Mount Kenya - Point Lenana Kenya 4935m

We head to Kenya to climb this country?s highest mountain, a beautiful ascent often ignored for its big brother Kilimanjaro. The terrain is varied, the vegetation ever changing, the wildlife more diverse and the panoramas inspiring. We make our way to the non-technical summit ? Point Lenana, one of several that form a circuit around the ancient collapsed caldera of the volcanic peak, and we make our way up methodically to ensure we acclimatise properly, and take time to enjoy the amazing and unique landscape.

Itinerary

Day 1 ? 2: Depart the UK
Fly to Nairobi and transfer to our hotel near Mount Kenya National Park to relax after the flight before a comprehensive briefing from your 360 leader and a hearty supper.

Day 3: Chogoria Bandas (3,000m)
We are picked up early for the drive to Chogoria Gate a few of hours away, our entrance to Mount Kenya national park where me meet our porters and cook.
If the roads are good, we will drive through the rainforest and into the bamboo zone some of the way up to Chogoria Bandas, our first night?s stop. The Bandas is simple but comfortable, and can be teeming with buffalo, elephant and zebra.

Day 4: Chogoria Bandas to Lake Ellis (3,600m)
Today is our first day of proper trekking as we climb up into the heath zone, traversing open moorland to reach a stunning, quiet lake, and our first camp. It?s a good morning?s walk to get into the swing of things, leaving us the afternoon to relax, or to explore the environs in search of the rock hyrax that inhabit this area.

Day 5: Lake Ellis to The Temple, Lake Michaelson (4,000m)
After breakfast we head out across more moorland through Africa?s unique high altitude plants ? giant groundsel and lobelia before crossing into the mouth of the great Gorges Valley where we find Lake Michaelson and our night?s camp. Set in a vast 300m high amphitheatre, we catch our first glimpse of some of Mount Kenya?s summits and glaciers above us.

Day 6: Lake Michaelson (4,000m)
Today is acclimatisation day, and we take a walk up towards Mintos hut to explore the small hidden tarns above it. In the afternoon we can relax by the lake, or the more eager can head over towards Vivienne Falls, a plunging 100m waterfall.

Day 7: Lake Michaelson to Austrian Hut (4,750m)
We break the 4,000m barrier today as we climb up past the old wreck of an aircraft and up over the ridge surrounding Gorges Valley. Form there we scramble up scree towards Austrian Hut near the Lewis Glacier and our stop for the night before we go for the summit.

Day 8: Austrian Hut to Point Lenana (4,985m) down to American Camp (4,320m)
We wake early at Austrian hut, typically around 3am, and make for the summit in time to see the sun rise, bathing glorious light over the breathtaking eastern panorama of Mount Kenya.
When we?ve finally taken in the glory of reaching the summit, we head back down to Austrian Hut and then traverse around the top of Mount Kenya towards American Camp at the head of the Teleki Valley. As we head round we look out all the way across Kenya, even glimpsing Kilimanjaro in the distance. We camp under Diamond Couloir, a 900m ice waterfall near the craggy Nelion and Bation summits.

Day 9: American Camp to Shipton?s Camp (4,200m)
We continue the traverse as we make our way around the entire western side of the mountain, reaching Shipton?s camp in the north later that day. The panoramic views across Kenya continue as we circumnavigate the mountain.

Day 10: Shipton?s Camp to Sirimon Gate (2,800m) and thence to Nairobi
From Shipton?s, we take a gentle walk down Mackinder?s valley, which is far easier than our ascent and we make excellent time as we head for the gates of the National Park, and to our vehicles that will take us back to Nairobi for a well earned, drink, dinner and finally bed. If we take a little longer, we can be picked up from Old Moses Camp.

Day 11: Return to UK
Depending on flight times, there may be time to explore some of Nairobi before we head back to the UK, either on a day flight or an overnight flight, to share our stories with friends.

Day 12: Arrive UK