Mt Kenya

DAY 1 : Depart UK

Today we depart our home country. We try to schedule an evening flight to arrive in Nairobi early the next day.

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DAY 2 : Arrive Nairobi, transfer to Mount Kenya

We land in Nairobi airport and transfer straight to Mount Kenya, a 5–6-hour journey through beautiful Kenyan countryside to the National Park gate, we’ll stop en-route to have lunch and  grab any last  it you might need in country. After lunch we finish the journey down a muddy road through bamboo forest to 2,900 meters for our first night in comfortable Chogoria log cabins. That evening you’ll be briefed on the days coming, then free to relax and soak up everything the national park has to offer.

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DAY 3 : Chogoria Gate to Lake Ellis (3,400m)

After a great breakfast we start our ascent of Mount Kenya. Once we reach the beautiful open bushland, we have the opportunity to check out an incredible fifty-meter-high water fall and a dip if you’re feeling up for it. After a few more hours you reach a stunning, quiet lake, and our first camp. It is about 5-6 hours of walking total so upon arrival mid after noon the team will set up camp and have food on the way.

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DAY 4 : Lake Ellis to The Temple, Lake Michaelson (3,800m)

After breakfast, we shoulder our packs and push deeper into the wild heart of Mount Kenya, steadily gaining altitude as we enter the vast and dramatic Gorges Valley. The landscape opens up around us as we make our way toward Lake Michaelson, our remote campsite for the night (5–6 hours). Towering above the valley, Mount Kenya’s jagged summits and ancient glaciers come into view for the first time — a thrilling preview of what lies ahead. With daylight still on our side, there’s time to explore the rugged lakeshore, tackle a stunning circuit walk around the water!

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DAY 5 : Lake Michaelson to Austrian Hut  (4,750m)

After a relaxed morning, we cross the 4,000m mark the route grows steeper and more dramatic as we pass the eerie remains of an old aircraft wreck before climbing onto the ridge that guards Gorges Valley. From here, the terrain turns raw and demanding as we scramble up loose scree toward Simba Col, our high camp for the night and the launch point for our summit push (3–4 hours). Upon arrival, a hot lunch restores our energy as we prepare for the ascent of Mount Kenya’s third-highest peak, Point Lenana. An early dinner and final preparations set the stage for an alpine start and the adventure to come.

DAY 6 : Simba Col to Point Lenana (4,985m) descend to Shipton’s Camp (4,200m)

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Trekkers:

We rise in the darkness around 3am, the mountain still silent as we fuel up with a light breakfast and prepare for the final push. Headlamps flicker to life as we set off toward the summit, clim steadily through the night to reach the top just as the sun breaks over Mount Kenya’s breathtaking eastern horizon.

Standing on the summit, with the vast African landscape unfolding beneath us, we take a moment to absorb the achievement — the thrill, the exhaustion, and the pride of completing an unforgettable challenge. From here, we begin our descent, tracing our way down to the spectacularly situated Shipton’s Camp, where a well-earned rest awaits.

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Climbers:

We rise in the early hours under a sky full of stars, making final checks before stepping onto the rock. Headlamps cut through the darkness as we begin our technical ascent, the sharp silhouettes of Nelion and Batian towering above us.

As dawn breaks, we climb pitch by pitch across exposed ridges and sheer rock faces, rewarded with breathtaking views over the plains of central Kenya. Reaching the summits of Nelion and Batian is a rare and powerful achievement — a true test of skill, endurance, and teamwork.

After taking in the moment, we begin our careful descent, abseiling and down-climbing to Shipton camp later in the day, tired, exhilarated, and deeply satisfied after completing one of Mount Kenya’s greatest alpine challenges.

 

DAY 7 : Shipton Camp to Old Moses camp (3,200m)

After a relaxed breakfast, we step into a completely new face of the mountain, descending into the dramatic, steep-sided Mackinder’s Valley. The route opens out onto rolling moorland, with sweeping views across the vast Kenyan plains far below. A 5–6 hour descent carries us down to Old Moses Camp, where the wilderness finally gives way to the first touch of civilisation and a tarmac road marks the end of our mountain journey. Here we transfer back into Nairobi where the call of a hot shower awaits and a final evening meal with the team.

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DAY 8 : Nairobi

Today we say goodbye to Kenya as we travel back to our home country.