Chogoria – Sirimon

Chogoria – Sirimon traverse

  • 5 days

Overview

The Chogoria route is our most recommended and arguably the most magnificent ascent route to the summit area. It is the driest route up the mountain, and the walk beside the Gorges Valley is truly spectacular.

Descending through the Sirimon route will take you through some beautiful forests as you traverse the mountain.

The accommodation on this hike is 2 nights in mountain huts and 2 nights of camping.  Nonetheless, if you prefer to camp, you can do so.

Tour highlights

  • Combining two of the most scenic routes on Mount Kenya
  • Spectacular views of the mountain through the Gorges Valley
  • Varied mountain vegetation like rain-forests, bamboo, moorlands and giant lobelias
  • The chance to acclimatise at 3300m

Day to day itinerary

You’ll depart from Nairobi at 8am and you’ll drive through the agricultural land up to Chogoria for lunch.  After lunch, you’ll get into a 4×4 and drive up to the edge of the bamboo forest, where you’ll start trekking for a distance of 10km up to Mt Kenya Bandas. You’ll have dinner and stay at the Mount Kenya Bandas overnight.

After having breakfast and sorting the porter loads, you’ll set off up the mountain at a nice and easy pace. Taking a slightly longer walk via Lake Ellis gives you scenic views of Mugi, Ithanguni, and the Giants Billiards Table, whilst if you follow the river near the road head upstream for about 3km, the foreground scenery and flora is particularly beautiful.

You’ll have lunch on the banks of a stream, and then it’s time for you to go up the left hillside to reach your camp at about 3450m.

You’ll have an early start.  Again, you’ll be walking well off the beaten track and you’ll follow a ridge up the mountain for about 3 hours. Eventually, you’ll join the tourist trail on the normal Chogoria route at an altitude of about 4,100m.  You’ll have breathtaking views of the Gorges Valley, Ithanguni and the Northern Moorlands.

Your lunch will be served at a small stream crossing, before you continue for another hour to get to the Mintos Hut area at 4200m and rest.

Your afternoon will be spent relaxing at the camp, though a 10-minute walk to the “temple” is well worth the effort. This is a 150 metre tall vertical cliff that gets its name from the position that visitors often adopt when peering over the edge – they look as if they are praying.

Your attempt to reach the summit starts at 03:00am and you’ll hike for about three hours up to Point Lenana (4985m), the summit. You’ll arrive there in time to watch the African sunrise. You’ll descend to Shipton Camp for your breakfast. After breakfast, you’ll begin a 4-5-hour descent through Mackinder’s Valley to Old Moses Camp (3300m). The descent is gentle and it gives you lots of time to enjoy the fascinating scenery, such as the moorlands, before you reach the campsite. You’ll have dinner and rest at Old Moses Camp.

After an early breakfast, you’ll descend and go back to Nairobi. You’ll arrive late in the afternoon.

Prices are per person based on:

1 person US$ 1,320
2 people US$ 1,100
3 people US$ 1,070

per person

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