Mount Kenya

Climb (Every) Mountain

At 5,199 metres, Africa’s second highest mountain, has a summit blanketed by glaciers and snow, and thickly forested lower reaches bristling with elephant and buffalo. A five-to-six day trek will reach Point Lenana, just under 5,000 metres, with epic views – on a clear morning you can see Mount Kilimanjaro 300 km to the south.

Kenya V Kilimanjaro

It’s a heavyweight duel between the two tallest mountains in Africa. Kilimanjaro just across the border in Tanzania, narrowly wins the height contest at 5,896. But for hiking, we think it’s Kenya that’s the undisputed champion!

Why? Well Kili is younger, has suffered less erosion, leaving it with walking routes restricted to long scree paths up the mountain. By contrast, Kenya's a maize of severely eroded valleys, streams and changing eco zones, dotted with unique flora and fauna. If they were the same height, we don’t think many hikers would choose Kili.

And there’s one final factor: Kili is very closely controlled by the Tanzanian Parks Authority, limiting trekkers to three or four main tourist routes – and that includes the busy ‘Coca Cola Trails’ where you’ll see scores of other walkers. But climbing Mt Kenya’s less obvious routes, with our guides’ encyclopaedic local knowledge, is a very different experience.

Not only can we help you realise your moutain adventures in East Africa, but further a-field is possible too.  Talk to us to see if where you want to go is somewhere we know too.