At Old Moses we encountered a group of four English women who had been to Point Lenana – Mount Kenya’s 3rd highest peak, the day before. It was a perfect opportunity to make friends, engage in idle chitchat and get pointers on what to expect over the next three days. They assured us that it would be a pleasant experience and that did help as we traipsed around the mountain taking selfies and marveling at the scenery.
A mixture of anticipation and the early onset of altitude sickness had all of us a bit giddy and sleep was kept at bay for the better part of the night. Cold icy winds billowing down from the mountain peak was what roused us from slumber and ushered in our second day up Mount Kenya.
After four hours the peaks were in sight, illuminated by the tiny sliver of pink light that was starting to show from a crack in the horizon towards the orient. We finally made it up to Point Lenana and the scene that we met at the roof of Kenya was one of breathtaking beauty and utter awesomeness. Mount Kenya was towering above puffy white clouds that seemed to look like immaculate petals lying at the feet of this behemoth. The sun’s rays were by now tenderly kissing the craggy cliff of Mt. Kenya’s highest peaks, Nelion and Batian, washing them in an incandescent golden glow. This was a beautiful contrast to the massive white glacier below. We spent a few more minutes taking in the view and stocking up on our social footage, mentally preparing ourselves for the 9 hours hike around the summit circle.
The last leg of the walk was a 3 km vertical climb on a steep slope that had loose soil which made it almost impossible. After what seemed like innumerable rest stops and an unending walk, we could see Shipton’s Camp calling to us.
It was a beacon that signified the start of our last night on the mountain. We were hungry and exhausted but our spirits were kept up with the realization that we had reached the peak. The mountain had chewed us, swallowed us, then spat us out different men from the ones who had embarked on this journey 5 days earlier. Sleep came quickly and it was eagerly welcomed by all of us. We had had our time with Mount Kenya and like all good things; our experience was drawing to its inevitable end.
The morning found us well rested and itching for the hike down Chogoria, which we were informed was the most scenic of all the mountain routes. It was a 7-hour; 30 km trek through an outer worldly landscape that was made entirely of unimaginable beauty. Due to the high altitude we got the chance to walk among the clouds and marvel at lake Ellis, Mt. Ithanguni and the Vivienne falls.
As we got closer to the rainforest we were met by a downpour that persisted until we reached the Chogoria gate where our driver was waiting for us.
Would you like to share your travel story? Visit this page to submit your Kenya travel story.
Other Pages That May Interest You
Man vs. Mountain Part 1
Mt Kenya National Park
Mount Kenya Climbing Tours
Mount Kenya Hotels
Kenya Tour Packages
Kenya > Kenya Safari > Man vs. Mountain Part 2 – Mount Kenya Climbing