Mount Kenya Charity Climb | Moving Mountains Trust

Our Mount Kenya charity climb for Moving Mountains will take you on a journey through central Kenya to experience some of the wildlife and culture that Kenya is famous for and see first hand the important work and projects of Moving Mountains in Kenya with an exciting Mt Kenya traverse from west to east, ascending the Naro Moru route and descending the Chogoria route.

Mount Kenya is a spectacular mountain with a series of peaks, valleys, ridges and tarns and the itinerary for our charity climb has been put together to not only offer a unique insight in to the work of Moving Mountains on the ground but to summit Point Lenana (4985m) and experience the mountain from many angles using routes best known for their abundance of wildlife and epic mountain scenery.

The journey starts from Nairobi with a drive north, past the likes of the vast Del Monte pineapple farm and Danga coffee plantation, along the side of the Aberdare mountain range and National Park, through the market towns of Karatina and Nyeri before finally reaching the small town of Naro Moru, located on the lower slopes of Mount Kenya. After a couple of nights in Naro Moru to visit Moving Mountains projects nearby and to enjoy views of the mountain from a distance, as well as optional cultural tours or visits to the nearby Ol Pejeta Conservancy we start our 5 day / 4 night ascent to Point Lenana on Mount Kenya, the second highest trekking peak in Africa.

Dropping down the eastern side of the mountain via the Chogoria route brings us out at Chogoria town where we'll transfer to Embu town for a final couple of nights R&R and Moving Mountains visits in this lively and friendly location where there are stunning waterfalls, beautiful walks in nearby hills and a number of rural and urban Moving Mountains projects, including the Rescue Centre for Street Children, a number of schools, our Black Cats sports and music clubs and different social enterprises, all funded or supported by Moving Mountains in Kenya.

Experience needed for our Mount Kenya charity climb

We're looking for an enthusiastic team of individuals who share a common interest in the work of Moving Mountains in Kenya, maybe your son or daughter has been on one of our 'Africamp' trips and you'd like to see and experience some of what they experienced or maybe you've been out on a previous trip and want to learn a bit more about the work of Moving Mountains in Kenya, or maybe you just want to climb a mountain, see a bit more of the world and raise some much needed funds for a charity working with local communities in Kenya to successfully tackle social and economic problems.

You don't need to be super fit to climb Mount Kenya, more important characteristics are enthusiasm and a general level of fitness (the pace will be slow on Mount Kenya as there is some challenging terrain, particularly on summit night) in preparation for long days trekking on the mountain. The trip can also be emotional, some current and former beneficiaries will join you on Mount Kenya and throughout the itinerary you will meet people whose lives seem almost impossible to live, but your interaction with them will help in ways you can't measure. Climbing Mount Kenya is something that very few Kenyans achieve in their lifetime so for us it is logical to give the young adults that we support the opportunity to develop personally and summit the highest trekking peak in their country, and of course to make new friends with people from a different culture and background, we've always found the benefits to the individuals to be immeasurable, it helps instil a confidence and focus that climbing a big mountain provides for so many other people.

Above: Video from a team of Canadians & Moving Mountains beneficiaries who climbed Mt Kenya together

Kit List

Clothing is very much a personal preference though we would advise lightweight and loose fitting, synthetic or a poly/cotton mix tend to be a little more comfortable and quicker drying (particularly on the mountain). There is a more detailed kit list on the Adventure Alternative site for Mount Kenya, the following is just a summary.

Females will have to dress conservatively in public and especially in schools and at the Moving Mountains projects. You will draw unnecessary attention to yourself and maybe cause offence if revealing clothing is worn, shoulders should remain covered and legs covered to the knee at least, particularly outside Nairobi.

BAGS - A large duffle type bag for general use and leaving gear in Embu or Naro Moru, a medium-large rucksack for a porter to carry your kit on the mountain and a smaller pack for you to carry essential items during the trek
GENERAL CLOTHING - Clothing and footwear for travel to Kenya and prior to/after the climb
SHELL - Waterproof layer to keep off wind/rain. An umbrella can be very useful and gaiters, particularly when climbing during the rainy seasons.
INSULATION - Layered system to keep you warm on the mountain- body, hands, feet & head
FEET - Sturdy trekking boots, flip flops/sandals
SLEEPING - Warm sleeping bag and camping mat to get a good nights sleep
EATING/DRINKING - Water bottles and favourite high-energy snacks
WASHING & MEDICAL - Suncream, Anti-Malarials and a small 1st aid kit/wash kit to allow you to wash and maybe stave off a headache or blister (the Guide will have a larger group one)

The itinerary is based on 9 days in country with 5 days / 4 nights on Mount Kenya to give a good overview of the Naro Moru / Chogoria traverse and also to promote good acclimitisation to give you an excellent chance of summiting safely. Arrival in Kenya should be on the morning of day 1 to give us plenty of time to get up to Naro Moru from Nairobi.

