The Sirimon route is considered a gentler approach as its slightly longer route gains altitude from the northwest of the mountain more slowly than the Naro Moru route. From the first camp at Old Moses, the route then follows the line of the long classic MacKinder glacial valley to the high camp (Shiptons) below the summit towers of Batian and Nelion. The summit itself is reached via scree and rock tracks (departing in the dark at about 2am) which eventually become covered in snow as they skirt along the Lewis Glacier. The last few meters require a bit of scrambling to reach the shapely summit, from where the dawn reveals the plains of Kenya far below and the stunning silhouette of the mountain's two main peaks, which are right next door.

The ascent along the Naro Moru route starts from the western side of the mountain near the trading town of Naro Moru. From the local hotel we use (Blue Line) there is a trail up to the park gate that passes through farmland and small villages on the lower slopes of the mountain. At the park gate, we continue on foot to the Met station, which is right at the top of a dense bamboo forest and offers a much better chance of seeing some wildlife than the Sirimon route. The camp here has cabins and is also an ideal place for a short weekend overnight trip to Mount Kenya if you don't intend to summit. From the Met station the journey continues up the notorious Vertical Bog, which is not vertical at all but can be quite boggy, especially in the afternoon! It opens onto open alpine moorland with fine peak views from the Picnic Rocks on the edge of the escarpment which descends into the Teleki Valley and a few hours walk to Mackinders Camp.

The final climb to Point Lenana requires a 1am start and a short trek to reach the start of the scree slope that leads to the Austrian Hut. From there, the ascent is via an exposed route to the summit ridge, but they have recently introduced fixed lines (making Mount Kenya the highest via ferrata route in the world) to give people the confidence to reach the summit without any problems.

The descent along the Chogoria route, which is generally considered to be the most spectacular landscape and geological features of cliffs, kars and lakes, is long but worth it (especially on the way down) for distant views of high lakes and glacial lakes, deep gorges and unusual rock formations. One particular huge cliff amphitheater called The Temple holds the beautiful Lake Michaelson. The campsite is lower near Nithi Falls and around Lake Ellis, from where you can climb local high points to see back to the peaks and strange volcanic formations like the 'giant pool table'. The next day we have a wonderful descent into the forest and the Meru Bandas at Chogoria Gate. From there, a 4×4 will take you down a muddy road to the town of Chogoria and on to Embu, a trading town on the eastern side of Mount Kenya, where we have a guest house.

You can read more about the type of terrain you will encounter on the Mount Kenya trek and the level of fitness required in the "Mount Kenya Advice".

The standard traverse itinerary starts in Naro Moru and ends in Embu, but we can arrange all optional extras if required, including private transport from Nairobi, accommodation in Nairobi, Naro Moru or Embu (for anyone using the Chogoria route for ascent or descent) , mountain lodge accommodation upgrades etc. We can also help you with a tailor-made safari or a visit to our Moving Mountains projects in Naro Moru or Embu.