Kenya on Foot

13 days (Nairobi)

Destinations visited: Kenya, Nairobi, World

Grading:

Moderate to Challenging level

Grading Definitions

Discovery & Cruising

These are our least demanding trips. These journeys of discovery and cruises involve little or no extended activity and are suitable for people with a basic level of fitness and good health. The itinerary may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and may involve long travel days on various types of transport. Sightseeing may be conducted on foot and all participants should be capable of carrying their own luggage from vehicle to hotel rooms. These adventures do not go above 2500m and rarely involve camping.
Suggested preparation: Once or twice a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour, for at least 2 -3 months prior to departure.

Adventure Touring

Suggested preparation: Two or three times a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour or more, for at least 3 months prior to departure.

Introductory

These trips involve trekking or walking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to five or six hours a day at a slow but steady pace and should never be misinterpreted to mean they are easy trips. These trips do not spend time at altitudes above 4000m and are usually a week in duration. You will need a reasonable level of fitness and good health.
Suggested preparation: 30 minutes of aerobic type exercise, (either cycling or jogging) three times a week for three months leading up to your trek. For trekking, hill walking with a daypack in variable weather conditions is also recommended. For a cycling adventure, road cycling twice a week for three months prior to departure is recommended.

Introductory to Moderate

These trips involve a combination of what is described in our INTRODUCTORY and MODERATE levels. The emphasis is on introductory activity with several moderate stages

Moderate

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health.
Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Moderate to Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health. Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling or rafting in remote areas in variable weather conditions for up to 8 to 10 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include spending successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 6000m. These trips may often be over three weeks in duration. You will need an excellent level of fitness, be prepared to carry a daypack weighing up to 8kgs (and in some cases a full pack) and be completely comfortable in adverse weather conditions.
Suggested preparation: One hour of aerobic type exercise, four to five times a week for three to six months prior to departure. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or on/off road cycling is also recommended.

Entry Mtn/Exploratory Treks

These adventures are classed as expeditions. They involve either extreme trekking and or basic mountaineering. Expect remote and poorly defined trails in variable weather conditions for up to 12 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include a number of demanding high pass crossings and evacuation may be difficult from remote areas. Suitable for first time mountaineers wishing to take the step from trekking into the realm of mountaineering. Prior experience trekking at altitude is preferable but not essential and you should be comfortable in adverse weather conditions. Prior technical mountaineering experience is not necessary. Terrain will involve low angle snow slopes. Ropes may be used during treks for glacier travel and steeper sections of ice and snow. When mountaineering, basic mountaineering instruction is given by our mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Intermediate Mtn Expedition

Participants should be competent and self sufficient in the outdoors and have experience in multi day trekking at altitude. Prior experience on an entry level mountaineering expedition is highly recommended. The terrain will involve low to moderate angle snow slopes and traveling on crevassed glaciers. Experience using ice axe and crampons is preferred but not essential.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Advanced Mtn Expedition

These are our most challenging expeditions. Clients must have prior mountaineering experience. Most are participatory expeditions & involve load carrying, setting up of camps, cooking and campcraft. Altitude is generally greater than 6500m. Some of these expeditions also involve “technical” climbing and are for experienced alpine climbers / mountaineers only. Technical expeditions involve steep climbing at high altitude (including rock climbing). Participation on one of these expeditions is subject to acceptance by one of our high altitude mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

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Walk in the Masai Mara Game Reserve followed by a challenging ascent on Kenya's highest peak

The perfect combination of climbing Kenya's highest peak, Mt Kenya (4985m) with justifiably one of the greatest safari destinations in Africa. During the annual migration, July to September the Masai Mara is teeming with the largest herds on Earth. On this exclusive trek, we walk with our Masai Guides, encountering Masai villages and plenty of wildlife. While the trek allows us to experience the animals at a safe distance, the exceptional game drive allows us to get up close amongst the herds and camp on the banks of the Mara River. This itinerary offers the perfect combination of game drives within the national park and is great preparation for our Mt Kenya ascent. Mt Kenya is a visually stunning peak, home to a diversity of wildlife and with fewer trekkers than Kilimanjaro, this trek allows for an exhilarating climb without the crowds. The Chogoria/Sirimon Route offers the best combination of alpine scenery and acclimatisation as we traverse the mountain via Point Lenana at 4985m.

Highlights

Camping on the Mara River
Walking, exploring and game viewing on foot with Masai guides
Game driving in the Masai Mara Reserve
Traverse Mount Kenya from East to West via the Chogoria and Sirimon routes
Climb Point Lenana, the highest trekking peak on Mt Kenya

Itinerary

Day 1 Commence Nairobi

Please make your way to the group hotel for overnight accommodation. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 2 Fly to the Masai Mara Game Reserve

This morning we will be collected from our hotel by our safari guide and transferred to the airport for a flight to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. On arrival we will transfer to our overnight camp. The Masai Mara is the northern part of the Serengeti eco-system and between July and October each year over a million wildebeest, as well as many thousands of zebra, Thompson's Gazelles and elands migrate from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara for the dry season. Wildlife is prolific at any time of year though and the thrill of searching for the unexpected is infectious. We will spend the afternoon on a game drive.

Day 3 Mara game drive, afternoon walk

We have an early start with wildlife viewing in the Reserve; early morning is the best time as this is when animals are most active. We return to camp for a cooked breakfast, break camp and make our way to the Ololooloo Gate, where we have lunch. We commence walking from the gate up into the westernmost escarpment of the Eastern Rift that forms a natural barrier to the Mara reserve. The landscape quickly changes from open to wooded savannah, and we start to meet the first Masai tending their herds of cattle. The walk takes 2-3 hours with a 500m ascent at the beginning enough for a leg stretch before arriving at our camp with panoramic views over the Masai Mara at Ol Korro.

