Mount Kenya Alpine Climbing

Overview

Mount Kenya sits near the equator, about 200 km northeast of Nairobi. This extinct volcano massif is Africa's second highest mountain — but unlike Kilimanjaro, its highest summits can only be reached by technical means. Batian (17,057 ft) is most often climbed from the north via the North Face Standard route — a serious 12-hour day of technical climbing with the crux at 5.9. Best climbed August–September. Nelion (17,021 ft) is climbed from the south via the McKinder's Route — 15–18 pitches to 5.7 on solid, sunny rock. Best December–February. Batian can also be reached from Nelion via the 'Gates of the Mists' — a spectacular traverse involving steep snow slopes and rappels. We trek from a park entrance (2–5 days depending on season) to the Shipton or Austrian Hut, often summiting Lenana (the trekking peak) for acclimatization. Maximum 2:1 client-to-guide ratio given the technical nature of the routes.

Highlights

Gallery