Accommodation in Naro Moru will be provided in rooms at the Blueline Hotel, and in Embu at the Isaak Walton Hotel. On the mountain you have the option of either camping or staying in the mountain huts, although you should be prepared for at least one nights camping as there are no huts on day 4 of the climb (day 6 of the itinerary), so we'll camp for this night at either Lake Ellis or Nithi Falls, this is the final night on the mountain.

You are welcome to adjust the itinerary and add nights in Nairobi, Naro Moru or in Embu, please do talk to us directly to discuss options. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is very close to Naro Moru (or a reasonably short drive from Embu) and is a great location for an optional add-on safari, both for day trips and over-nights. It is probably the only place in Kenya (aside from Masai Mara) where you have a chance of seeing the 'Big 5' in one day. It is also the only place in East Africa where you can see chimpanzee and the only place to see the remaining 'northern white rhino', there are only 3 left on the planet... all in Ol Pejeta. We can of course arrange tailor made safari's across East Africa and we're more than happy to build an itinerary as an add-on to suit your budget and preferences.

BASIC ITINERARY

Day	Summary
1	Arrival in Nairobi / transfer to Naro Moru
2	Moving Mountains project visits and cultural tours around Naro Moru
3	Morning - mountain preparation / Afternoon - trek from Naro Moru Gate to Met Station
4	Trek from Met Station to Mackinders Camp
5	Mackinders Camp - Acclimatisation trek
6	Trek from Mackinders to Point Lenana and descend to Lake Ellis / Nithi Falls
7	Trek from Nithi Falls to Meru Banda's - 4X4 to Chogoria and transfer to Embu
8	Moving Mountains project visits / R&R
9	Transfer to Nairobi for departures / onward travel

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day	Elevation	Travel Time	Info
1		175km 3-4hrs	Arrive in Kenya in the morning where you'll be collected from Nairobi airport for the 3-4 hour transfer to Naro Moru on the lower slopes of the western side of Mount Kenya. If your flight is arriving in the late afternoon / evening then better to arrive on the previous day and spend one night in Nairobi. There is plenty to see and do in Nairobi where we can also help to arrange extra nights accommodation and / or city tours, we're more than happy to discuss all options to ensure your time in Kenya is everything and more than you expected.
2			Full day to visit Moving Mountains projects in the area, including the Secondary School built on the grounds of Tigithi Primary School and our community development projects in the Solio villages, and for those interested we can trek up to some of the Mau Mau caves where freedom fighters hid during their fight for independence - second night at Blueline Hotel. You'll meet many of the mountain guides, cooks and porters during this day as most of them live in the area and their children attend Tigithi Primary and Secondary School. In the evening we'll discuss the mountain and look at the route, kit and have a briefing for the following day.
3	2000-2500-3050m	10km 3-4hrs	Today all the guides and porters will meet us at the Blueline Hotel and we will load up the vehicle(s) for the short 15km drive up to the Naro Moru gate of Mount Kenya National Park. There are often baboons and bushbuck wandering around the area as we sign in and then we head off along the vehicle track through the forests of bamboo and hardwood trees. We will stop for a picnic lunch at a convenient spot before continuing on up to our first camp at Met Station, located close to the edge of the forest where buffalo often come out overnight to graze.
4	3050-4200m	10km 5hrs	From Met Station we follow the vehicle track a bit further before turning off on a footpath through the Hygenia forest and then out onto the more open heathland. From here you get a fantastic view back over the treetops and down to the plains beyond. The heath and moorland continues and also sports Giant Cabbage Groundsel and Giant Lobelia Deckenii as we make our way up past the over-dramatically named 'Vertical Bog' to the outcrop known as picnic rocks, for lunch. From lunch we continue on the moorland for a bit longer before joining the edge of the Teleki Valley and winding between Giant Tree Groundsel and Ostrich Plume Lobelia and then onto grasses in the valley floor as we cross a river and follow it on a gentle approach to our next camp at MacKinders Hut, on an outcrop of moraine.
5	4200-4500-4200m	2-5km 2-3hrs	Today we will take a day-walk from MacKinders Hut to aid our acclimitisation. There are a few possibilities and we are most likely to walk up to a pair of small lakes called Hut Tarn and Nanyuki Tarn and collectively known as two-tarn! From here we get a great view straight across at the south west face of the main summits and the glaciers that hang from it. It is also possible to walk up to the foot of two of these glaciers, the Darwin and the Tyndall, but it is a slightly more difficult route. We will be back at MacKinders for lunch and for an afternoon of relaxing and final preparations for our early morning start to summit Point Lenana for sunrise.
6	4200-4985-3500m	8+10km 7.5+4hrs	Today we will be up soon after midnight to start our ascent to Point Lenana. After a short flat section we are onto the frozen screes by torchlight and climbing up and up to reach Austrian Hut at 4790m. At the hut we will take a break, the duration of which will be decided by our speed so far, the idea being that we arrive at Point Lenana just before sunrise and don't have to wait in the cold. From Austrian Hut we follow a ridge all the way to the summit, the ridge is initially quite broad but it does get narrower and we will take our time over the short sections that need hands as well as feet. There are steel cables on the upper two thirds of the route and though they are not really necessary, they can be reassuring. The sun will rise around 6am and we will drink in its warmth as well as the spectacular view (on a clear day you can see Kilimanjaro in the distance) before dropping down by either re-tracing our ascent route or alternatively traversing right over and down the north side before turning to the east and down to Hall Tarns for breakfast. After enjoying the amazing views of the cliffs of the Temple and Lake Michaelson we will set off further down the mountain to camp at Lake Ellis or Nithi Falls.
7	3500-1800m	8km(3-4hrs) +70km(1.5hrs)	After trekking to Nithi Falls we continue down to Meru bandas (cabins) where we'll meet up with our 4x4's for the drive back down through the forest to Chogoria town before continuing on to the town of Embu where you'll meet up with any kit that you didn't take on the mountain (we'll have transferred it around the mountain and it will be in a secure room in our Embu Guest House). Check in to our rooms at the Isaak Walton Hotel in Embu and enjoy some much deserved R&R in the peaceful gardens of the hotel.
8			Aside from our own Moving Mountains projects (including the Rescue Centre for Street Children, a number of rural and urban Primary Schools, various social enterprises and our Black Cats sports, dance and music clubs, Embu offers a safe and lively nightlife, a number of outdoor swimming pools and some great walks and other activities in the surrounding hills.
9		130km 3hrs	Other options include tailor made safari's, climbs on Kilimanjaro, visits to other Moving Mountains projects and Game Reserves around Mount Kenya or transfers back to Nairobi for city tours.

