Naro Moru Route
The Climb To Point Lenana Normally Takes Two Or Three Days Up And One Or Two Down. The First Night Is Often Spent At Naro Mom Lodge, Or Better Yet, At The Met Meteorological Station - (10,000 Ft/3050 M.) To Assist Altitude Acclimatization.
From Nairobi, Drive 105 Miles (168 Km) To Naro Moru, Then Ten Miles (16 Km) On A Dirt Road To The Park Gate (7874 Ft./R H K°’ Y°U May Be Awe T0 Drive T0 The Met Station Unless The °Ad Has Been Washed Out By The Rains. However, Walking Is Etter For Acclimatizing To The Altitude.
Hou ^Om The Park Gate’ Hike For About Three And One Half Forest T Miles/1° Km> Through Conifer, Hardwood And Bamboo Stationhthe Met Station-Beware Of Buffalo En Route. The Met Ties C J Self"Service Bandas With Mattresses, Cooking FaciliŽty’ CO^’H T0il6ts And Water’in Order T0 Heip You Acclima-1slder Hiking For About An Hour Up To The Tree Line (10,500 T./3200 M.) In The Afternoon, Returning Well Before Dark.
From The Met Station, Hike Through The Muddy Vertical Bog, A Series Of Muddy Hills With Patches Of Tussock Grass. In Order To Keep Your Boots Dry, You May Wish To Wear Tennis Shoes Through The Bog. Cross The Naro Moru River And Continue To Teleki Valley, Where Mt, Kenya’s Peaks Finally Come In Clear View (If It Is Not Cloudy). Since Leaving The Tree Line, Vegetation Has Changed To Tussock Grass And Heather Moorlands With Everlasting Flowers, Giant Groundsel, And Giant Lobelia SomeŽtimes Exceeding 30 Feet (9 M) In Height.
From The Met Station, It Takes About Six Hours To Reach Mackinder’s Camp (1378 Ft./4200 M.), Which Has A Brick Lodge And Campsites. American Camp (14,173 Ft./4320 M.), A Camping Spot One Hour From Mackinder’s Camp, Is Used By Some Campers Who Bring Their Own Tents. Water Is Available From A NearbyStream.
Austrian Hut (15,715 Ft./4790 M.) Is A Three-To-Four-Hour Hike From Mackinder’s Camp. Another Hour Is Usually Required To Gain The Additional 640 Feet (195 M) In Altitude Needed To Reach Point Lenana, Only A Half Mile Away.
Austrian Hut Is Bitterly Cold At Night And Is Most Often Used By Technical Rock Climbers Attempting Nelion Or Batian Peaks. Many Climbers Wishing To Conquer Point Lenana Begin From Their Camps In The Teleki Valley (Mackinder’s, American) Long Before Sunrise To Reach Point Lenana Shortly After Sunrise And Return To Teleki Valley For The Night. The View From Point Lenana Is The Clearest And One Of The Most Magnificent PanoraŽmas I’ve Seen From Any Mountain And Well Worth The Effort!
Related Information
Around The Peaks
Around The Peaks From Mackinder's Camp, Hike Two To Three Hours To Two Tarn Hut (14,731 Ft./4490 M.). Stop For The Night Or Continue For Another Three Or Four Hours Over Two Passes Exceeding 15,000 Feet To Kami Hut (14,564 Ft./4439 M.), Located On The North Side Of The Peaks. From Kami Hut, It Is A Five-To-Six-Hour Hike Up The North Ridge Of Point Lenana Or Directly To Austrian Hut. Return Via The Naro Moru Route Described Above.
Chogoria Route
Chogoria Route This Is The Most Scenic Route On The Mountain. From The Chogoria Forest Station On The Eastern Side Of Mt. Kenya, Hike Or Drive Ten Miles (16 Km) To Bairunyi Clearing (8858 Ft./2700 M.) And Camp, Or Continue For Another Four Miles/Six Kilometers (Four-Wheel-Drive Required) To Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge (9898 Ft./ 3017 M.) And Stay In Their Self-Catering Bandas. Hike Through Hagenia Forest To Urumandi Hut (10,050 Ft./ 3063 M.), Owned By The Mountain Club Of Kenya. Room For Camping Is Available Nearby. Minto's Hut (14,075 Ft./4290 M.) Is About A Six-Hour Hike From Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge. Space
Sirimon Route
Sirimon Route Ten Miles (16 Km) Past Nanyuki On The Nanyuki-Timau Road, Turn Right On A Dirt Road And Drive Six Miles (10 Km) To The Park Gate. Sirimon Is The Least Used And Most Strenuous Of The Three Major Routes On Mt. Kenya. The Northern Side Of The Mountain, Being Much Drier Than The Western Side (Naro Moru Route), Has No Bamboo Or Hagenia Zone. Acacia Grasslands Cover Much Of The Northern Slopes; Zebra And A Variety Of Antelope Are Likely To Be Seen. Although The Track Continues Up To The Moorlands To About 13,000 Feet (3960 M), It Is Better To
Machame Route
Machame Route This Is Possibly The Most Beautiful Route Up The Mountain. The Park Gate Is Located A Few Miles Above Machame Village. Hike Four To Six Hours Through Rain Forest To Machame Huts (9843 Ft./3000 M.). The Following Day Hike Five To Seven Hours To The Defunct Shira Hut (12,467 Ft./3800 M.) On The Shira Plateau (See Shira Plateau Route For Description Of The Area). Continue Hiking About Four Hours To Lava Tower Hut. From Lava Tower Hut Follow The Directions From The Umbwe Route To The Summit.
