a hut accommodating 66 people) at 4,200m, looking onto the south side of Mount Kenya. The walk from the Met Station to Mackinder’s Camp takes around six hours.
After an overnight stay, it’s an early rise to reach Point Lenana, via the Austrian Hut, on the Summit Circuit Path. If you want to see the sunrise, you’ll have to get up and get going at around 3:00 am - with the walk to Point Lenana from Mackinder’s Camp taking around five hours with 800m elevation gain, on loose gravel. It’s a tough ascent, but no mountaineering experience is required.
If you are mountaineering, you may head on to the Austrian Hut (which sleeps 30), climbing along the Teleki Valley and via the lateral moraine of the Lewis Glacier.
CHOGORIA ROUTE:
The most important thing to note about the Chogoria route is that there are no huts along the way, so climbers need to be self-sufficient, with their tents for camping and everything that they will need to sustain themselves on the route. In return, hikers get a quieter path up the mountain - and without a doubt, the most scenic ascent route possible on Mount Kenya.
From the Park Gate at 3,000m, you will pass Urumandi Falls after hiking through tussock grass and moorland. A stretch of higher moorland, with low tree cover, will then take you on to Lake Ellis, at 3,390m. This is a remarkably tranquil location - with a panorama of the imperfect spikes of Mount Kenya on the horizon beyond and the sparkling stars bouncing off the glimmering water of the lake.
From here, you can continue, looking at the Gorges Valley, to reach Hall Tarn, a scenic, rocky camping ground above Lake Michaelson, and Mintos Camp at 4,230m. An early rise the next morning - around 2:00 am - will allow you to grab the head torch and head up to Point Lenana for sunrise via the Simba Col. You can then descend to Shipton’s Camp (which sleeps 30 people), and continue down the descent, back to Judmaier Camp at around 3,350m.
SIRIMON ROUTE:
This route will take you from the Sirimon River to a Park Gate leading to the Old Moses Hut (which offers self-service accommodation) and Judmaier Camp. Again, you could drive this road, but for acclimatization purposes, it is recommended to walk it, which takes around four hours for most. Another route, meanwhile, leads to Point Lenana, through a narrow chasm, with steep gravel switchbacks.
You’ll then climb to a communications station and head on to the Mackinder Valley, via moorland, the Liki North River, and a ridge climb, eventually coming out at Shipton’s Camp after a hike of around seven hours. Another split in the trail at the aforementioned station will take you up to the Liki North Hut at 3,990m instead. The hut isn’t active but there is a campsite in the area and this is a great place to stop if you want to climb Sendeo or Terere, two other outlying peaks of Mount Kenya. From here, a ridgeline and a drop into Mackinder Valley will take you to Shipton’s Camp.
From Shipton’s Camp, there’s a path to the Hausberg Col via Kami Tarn, which is close to the North Face Standard route of Batian. Climbers ahoy. Another route, meanwhile, leads to Point Lenana, through a narrow chasm, with steep gravel switchbacks, leading to a scramble up to Lenana.
Getting to Mount Kenya:
Mount Kenya is approximately 200km north of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and is comfortably accessible by road using a variety of transport options. These include buses, minibusses, taxi cabs or car hire will get you close to the mountain on the tarred roads to the nearest town: Naro Moru town for the Naro Moru route, Nanyuki town for the Sirimon route, and Chogoria town for the Chogoria route.
Best time to Climb Mount Kenya:
The best times to climb Mount Kenya are in the clearer parts of the dry season, meaning January, February, early March, and August, but September-December is also an excellent option.
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