Trekking

5 Days Mount Kenya Trekking Naro Moru Route

Duration

5 Days 4 Nights

Destinations

Mount Kenya, Naro Moru Route

Accommodation

Mountain huts, bandas and tents as per itinerary

Meals

Full board on the trek

Flights

Excluded

Overview

About this tour

Naro Moru is the fastest and most direct line to Point Lenana, which is why it suits trekkers working to a tight schedule. It climbs the western side through dense rainforest to the Meteorological Station, then crosses the Vertical Bog into open moorland before reaching Mackinder’s Camp in the Teleki Valley beneath the main peaks.

Summit morning starts at 2am for a four-hour climb, putting you on Point Lenana at 4,985m for sunrise, and you come back down the way you came. Being the shortest route it is also the steepest in daily height gain, so be honest with yourself about fitness before choosing this over Sirimon. Park fees, full board on the mountain, porters, a skilled cook, treated water, an English-speaking guide and your summit certificate are included.

Day by day

Detailed itinerary

Your guide meets you at the airport or your hotel for breakfast and a full briefing on the trek. You travel from Nairobi by shared transport, private transfer available if wanted, arriving at Naro Moru in time for lunch. The afternoon goes on sorting gear and a nature walk to loosen the legs. Dinner and overnight at a mountain lodge or bunkhouse.

Transfer to the Naro Moru park gate at 2,600m to register, and the walk starts there. The park track follows the crest of a broad ridge between the northern and southern Naro Moru valleys; the going is easy and the forest is pleasant walking. About two-thirds of the way up, past the bridge, the trees open to the north down into the northern valley. The day ends at the Met Station at 3,000m. Dinner and overnight.

Uphill on the track, passing the radio mast on your right after about half an hour. The track narrows to a path and thirty minutes later the forest belt ends and the moorland begins. This is the Vertical Bog, which runs anywhere from damp to glutinous depending on when it last rained. Keep going until the ground firms up and you reach the fork overlooking the Teleki Valley, then on to Mackinder’s Camp at 4,200m. Dinner and overnight.

A 2am start to reach Point Lenana for sunrise at around 6:30am, about four hours of walking. After the summit you descend two hours to Mackinder’s for breakfast, then a further four hours down to the Met Station. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast you descend 9km through the rainforest to the Naro Moru gate at 2,600m and connect with your transport back to Nairobi.

What is covered

Inclusions and exclusions

Included

Transfer to and from the base of the mountain
Transport from Nairobi with shared transport
Full board accommodation whilst on the trek
Accommodation as per the programme, tents will be provided
All park entrance fees and government taxes
Service of an English-speaking professional guide
Porters and skilled cook
Treated water on the trek
Successful climb certificate on completion

Not included

Laundry
Mountain sleeping bags
Beverages and drinks
Climbing gear
Tips for your guide, porters and cooks
Items of personal use

Before you go

Key information

Starting and ending point: Nairobi
Transport from Nairobi in shared transport. A private transfer can be arranged at an extra cost.
Service of an English-speaking professional mountain guide.
All park entrance fees and government taxes included.
Porters and a skilled cook included.
Full board accommodation and treated water throughout the trek.
Summit certificate issued on successful completion.

Good to Know

Gear check-list

A rucksack for your equipment, to be carried by porters
Sleeping bag (mountain type)
Hiking or climbing boots, camp shoes, trainers (not sandals)
Socks: 2 thin polypropylene type for quick drying, 4 thick. Wind pants and wind shirts
High gaiters, warm fleece pants, jacket or pullover, 1 rain parka
2 sets of underwear, 1 long sleeve hiking shirt, 1 bandanna
1 warm hat, hiking shorts, pants, balaclava, fleece neck warmer
Headlamp with spare bulb and batteries

Dietary requirement(s) are catered for upon request