The following is our preferred itinerary to give a good overview of the Naro Moru / Chogoria traverse and the summit circuit and also to promote good acclimitisation to give you an excellent chance of summiting safely. This itinerary is what the quoted price is based on and is our shortest itinerary to successfully summit Point Lenana on Mount Kenya using the Naro Moru route for the ascent, Sirimon route for the summit and the Chogoria route for the descent, there are lots of other options to tweak the itinerary and offer more days on Mount Kenya (a popular option is to add a final night at Meru Banda's on the descent where you can enjoy an open fire, cold beer, hot shower and some game viewing from the comfort of your veranda).

You are welcome to adjust the itinerary and add nights in Nairobi, Naro Moru or in Embu, please do talk to us directly to discuss options. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is very close to Naro Moru (or a reasonably short drive from Embu) and is a great location for an optional add-on safari, both for day trips and over-nights. It is probably the only place in Kenya (aside from Masai Mara) where you have a chance of seeing the 'Big 5' in one day. It is also the only place in East Africa where you can see chimpanzee and the only place to see the remaining 'northern white rhino', there are only 3 left on the planet... all in Ol Pejeta. We can of course arrange tailor made safari's across East Africa and we're more than happy to build an itinerary to suit your budget and preferences.
Our itinerary is for the climb only, optional extras include airport transfers and accommodation in Nairobi, transfers from Nairobi, extra days accommodation before and after the climb in Embu or Naro Moru, where you can visit some of our Moving Mountains projects and enjoy some of the sights that both locations offer, tailor-made safari's or even the opportunity to sponsor a former street child of beneficiary of Moving Mountains to join you on the climb.

BASIC ITINERARY

Day Summary
Day 1      Transfer from Naro Moru to the Mount Kenya National Park gate Gate. Trek to Met Station Camp
Day 2      Trek from Met Station Camp to MacKinder's Camp
Day 3      Trek from Mackinder's Camp - Hausberg Col - Shipton's Camp
Day 4      Acclimatisation Day: Trek from Shipton's Camp - Icy Mike (Elephant skeleton) - Shipton's Camp
Day 5      Trek from Shiptons to Point Lenana and descend to Lake Ellis or Nithi Falls via Hall Tarns
Day 6      Trek from Lake Ellis or Nithi Falls via Meru Banda's and transfer to Chogoria town and back to Embu

DETAILED ITINERARY
175km 3-4hrs       If you are flying in to Kenya then we can help with airport transfers to Naro Moru, evening arrivals will mean at least one night in Nairobi before transferring up to Naro Moru on the West of Mt Kenya to meet the guides and porters who all live around Naro Moru and can meet you whatever day you arrive. There is plenty to see and do in Nairobi and Naro Moru where we can also help to arrange extra nights accommodation, city tours in Nairobi or day trips and Moving Mountains project visits in Naro Moru, we're more than happy to discuss all options to ensure your time in Kenya is everything and more than you expected.

2000-2500-3050m 10km 3-4hrs    
Today all the guides and porters will meet us in Naro Moru and we will load up the vehicle(s) for the short 15km drive up to the Naro Moru gate of Mount Kenya National Park. 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.

3050-4200m         10km 5hrs       
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 continues and also sports Giant Cabbage Groundsel and Giant Lobelia Deckenii as we make our way up past the over-dramatically named 'Vertical Bog' to the outcrop known as picnic rocks, for lunch. From 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 MacKinders Hut, on an outcrop of moraine.

4200-4535-4200m 7kms 4-5hrs    
Morning to relax and after lunch from MacKinders Camp 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, past the Kami Tarn and down to Shiptons Camp (4,200m).

Alternative route option  4200-4535-4200m          8kms 6-7 hrs   
MacKinders to Darwin & Tyndall Glaciers is a rewarding walk up the left hand flank of the upper Teleki Valley to the American Camp and on to a deep bowl where the diamond couloir falls to the Darwin Glacier. The rock faces of the main summits tower over us and old ropes from climbing parties hang on some of the sheer faces. Continue up to the Hut Tarn and on to Shiptons Camp.

4200-4600-4200m 7kms 5-6hrs    
An interesting day walk from Shiptons Camp to find an elephant skeleton called Icy Mike, the elephant that tried to climb Mt Kenya! From Shiptons Camp we start to descend the MacKinder Valley before contouring around and up towards the peak of Sendeyo where we drop into a wide couloir above the Hinde Valley. From Icy Mike we can either return by the same route or complete a circuit by dropping lower into the Hinde Valley, contouring to the south and then south west for the long climb up to Simba Col and back to Shiptons Camp.

4200-4985-3500m 18kms 11-13hrs           
This morning we will be up just after midnight to prepare for our night-time ascent to Point Lenana, it is an exhilarating feeling stepping out into the cold under the starlight and crunching up the frozen scree. We skirt the rocky outcrop above the camp then cross a flat area before joining the scree. We then zig zag our way up and then follow a broad ridge and a steeper slope up over the skyline. 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/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 6am and we will drink in its warmth as well as the spectacular view before dropping down by either re-tracing our ascent route or alternatively traversing right over and down the South side past Austrian Hut before turning to the east and down to Hall Tarns for breakfast. 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.

3500-1800m         8km(3-4hrs) +70km(1.5hrs)
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 4x4 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 4x4's for the drive back down through the forest to Chogoria town before continuing on to the town of Embu where you'll meet up with any kit that you didn't take on the mountain with you (we'll have transferred it around the mountain and it will be in a secure room in our Embu Guest House). It is possible to get back to Nairobi on this date, however if you have time then a couple of days in Embu is well worth it. Aside from our own Moving Mountains projects, Embu offers a safe and lively nightlife, a number of outdoor swimming pools and some great walks and other activities in the surrounding hills.
Other options include tailor made safari's, climbs on Kilimanjaro, visits to other Moving Mountains projects and Game Reserves around Mount Kenya or transfers back to Nairobi for city tours.