Chogoria Route

Trekking time: 5 hours. After an early breakfast, you will meet the African Ascents team at Nanyuki airstrip and be driven to the start of the route. The first day’s walk takes you up through the forest for about four hours where you camp in a pocket of the forest beyond the Kenya Wildlife Service entrance at Chogoria Banda’s. If it is a clear afternoon you can generally get a good sense of the landscape from this point; where the Afro-alpine forest ends and the moorland begins. The afternoon is a good opportunity to walk around the area and acclimatize.

Trekking time: 4 hours. The walk starts with spectacular views of the rolling hills ahead and perhaps even a glimpse of the snow-capped peaks of Batian (5,199m) and Nelion (5,188m) high above. This is a relatively short hike and you will be in camp a little earlier than the previous day, which gives you a great chance to sit back and relax after lunch and simply enjoy the views around Lake Ellis. We go by the general rule of thumb to “climb high and sleep low” to allow for better acclimatization. An evening walks up to nearby Mugi Hill can be a wonderful way to end the day, and will hopefully make your ascent a lot easier as well. You can even try your hand at a spot of fly-fishing in the Lake.

Trekking time: 5 hours This day is a beautiful walk that takes you up along the ridge overlooking the Gorges valley and later on in the day Lake Michelson comes into view. We will break for lunch overlooking the Lake with a spectacular view, and then continue on a gentle traverse and descend to Lake Michaelson campsite. You can rest in the afternoon or go for a wander around the Lake.