Mount Kenya Sirimon–Chogoria Traverse hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Sirimon–Chogoria Traverse crosses Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, from the dry north-west side to the green south-east side. You climb up the Sirimon route, stand on Point Lenana (4,985 m) at sunrise, and walk down the Chogoria route past the lakes and gorges that many people call the most beautiful scenery on the mountain. The trek starts almost exactly on the equator. Most groups take 5 days, with a rest day at Shipton's Camp to acclimatise, or 6 days with a second rest day or an extra night at Liki North or Lake Ellis. You sleep in bunkhouses on the Sirimon side and in tents on the Chogoria side, and a KWS-certified guide is compulsory.

The route

The walk starts at the Sirimon Gate (2,650 m), off the Nanyuki–Meru road. A track climbs through forest and giant heather to Old Moses Camp (3,300 m). On day 2 the path crosses open moorland with giant groundsels and lobelias, drops to the Liki North river and follows the Mackinder Valley up to Shipton's Camp (4,200 m), right below the rock towers of Batian and Nelion. From Shipton's you leave at 2 or 3 am and climb a steep path of scree and gravel to Point Lenana, the highest summit you can reach without rock climbing. From the top you go down past the Austrian Hut and the Lewis Glacier, cross Simba Col and descend to the Hall Tarns and Mintos campsite (about 4,300 m), on the rim of the Gorges Valley above Lake Michaelson. The last day follows the ridge down to the Roadhead and through forest to the Chogoria Gate (about 2,950 m).

This guide follows the routes mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits the walk into 4 stages, about 10.8 km each: Sirimon Gate – Old Moses, Old Moses – Shipton's, Shipton's – Point Lenana – Mintos and Mintos – Chogoria Gate. The mapped line is 43 km. Operators quote 50 to 60 km because they add the Sirimon road walk, the Chogoria forest road or acclimatisation walks. There is no single official route, so treat every distance as approximate.

Highlights

• Point Lenana at sunrise: close views of Batian (5,199 m), Nelion (5,188 m) and the shrinking glaciers
• The Mackinder Valley: a wide alpine valley full of giant groundsels and lobelias, with the main peaks at its head
• The Gorges Valley and Lake Michaelson: a deep glacial valley with a green lake below the cliffs of the Temple
• Hall Tarns and the Chogoria forest: small lakes on the rim of the gorge, then bamboo and rainforest with waterfalls on the way down

When to go

The driest and most popular months are January–February and August–September. The long rains fall from March to May and the short rains from October to December, when paths are muddy, cloud closes in by midday and snow can fall high up. Daytime temperatures near the top are around 5 to 15°C, but nights at Shipton's and Mintos are well below freezing.

How hard is it?

The trek is not technical, but it is hard because of the altitude. Walking days are 4 to 7 hours, and the summit day starts in the dark and lasts 6 to 8 hours. The climb to Lenana is a steep path on loose scree, sometimes with snow or ice near the top. You need good fitness, warm clothes and time to acclimatise.

Altitude sickness (AMS)

Altitude sickness is the main danger on Mount Kenya, because roads let people reach 3,000 m in a few hours. Headache, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, unusual tiredness and poor coordination are warning signs, and fitness does not protect you. The Mountain Club of Kenya warns that high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) is common on the mountain. HAPE (breathlessness at rest, a wet cough) and high-altitude cerebral oedema (HACE: confusion, loss of balance) can kill within hours.

To stay safe: walk slowly, drink 3 to 4 litres a day, take the rest day at Shipton's and use it for a short walk higher up, and do not rush the trek into 3 or 4 days. If symptoms get worse, stop going up. If they are severe, go down at once, even at night, with your guide. Ask your doctor about acetazolamide before you travel. There is no doctor on the mountain.

Permits, guides and fees

A guide is compulsory: KWS says that all visitors must be accompanied by a qualified and certified guide, and guides and porters carry park-issued ID cards. Almost everyone books a package with a local operator that includes the crew, park fees, huts, food and transfers. Porters may carry at most 25 kg, and loads are weighed at the gate.

Park entry is charged per person per 24 hours. Under the KWS fees in force since 1 October 2025 it costs USD 70 for non-resident adults (USD 35 for children), KSh 1,100 for Kenya residents and KSh 800 for East African citizens. Camping fees are extra (USD 20 per night at public sites and USD 35 at special sites for non-residents), and Old Moses and Shipton's charge their own bed fee (about USD 50 a night in 2026). Fees are paid online through eCitizen by M-Pesa or Visa card. You must sign in and out at both gates, and disposable plastic water bottles are not allowed in the park.

Getting there and away

The Sirimon Gate is about 200 km north of Nairobi, about 20 km by road beyond Nanyuki. The drive from Nairobi takes about 4 hours. Most groups sleep in Nanyuki the night before. The Chogoria Gate is on the far side of the mountain, a rough forest road of about 2 hours by 4x4 above Chogoria town, on the Embu–Meru road about 210 km from Nairobi. Your operator must arrange the pick-up at the Chogoria Gate or the Roadhead in advance, because there is no public transport to either gate.

Money and phone signal

Kenya uses the Kenya shilling (KSh), but park fees and treks are priced in US dollars. M-Pesa mobile money is used everywhere. Bring cash for crew tips, which are expected. Mobile signal is patchy on the mountain and absent in many valleys, so do not rely on your phone for emergencies.

What to pack

• A four-season sleeping bag and a warm down jacket
• Waterproof jacket and trousers, warm hat, gloves and spare socks
• A headtorch with spare batteries for the night start on summit day
• Sunglasses, sun hat and strong sun cream: the equatorial sun is fierce at altitude
• Reusable water bottles and water treatment (plastic bottles are banned)
• Trekking poles for the scree and the long descent
• A first aid kit, blister care and any prescribed altitude medicine

Safety

Check that your guide carries a KWS card, agree before the trek how the group will descend if someone is ill, and buy insurance that covers helicopter rescue to 5,000 m. In an emergency call 999 or 112, or the KWS toll-free line 0800 597 000. KWS rangers run rescues in the park, and the nearest hospitals are in Nanyuki and Chogoria.