5 Days Mount Kenya Safari - Chogoria Route Up - Sirimon Route Down Tour

After breakfast, set off up the mountain at an easy pace. Visit the Nithi waterfalls and get back on the trail for a slightly longer walk via Lake Ellis giving way to scenic views of Mugi, Ithanguni and the Giants Billiards Table. If you follow the river near the roadhead and upstream for about 3 km, the foreground scenery and flora is particularly beautiful. Have lunch on the banks of a stream, then cut up the left hand hillside to the camp at about 3,600m.

Start early on a well 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. See 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 at 4,200m for a 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 meters 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 will attempt to summit the next day.

The pre-dawn attempt of the summit starts at 3.00am and you hike for about three hours up to Pt. Lenana (4,985m), the hiker’s summit, arriving there in time to watch the African sunrise. Descend to Shipton’s Camp for breakfast. After breakfast, begin a 5 hour descent via Mackinder Valley to 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. Dinner and overnight at Old Moses camp.

After early morning breakfast, descend for 3 hours to the Sirimon Park gate to get a vehicle for transfer to Nairobi marking the end of our memorable Mount Kenya High altitude hiking; arrive Nairobi in the evening.