6 Days Mount Kenya Summit Circuit - Naru Moru - Chogoria Route

Overview

Days Summary

• Day 1: Transfer from Naro Moru to the Mount Kenya National Park gate. Trek to Met Station Camp
• Day 2: Trek from Met Station Camp to MacKinder's Camp
• Day 3: Trek from Mackinder's Camp - Hausberg Col - Shipton's Camp
• Day 4: Acclimatization Day: Trek from Shipton's Camp - Icy Mike (Elephant skeleton) - Shipton's Camp
• Day 5: Trek from Shiptons to Point Lenana and descend to Lake Ellis or Nithi Falls via Hall Tarns
• Day 6: Trek from Lake Ellis or Nithi Falls via Meru Banda's and transfer to Chogoria town.

Itinerary

Day 0

• Elevation N/A
• Travel time:175km 3-4hrs

If you will be flying to Kenya then we will offer airport transfer to Naru Moru, evening arrival will mean at least one night in Nairobi before transferring to Naru Moru on the west of Mount Kenya to meet the guides and the porters who all leaves around Naru Moru and can meet you any day you arrive, there is plenty to see and do in Nairobi and Naru Moru, where we can also help to arrange extra nights’ accommodation, city tours in Nairobi or day trips. We are more than ready to discuss all options to ensure your time in Kenya is everything and more than expected.

Day 1

• Elevation 2000-2500-3030m
• Travel time:10km-3-4hrs

Today all the guides and porters will meet us in Naru Moru, and we will load up the vehicle(s) for the short 15km drive up the Naro Moru gate of Mount Kenya National Park. There are often baboons and bushbuck wondering around the area as we sign in and then and then we head off along the vehicle track trough the forest of bamboo and hardwood trees. We will stop for a picnic lunch at the convenient stop before continuing on up to our first camp at Met Station. Located close the edge of the forest where buffalos often come out overnight to graze.

Day 2

• Elevation 3050-4200m
• Travel time:10km-6hrs

From Met Station we follow the vehicle track a bit further before turning off on a footpath through the Hygenia forest and then out onto the more open heathland. From here you get a fantastic view back over the treetops and down to the plains beyond. The Heath and Moorland continues and also sports Giant Cabbage Groundsel and Giant Lobelia Deckenii as we make our way up past the over dramatically named “Vertical Bog” to the outcrop known as picnic Rocks, for Lunch. We continue on the moorland for a bit longer before joining the edge of the Teleki valley and winding between Giant Tree groundsel and Ostrich Plume Lobelia, and then onto grasses in the Valley floor as we cross a river and follow it on a gentle approach to our next camp at Mackinder’s Hut on an outcrop of moraine.

Day 3

• Elevation 4200-4535-4200
• Travel time:7km-5hrs

Morning to Relax and after lunch from Mackinder’s Camp, we climb up to Hut Turn, which sits on right edge of the upper Teleki Valley and gives a great view across to the main summits and glaciers. Continue past Nanyuki Tarn and towards the Eastern Terminal and on to a slotted pass, at Arthurs Seat before dropping down to Oblong and Hausberg Tarns, past the Kami Tarn and down to Shipton’s Camp. (4200m).

Day 3 Alternative Route

• Elevation 4200-4535-4200
• Travel time:8km-7hrs

Mackinder’s to Darwin & Tyndall Glaciers is rewarding walk up the left-hand flank of the upper Teleki Valley to the American Camp and on to a deep bowl where the diamonds couloir falls to the Darwin Glacier. The rock faces of the main summits tower over us and old ropes from climbing parties hang on some of the sheer faces. Continue up to the Hut Tarn and on to Shipton’s Camp.

Day 4

• Elevation 4200-4600-4200m
• Travel time:7km-6-5hrs

An interesting day walk from Shipton Camp, to find an elephant skeleton called ice Mike, the Elephant that tried to climb Mount Kenya! From Shipton’s Camp we start to descend the Mackinder’s Valley before contouring around and up towards the peak of Sendeyo where we drop into a wide couloir above the Hinde Valley. From icy Mike we can either return by the same route or complete a circuit by dropping lower into the Hinder Valley, contouring to the South and then South West, for the climb up to Simba Col and back to Shipton’s Camp.

Day 5

• Elevation 4200-4985-3500m
• Travel time:18km-13hrs

This morning we will be up just after midnight to prepare for our night-time ascent to Point Lenana, it is an exhilarating feeling stepping out into the cold under the starlight and crunching up the frozen scree. We skirt the rocky outcrop above the camp, the cross a flat area before joining the scree. We then zig zag our way up and then follows a broad ridge and a steeper slope up over the skyline. Passing the bowl of Harris Tarn, we skirt above it and then cross an area of bare rock and small scramble. If we are ahead of schedule we can handle up for a rest. It is then less than half an hour up to the bare summit for sunrise. The Sun will rise around 6am and we will drink in its warmth as well the spectacular view before dropping down by either re-tracing our ascent route or alternative traversing right over and down the South side past Austrian Hut, before turning to the East and down to Hall Tarns for breakfast. After enjoying the amazing views of the cliffs of the Temple and Lake Michaelson, we will set off further down the Mountain to Camp at Lake Ellis.

Day 6

• Elevation 3500-1800m
• Travel time: +70km (1.5hrs)

This morning again we set off downhill. The path can be quite indistinct at first, on this less-used Trail, but we generally follow the line of watercourse until the 4x4 track that takes us down to the forest boundary. Here we have the option the option of heading straight down to Meru Bandas (cabins) or a diversion around to the beautiful Nithi Falls. Back at the Bandas, or just a little after them, we will meet up with our 4x4s for the drive back down through the forest to Chogoria town.
other options include tailor made safaris, climb Mount Kilimanjaro, a visit to any of the game reserves around Mount Kenya or transfer back to Nairobi for a city tour.

Photos

Price

$1060 P/P. Minimum 2Pax