Shira Plateau Route
Shira Plateau Route This Is A Very Scenic And Yet Seldom-Used Route, Providing Great Views Of Kilimanjaro And The Rift Valley And Probably The Best Wildlife Viewing On The Mountain. A Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Is Needed, And The Roads May Be Impassable In The Rainy Seasons. The Route Is Hard To Find. Be Sure To Have A Guide Who Knows The Way. Drive North From The Moshi-Arusha Road At Boma La Ng'ombe To Londorossi Gate, Located On The Western Side Of Kilimanjaro. Continue On To A Campsite. The Track Ends Shortly Thereafter, At 12,200 Feet (3720 M). The Defunct Shira Hut (12,467 Ft./3800
Mweka Route
Mweka Route This Is The Steepest And Most Direct Route To Uhuru Peak. It Starts At Mweka Village Near The College Of Wildlife ManageŽment (4593 Ft./1400 M.) And Runs Along An Old Logging Road Through Banana And Coffee Plantations For About Three Miles, Then Along A Seldom-Used Path For Another Three And One-Half Miles To Mweka Hut At 9515 Feet (2900 M). This Hike Takes Six To Eight Hours. There Is Water Nearby. After A Five-To-Six-Hour Climb The Following Day Through Heathlands And Alpine Desert, You Reach Barafu Hut (14,435 Ft./ 4400 M.). The Third Day Is A Steep Climb Between Ratzel
Routes
Routes Climbing Kibo Peak Via The Routes Described Below ReŽquires No Mountaineering Skills. A Guide For Each Climbing Party Is Required. Porters Are Highly Recommended. The Marangu, Machame, And Shira Plateau Routes Are The Most Popular. It Is More Interesting (And More Expensive) To Take Other Routes Up And Return Via The Marangu Route, Offering Additional Variety To The Climb. Little Firewood Is Available. Do Bring Fuel (Kerosene) For Cooking And Heating; This Will Help Minimize Deforestation. The National Park Guides Are Not Qualified To Lead Glacier Or Ice Climbing Routes. The Services Of A Professional Guide Must Be Arranged In Advance. The
North of Goma
North of Goma On the drive from Goma northward one passes over the dramatic Kabasha Escarpment to Butembo. The route from the Kabasha Escarpment to Beni is one of the most beautiful in Africa and is properly named the "Beauty Route." The road passes through many picturesque villages, coffee, tea and banana plantaŽtions the Africa that many of us have pictured in our minds.
Umbwe Route
Umbwe Route The Umbwe Route Is Very Steep And Strenuous. The Route Begins At Umbwe (About 4600 Ft./1400 M.), A Village Ten Miles From Moshi. Walk Two Miles To Kifuni Village And Into The Forest. Follow The Path For Another Three And One-Half Miles And Then Branch Left Into A Mist-Covered Forest Until You Reach The Forest Cave (Bivouac #1) At 9515 Feet (2900 M), Six To Seven Hours From Umbwe. Overhanging Ledges Extending About Five Feet From The Cliff Provide Reasonable Protection For About Six People; HowŽever, It Is Recommended You Use Your Own Tents. The Wood Is Usually Very
The Mountain Road
The Mountain Road This route cuts through the center of Lesotho from west to east through spectacular mountain scenery to "The Roof of Africa." From Maseru the road ascends over Bushmen Pass (Lekhalongla Baroa) to Molimo Nthuse ("God Help Me Pass"). Between December and March colorful scarlet and yellow red-hot pokers (flowers) may be seen in this area. Continue to Thaba Tseka where the good road ends and four-wheel drive is necessary to negotiate the tracks that pass small villages and isolated herd-boys. After Sehonghong the route descends into the Orange (Senqu) River Canyon dotted with unusual rock formations, then climbs over