Mount Kenya National Park

Today all the guides and porters will meet us in Naro Moru, and we will load up the vehicle(s) for the short 15-kilometer drive up to the Naro Moru gate of Mount Kenya National Park. Clients link up with the Crew at the gate. There are often baboons and bushbuck wandering around the area as we sign in and then we head off along the vehicle track through the forests of bamboo and hardwood trees. We will stop for a picnic lunch at a convenient spot before continuing on up to our first camp at Met station, located close to the edge of the forest, where buffalo often come out overnight to graze. Destination: Mt. Kenya National Park Met Station Camp Accommodation: Camping.  Met Station Camp Site Inside the Park Meals: lunch and dinner

Mount Kenya National Park

From Met Station, we follow the vehicle track a bit further before turning off on a footpath through the Hygenia forest and then out onto the more open heathland. From here, you get a fantastic view. Back over the treetops and down to the plains beyond. The heath and moorland continue and also sports Giant Cabbage Groundsel and Giant Lobelia Deckenii as we make our way up past the overdramatically named ‘Vertical Bog’ to the outcrop known as picnic rocks, Lunch at this spot After lunch. We continue on the moorland for a bit longer before joining the edge of the Teleki Valley and winding between Giant Tree Groundsel and Ostrich Plume Lobelia, and then onto grasses in the valley floor as we cross a river and follow it on a gentle approach to our next camp at Mackinder’s Camp site, on an outcrop of moraine. Destination: Mt. Kenya, Mackinder’s Camp Accommodation: Camping at Mackinder’s Camp Site Inside the Park Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Mount Kenya National Park

As we depart Mackinder’s Camp after breakfast, we climb up to Hut Tarn, which sits right on the edge of the upper Teleki Valley and gives a great view across to the main summits and glaciers. Continue past Nanyuki Tarn and towards the Eastern Terminal and on to a slotted pass at Arthur’s Seat before dropping down to Oblong and Hausberg Tarns. Ascent to Hausberg col, and then walk down via and past the Kami Tarn and down to Shipton’s Camp (4,200 m). Destination: Mt. Kenya—Shipton’s Camp Accommodation: Camping at Shipton’s Camp Site Inside the Park Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Mount Kenya National Park

This morning we will be up just after 2:00 AM to prepare for our nighttime ascent to Point Lenana. We will skirt the rocky outcrop above the camp and then cross a flat area before joining the screen. Passing the bowl of Harris Tarn, we skirt above it and then cross an area of bare rock and a small scramble. If we are ahead of schedule, there is a small niche or cave where we can huddle up for a rest. It is then less than half an hour up to the bare summit for sunrise. The sun will rise around 6:00 AM and we will drink in its warmth as well as the spectacular view before dropping down and retracing our the ascent route down to Hall Tarns for breakfast (Mintos Hut). After enjoying the amazing views of the cliffs of the Temple and Lake Michaelson, we will set off further down the mountain to camp at Lake Ellis. Destination: Mt. Kenya–Lake Ellies Camp Accommodations: Camp at the Lake Ellies Campsite Inside the Park Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Mount Kenya National Park

This morning, we set off again downhill. The path can be quite indistinct at first on this less-used trail. But we generally follow the line of a watercourse until we hit the 44 track that takes us down to the forest boundary. Here we have the option of heading straight down to Meru bandas (cabins) or a diversion around to the beautiful Nithi Falls. Back at the bandas, or just a little after them, we’ll meet up with our 44 vehicles for the drive back down through the forest to Chogoria town before continuing on to Nairobi. Destination: Nairobi Accommodation: No accommodation is included in our package. Meals: Breakfast.