Mount Kenya has been on my bucket list for the last 3-4 years and finally I got to hike it! Being Africa's second highest mountain after Kilimanjaro, it's a great way to start high altitude hiking.
Day 0: Camping at the Chogoria Gate.
For hikers using the Chogoria route, the Chogoria gate is usually their base camp. The are bandas (self contained rooms) that you can stay in, we opted to pitch our tents in the open and enjoy the nature. The Chogoria gate is quite high at 2950 metres above sea level.
Having some late afternoon tea.
Day 1: Chogoria Gate to Lake Ellis
A gentle introduction to Mount Kenya, most of the trail from the Chogoria gate to Lake Ellis follows a paved murram road over gentle hills up to the road head point. On the way we passed the special camp site, nested among tall trees.
At the special camp site.
At the road head, we took a detour and went exploring the nearby Nithi falls and caves. The falls are very beautiful and definitely worth seeing.
The magnificent Nithi falls
We then proceeded with our gentle hiking re-uniting with the murram road and ending up at the magnificent Lake Ellis after two hours of so.
Distance: Elevation Gain: Time:
Day 2: Lake Ellis to Mintos Camp
We bade Lake Ellis goodbye and started our day going down a gentle valley to a stream where we refilled our water pouches and begin our long gentle ascent along a series of ridges up to Lake Michaelson's view point.
After stopping for a lunch break and exploring the gorge to lake Michaelson we resumed our hike through an initial steep ascent then gentler ascents and descents towards the Mintos camp site. The region is very stony and bare, it gave the impression of an "martian" landscape.
Mintos camp revealed itself to us as a dry pan lake at looked at a flooding plain when it rains. It was flat with dry cracked soil, pretty much how a dried lake pan looks likes. We went and explored the nearby "temple" that offered a stunning view of Lake Michaelson from a high cliff, and a group of lakes that are collectively referred to as Lake Mintos. They were beautiful with rock walls and panoramic views.
Day 3: Mintos Camp to Summit to Old Moses
Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain towering 5199 metres above sea level. It is situated inside the Mount Kenya National Park, a 715 km2 park in central Kenya.