Day 4 Escarpment Trek

Meeting up with our Masai guides and their donkeys we load up and break camp. Walking near the escarpment we encounter more Masai with their goats and cattle, and the odd village ? we will stop in one of the villages to meet some of the locals. Continuing on to camp at Ole Naisur, a cliff edge on the escarpment, afternoon tea is spent looking down over the Mara from a bird's eye perspective. The walking is undulating through woodland and plains

Day 5 Escarpment Trek

Breaking camp we head out into the forested area behind the escarpment walking in a more closed environment and learning about some of the traditional uses and medicines the Masai draw from the forest. In the afternoon we come across more settlements on route to camp at Ndigirr. We spend the afternoon at a lookout point, watching the herds on the plains far below.

Day 6 Game drive in Masai Mara

We descend the escarpment into the reserve where we meet up with our vehicles and say farewell to the Masai and the donkey handlers. The rest of the day is spent wildlife viewing in the reserve. We will drive along the Mara River in the hope of seeing one of Africa's greatest sights - a wildebeest crossing of the river. We camp at a bush site on the Mara River with the sounds of the African bush surrounding us.

Day 7 Morning game drive, return to Nairobi

An early morning game drive offers the best wildlife viewing before breaking camp. We traverse the Mara on our way back to Nairobi, arriving in the late afternoon at our hotel where the rest of the day is at leisure.

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Day 8 Drive to Mt Kenya National Park

This morning we head to Chogoria Village. In the afternoon we will ascend the steep and rutted track to the Bandas (cottages) in woodland near the Chogoria Gate (3,017m) of the Mt Kenya National Park. We stay here overnight. Our gear will be transported by Land Rovers while we acclimatise with our first walk at altitude.

Day 9 Ascend Mt Kenya via Lake Ellis (3500m) (approx. 6hrs)

The flora and fauna surrounding the Bandas is prolific, with the possibility of seeing game in the surrounding forest (Elephant, Buffalo, Antelope, Colobus Monkey, Augur Buzzard & Verreaux's Eagle). As we walk, the forest gradually drops away and we enter a high moorland zone. Lake Ellis (3500m), where we camp tonight, is a peaceful spot with good views of the main peaks and we arrive in time for lunch. In the afternoon we ascend nearby Mugi Hill (3600m) to help with acclimatisation before returning to camp.

Day 10 Trek to Lake Michaelson (4000m) (approx. 6 - 7 hrs)

The initial trek away from the lake ascends gentle moorland to attain a ridge that eventually joins the main Chogoria route at its best viewpoint. After enjoying views of Vivienne Falls and the Gorges Valley we descend to the little visited Lake Michaelson (4,000m) and possibly the most beautiful campsite on the walk. Overhead tower the cliffs of the Temple while Tacazze Sunbirds flit amongst the giant Groundsel & Lobelia and Hyraxes hop around in the rocks.

Day 11 trek to Simba Tarn (4560m) (approx. 3 - 4 hrs)

The trek now enters the Alpine Zone - after quite a boggy start to the trek the walking surface soon turns to scree. We climb several steep slopes to the Tooth (4,700m), from where it is a gentle contour to Simba Tarn at 4560m, which we should reach in time for a late lunch.

Day 12 Point Lenana (4985m), descend to Old Moses Camp (3000m)

After a hot drink you will leave at 3:30 am for the steep ascent (2 - 2.5 hrs) of Point Lenana (4,985m) in time for sunrise. Although the climb is straightforward, the final section is hard work at this altitude. From the summit it is often possible to see Mt Kilimanjaro 320km away as well as the nearby climbing peaks of Mt Kenya; Nelion and Batian which should be bathed in golden sunlight at this time of the morning. We descend back to Simba Tarn for a well-earned cooked breakfast, and continue our descent via the Mackinder Valley to Shipton's Camp before joining the Sirimon Route to Old Moses Camp. The walk today is long and exhausting and will challenge even the fittest of walkers. However the thrill of standing on the roof of Kenya, will be sure to make the effort worthwhile.

Day 13 Descend to Sirimon, return to Nairobi

After breakfast we head through the Sirimon Valley and down through the lush forest belt to the Park Gate where our transport will be waiting to take us back to Nairobi at around 10:00am. We drive on to Nairobi where the trip concludes on arrival at the hotel from where we started. We farewell our Kenyan crew here. Overnight accommodation is not included but can be arranged for additional cost.

Additional Information

Inclusions

12 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 10 dinners
private vehicle transport
park entrance fees Mt Kenya and Masai Mara valued at US$555
local flight Nairobi to Masai Mara valued at US $160
2 nights in good 3 star hotel in Nairobi
one night in bunkhouse/ basic hut
group camping equipment (sleeping bags and mats are not provided)
kit bag for Mt Kenya climb
services of porters, cook and experienced guides on Mt Kenya
experienced safari driver-guide
local Masai guides

Summary

2 nights hotel
10 nights camping/ basic hut

Trip Main Activities

Trekking
Wildlife Safari

Group Size Min

Group Size Max

Accommodation Summary

Equipment Required

Specialist gear required include walking boots and day pack (a comprehensive gear list is provided in the pre-departure information provided on booking).

What You Carry

In your daypack you will need to carry extra warm clothing (depending on the altitude, location and weather), a rainjacket, water bottle, camera gear, valuables and personal items such as sunscreen, lip-eze etc. Porters and mules carry all group gear and your trek pack/kit bag.

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