Mt Kenya Ascent

Reality Check

GRADE C/D Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest peak in Africa, after Mount Kilimanjaro.

Reaching Point Lenana will require considerable fitness. This itinerary is designed to give you the best chance of reaching the summit. It is a long and hard trek, which reaches an altitude of 4985m. Even if you consider yourself fit, you might still find the climb very hard, depending on how well your body acclimatises to high altitude. There is no scientific way to determine how easily you acclimatise, and be aware that the acclimatisation process also can differ from climb to climb. The summit attempt is a D grade walk because of the high altitude and the level of physical effort needed.

Please be aware many clients find the summit day on Mount Kenya a very tough challenge.

The rest of the trek is a C grade more as a consequence of the high altitude and extended wilderness and the difficulty of walking; hence the C/D grading for the overall trek. We strongly recommend that you thoroughly read the Exodus grading system as outlined in the Walking & Trekking Brochure before booking this trip.

Our Burguret to Sirimon route circuit is designed to give you an excellent chance of reaching the summit by using a five-day route on the mountain and having an extra acclimatisation day at a mid-way camp on the moorland (3700m).

There is a good chance our group will not encounter anyone else on the mountain until arriving at Shiptons's Camp, as the Burguret route is a little used wilderness path.

Our descent via the picturesque Sirimon route, on the north-western side of Mount Kenya, escapes some rainfall, making it drier and, in our view, preferable to other routes.

The weather on Mount Kenya can however change quite rapidly from warm daily temperatures to minus figures as the sun goes down. Adequate clothing needs to be worn as to cope with these changes in temperature. Please see our what to pack section (in the Trip Notes) for more information.

Please note that as we reach higher altitude - day 4 and 5 of the above land only itinerary there may be a lot of scree, making the trek more challenging. The final ascent is almost exclusively on scree and loose rock without permanent footpaths but no technical skills are required. Some of the trails are not well defined and some forest sections are often slippery and moorland paths can be very wet in poor weather conditions.

Altitude Despite careful pacing and adequate hydration, some many trekkers will experience mild altitude sickness. Most recover quickly; but those affected by serious altitude problems will need to descend to a lower altitude with a member of the local staff and probably abandon the trek in the interests of safety. Please report any symptoms of altitude illness to our guides immediately and be prepared to follow their advice. Although rare, a number of medical conditions can also reduce your body's ability to acclimatise, and thus will affect your performance at altitude and make you more susceptible to AMS. If you are worried about any pre-existing condition (e.g. heart problems), or unsure of your physical ability, we recommend that you seek medical advice prior to booking. Female travellers please note there is some evidence to suggest that the regularity of the menstrual cycle is disrupted at altitude, this disruption has been known to bring on unexpected periods.