Climb Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest mountain, on the Sirimon Route. This five-day trek takes you from bamboo forest to alpine meadows and finishes with a sunrise on Point Lenana (4,985m).
The Sirimon Route is known for its scenery and its excellent acclimatisation profile.
Before you book, read our kit list and climbing requirements.
| Destination | Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya |
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| Route | Sirimon Route (up and down) |
| Highest point | Point Lenana, 4,985m |
| Rates | From $1,015 per person |
| Departure | Nairobi |
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Leave Nairobi early (around 08:00) for the 3-hour drive to Sirimon Gate on the north-west slope of Mount Kenya National Park. After park registration and a briefing from your lead guide, begin a gradual ascent through open moorland, giant heather and rosewood, gaining height steadily over about 4 hours to Old Moses Camp (3,300m) in the early afternoon.
A warm lunch is waiting at camp, and the afternoon is free to rest and acclimatise. Dinner and overnight camping at Old Moses.
After an early breakfast, leave the heather zone and climb steeply through Mackinder’s Valley, past fields of giant lobelia and groundsel found nowhere else on Earth. The twin summits of Batian and Nelion come into full view as you gain the higher moorland.
Arrive at Shipton’s Camp (4,200m) by early afternoon, leaving time to rest, rehydrate and see how your body is handling the altitude. Your guide will carry out an evening health check. Dinner and overnight at Shipton’s Camp.
A dedicated acclimatisation day is essential for a safe summit attempt. Following the “climb high, sleep low” principle, hike after breakfast up the North Circuit path towards Two Tarn Col, giving your body time to adjust to the thinner air, then return to Shipton’s Camp before noon.
The afternoon is for rest, kit checks and hydration. Early dinner at 17:30, summit briefing at 18:30 and lights out by 19:00 ahead of the 02:00 wake-up call.
Wake at 02:00 for hot drinks and a light snack, then leave Shipton’s Camp at 02:30 by head torch, climbing the north ridge scree slopes in the dark. Your guide sets a slow, steady “pole pole” (Swahili for “slowly, slowly”) pace to save energy.
A final scramble over the rocky summit block brings you onto Point Lenana (4,985m), Africa’s third-highest peak, timed for sunrise. On clear mornings you can see Kilimanjaro, 170km to the south, and the Aberdare Range. Spend around 20 minutes on the summit before starting the long descent, with a breakfast stop at Shipton’s, then continue down Mackinder’s Valley to Old Moses Camp for your final night.
After a relaxed breakfast, a final descent of about 2 hours through heather moorland brings you back to Sirimon Gate (2,650m). Sign out of the national park and board your vehicle for the drive back to Nairobi, arriving around 14:00. Drop-off at your hotel or the airport, and the rest of the day is free.