Mount Kenya Charity Climb cost: £1095.00

£1095 is a specially discounted price which includes the cost of Moving Mountains beneficiaries joining us for the duration of the itinerary, transport from Nairobi to Naro Moru and back again to Nairobi from Embu after the climb, 2 x nights full board accommodation at the Blueline Hotel before the climb and 2 x nights full board accommodation at the Isaak Walton Hotel in Embu after the climb, these are normally not included in Adventure Alternatives advertised price for a Naro Moru / Chogoria (west to east) traverse of Mt Kenya.

Not included is the fundraising target for Moving Mountains, we ask that participants aim to fundraise a minimum of £500 for the charity. You can create a fundraising page which is linked to Moving Mountains on Justgiving, just click the fundraise for us button on that Justgiving link and create your own unique fundraising page (feel free to take any photo's you want from the Moving Mountains or Adventure Alternative sites)this enables everyone to take advantage of the Gift Aid scheme. Gift Aid adds 25p to every £1 donation from a UK tax payer.

The trip cost includes;

Airport transfers
All transport detailed in the itinerary (private vehicles), including the 4x4 transport from Meru Banda's to Chogoria town
Accommodation in local hotels (2 x nights in the Blueline Hotel and 2 x nights at Isaak Walton Hotel)
All meals provided by our staff / hotels and bottled water when not on the mountain
All meals provided by our mountain cooks during the Mount Kenya climb (we use mountain water during the trek)
National Park fees, Rescue fees and Camping fees for Mt Kenya National Park
Park certified guides (ratio of 1:4)
Porters and cooks, plus equipment for them (porters carry your main bag)
Any activities and visits detailed in the itinerar
All group camping equipment including tents
Guide and porter transport from Embu back to Naro Moru after the climb
Kit transfer from Naro Moru to Embu (for any kit that you don't take on the mountain with you)
Costs involved for beneficiaries and former beneficiaries of Moving Mountains to join you for the climb

Exclusions;

International air-fare to Nairobi
Travel Insurance
Vaccinations & anti-malaria tablets
Tourist Visa
Personal costs (email, phone laundry, souvenirs, tips, extra nights in Nairobi, etc)

Above: Moving Mountains staff and beneficiaries share some of their experience from the Embu Rescue Centre