The kindest way up and the most spectacular way down. Sirimon gives you the gradual acclimatisation profile; Chogoria gives you the Gorges Valley on the way home.
If you have five days and want the best chance of summiting without giving up the scenery, this is the traverse to pick. Sirimon is the driest side of the mountain and climbs at a forgiving angle, so your body has time to adjust. You then cross the peaks and come down Chogoria, past Lake Michaelson and the Gorges Valley, so no ground is walked twice.
We collect you in Nanyuki after breakfast for the short drive to Sirimon Gate at 2,650m. The walk begins straight from the gate — nine kilometres of equatorial rainforest giving way to giant bamboo.
This is the wildlife stretch. Black-and-white colobus and Sykes’ monkeys are almost guaranteed, buffalo and elephant sign is everywhere, and the birdlife is the richest of the trip. Your guide will set a deliberately slow pace; the acclimatisation starts here, not on summit day.
Old Moses Camp · 3,300mA long day, and the one that shows you what Mount Kenya really is. The track leaves the treeline behind and opens into undisturbed moorland — tussock grass, everlasting flowers, and plants that grow nowhere below 3,500m.
After an hour or so the Mackinder Valley opens ahead of you with the peaks standing at its head. Ancient giant lobelia and groundsel line the valley floor. Rock hyrax are common around the camp, and improbable as it sounds, they are the elephant’s closest living relative.
Shipton’s Camp · 4,200mA short but demanding day that takes you round the western side of the peaks. The climb out of Shipton’s is steep from the first step, up to Hausberg Col at around 4,590m with the glaciers and rock walls of Batian directly above.
You finish at Austrian Hut, the highest sleeping point on the mountain and the reason this itinerary summits so reliably — you start summit morning already at 4,790m, with only 200 vertical metres left to climb.
Austrian Hut · 4,790mTea and biscuits at five, then a short climb in the dark to reach Point Lenana for first light. On a clear morning Kilimanjaro appears on the southern horizon, more than 300 kilometres away.
The descent goes east into country most Mount Kenya trekkers never see. Down past Minto’s Hut for a proper breakfast, then into the Gorges Valley — Lake Michaelson below The Temple, Vivienne Falls, and tarns scattered across the moorland. Lunch at Chogoria road head before dropping into the forest.
Meru Mount Kenya Bandas · 3,000mA long, easy descent through dense bamboo and rainforest on the wettest and greenest side of the mountain. It is downhill the whole way and the birdlife is outstanding.
Transport meets you at the gate for the transfer on to Chogoria town or Nairobi, arriving mid-afternoon.
What’s included
- Kenya Wildlife Service park fees for every day on the mountain
- KWS-certified guide, cook and porters
- All meals on the mountain, freshly cooked
- Accommodation along the route
- Tents, sleeping bags and walking sticks
- Road transport at both ends of the trek
- Drinking water throughout
What to bring
- Well-broken-in hiking boots — the most important item you own
- Warm jacket and insulated trousers for summit morning
- Waterproof jacket and over-trousers
- Warm hat, gloves and a buff or balaclava
- Sunglasses and high-factor sun cream
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Daypack for the summit push
Missing something? We rent down jackets, insulated trousers, gloves, fleeces and larger packs at USD 5 per item for the trip. Sleeping bags, walking sticks and tents are already included.
What it costs
Five days at our standard daily rate, everything above included.
Airport collection and Nairobi transport available at USD 150. See our full cost breakdown for what sits outside the daily rate.
Book the Sirimon–Chogoria Traverse
Tell us your dates and group size and we will send a day-by-day plan built around them.
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