Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3
Nanyuki–Rumuruti Road, Nanyuki, Laikipia County
Mount Kenya Sirimon–Chogoria Traverse · Checked October 2026
Mount Kenya Sirimon–Chogoria Traverse emergency & health guide: altitude sickness, rescue and hospitals
How to deal with altitude sickness and call for help on Mount Kenya, the nearest hospital for each of the 4 stages, and the park rules: compulsory guide, KWS fees, gates and plastic ban.
In an emergency tell your guide first: guides know the descent routes and contact the park gate. Call 999 or 112 (Safaricom also 911), or the Kenya Wildlife Service toll-free on 0800 597 000; KWS rangers run search and rescue and can call a helicopter in clear weather. For altitude sickness do not wait: severe headache, vomiting, confusion, loss of balance or breathlessness at rest mean descend at once, even at night. Say which camp you are near and, if you can, your GPS coordinates.
Emergency numbers
| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| 999 | Police, ambulance and fire, free and 24/7. 112 works too, and Safaricom users can also dial 911. |
| 0800 597 000 | Kenya Wildlife Service toll-free line, 24/7: park emergencies and rescue on Mount Kenya. KWS WhatsApp: +254 726 610 509. |
| +254 20 6992299 | AMREF Flying Doctors: air ambulance and medical evacuation |
| 1199 | Kenya Red Cross; its E-Plus ambulances answer on +254 700 395 395 |
| +254 740 031 031 | Laikipia County ambulance dispatch (Nanyuki and the Sirimon side) |
Mobile signal on Mount Kenya is patchy and absent in many valleys, so your guide is your lifeline: agree before the trek how the group will descend if someone falls ill. The cure for altitude sickness is to go down; a helicopter can only fly in clear weather. Buy travel insurance that covers helicopter rescue up to 5,000 m, carry a charged phone and a power bank, and save the KWS and AMREF numbers before you start.
Rules to know
- A guide is compulsory: KWS requires all visitors to be accompanied by a qualified and certified guide. Guides and porters carry park-issued ID cards; ask to see your guide's card. Solo trekking is not allowed.
- Park entry is charged per person per 24 hours. Under the KWS fees in force since 1 October 2025: non-resident adults USD 70 (children USD 35), African citizens USD 30 (USD 15), Kenya residents KSh 1,100 (KSh 550) and East African citizens KSh 800 (KSh 400). A 5-day traverse needs 5 days of entry.
- Camping is extra, per person per night: USD 20 at public campsites and USD 35 at special (bookable) campsites for non-residents. Old Moses and Shipton's are private huts that charge their own bed fee (about USD 50 a night in 2026).
- Fees are paid online through eCitizen by M-Pesa or Visa card; most operators pay them for you, so check what your quote includes.
- Sign in and out in the entry and exit books at the Sirimon and Chogoria gates, and enter and leave the park in daylight.
- Disposable plastic water bottles are not allowed in the park. Declare your consumables at the gate and carry all your rubbish out.
- Porters and guides may carry at most 25 kg each; loads are weighed at the gate.
- Altitude: Point Lenana is 4,985 m. Take at least one rest day at Shipton's (4,200 m), walk slowly, drink 3–4 litres a day and never go higher with worsening symptoms. Ask your doctor about acetazolamide before you travel.
- Seasons: the driest months are January–February and August–September. The long rains (March–May) and short rains (October–December) bring mud, cloud and snow high up. Nights at the high camps are well below freezing in every month.
- Transport: there is no public transport to the Sirimon or Chogoria gates. Your operator arranges the drop-off at Sirimon (via Nanyuki) and the 4x4 pick-up at the Chogoria Gate or the Roadhead, about 2 hours above Chogoria town on a rough forest road.
Nearest hospital for each stage
| # | Stage | Hospital (24/7 emergency) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sirimon Gate → Old Moses Camp | Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital |
| 2 | Old Moses Camp → Shipton's Camp | Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital |
| 3 | Shipton's Camp → Mintos Hut | Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital |
| 4 | Mintos Hut → Chogoria Gate | PCEA Chogoria Hospital |
Hospitals
Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital
Meru Level 5 Hospital
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
Meru town, Imenti North, Meru County
Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
3rd Parklands Avenue, Nairobi
The Nairobi Hospital
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
Argwings Kodhek Road, Nairobi
PCEA Chogoria Hospital
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 3, 4
Chogoria town, off the Meru–Chuka road (P.O. Box 35-60401 Chogoria), Tharaka-Nithi County
Pharmacies, cash and supplies
- Pharmacies:
- ATMs:
- Shops:
- Bus stops:
There is no pharmacy on the mountain or at the gates, and Kenya has no duty-pharmacy rota. Nanyuki, Meru and Chogoria have pharmacies with shop hours, and PCEA Chogoria Hospital runs a 24-hour pharmacy. Bring altitude medicine if your doctor prescribes it, painkillers, rehydration salts, a blister kit and strong sun cream from home or Nairobi.
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
Have the nearest help on your map, offline
Outest shows these hospitals, pharmacies, ATMs and stops on the Mount Kenya Sirimon–Chogoria Traverse map, offline, together with the route, water and places to sleep.