> Cross Mount Kenya from the dry Sirimon side to the green Chogoria side
> Watch the sunrise from Point Lenana at 4,985 metres
> Your guide leads the way, porters carry the load and a cook keeps you fed
After the summit, the world turns green again. You walk down the Gorges Valley with Lake Michaelson below you, past the cliffs of the Temple and the Mushroom Rocks, and with every hour the air gets warmer and thicker. That night at the Bandas there's a log fire, a hot shower and a cold Tusker, if the supply truck made it up.
You cross the equator by road and start walking at the Sirimon gate, 2,660 metres, through forest, bamboo and giant heather to Old Moses Camp. The next day crosses the Ontulili and Liki North rivers and climbs the Mackinder Valley to Shipton Camp, right below the peaks. Summit morning takes you to Point Lenana, followed by the long descent through the Gorges Valley to the Meru Mount Kenya Bandas. The last morning is a short walk through the bamboo.
Four days is fast for nearly 5,000 metres. The first two days are a steady climb, but summit day is long: about 12 hours from the 3 a.m. start to the Bandas, with some very minor scrambling near the top. You need good fitness and should know how your body handles altitude. We arrange the guide, porters, cook, camps and transfers. You walk. Deal?
Your guide picks you up in Nairobi and you drive north to Nanyuki for lunch, crossing the equator on the way. From there it's on to the Sirimon park gate at 2,660 metres, on the northern side of the mountain.
From the gate the trail climbs about 680 metres through montane forest, bamboo and giant heather to the edge of the high moorland. A steady first walk of 3 to 4 hours, ideal to find your rhythm and get to know your guide.
Dinner and the night at Old Moses Camp, 3,300 metres. Sirimon has the most gradual climb of the main routes up Mount Kenya, which gives your body a fair chance to get used to the altitude.
A long climbing day into the high mountains, with about 900 metres up and roughly 7 hours on the trail.
Follow the track uphill and keep right at the junction. After a water break you cross the Ontulili River and contour across the moorland over a series of ridges, drop down to cross the Liki North River and climb the ridge into the Mackinder Valley. Here the view opens up the valley towards the peaks, and the giant lobelias and groundsels that Mount Kenya is famous for line the path.
Just before camp, look for Shipton's Cave in the rock wall to the left of the path. Shipton Camp, at around 4,200 metres, sits right below the peaks. Rock hyraxes and sunbirds are the locals. After dinner your guide briefs you on summit night: the alarm goes at 3 a.m.
Summit day and the longest day of the trek, about 12 hours from start to finish.
You set off at 3 a.m. with your guide to reach Point Lenana at 4,985 metres for sunrise. The climb starts on frozen scree and continues on a rocky track with some very minor scrambling, 3 to 4 hours in total. With a good moon you barely need a headlamp. Without one, the stars are as clear as almost anywhere on Earth. On a clear morning Kilimanjaro shows on the horizon.
From the summit you descend to Minto's Camp at Hall Tarns for a full breakfast. A few minutes' walk away is the edge of the Temple, the wall of cliffs that drops to Lake Michaelson. Then the long descent follows the ridge above the Gorges Valley, with views of the lake, the Mushroom Rocks and the Giant's Billiards Table.
The night is at the Meru Mount Kenya Bandas: log fires, hot showers and a real bed. You've earned every bit of it.
A last walk of about 3 hours down through the bamboo forest. Keep your eyes open: monkeys and buffalo are regulars on this stretch, and your guide knows where to look.
At the forest edge the vehicle is waiting for the drive back to Nairobi, where you arrive in the late afternoon. Time to say goodbye to your guide, with Mount Kenya in your legs and the summit sunrise on your phone.
