On this Mount Kenya climbing experience, you ascend via the dry & little used Sirimon Trail & descend on the scenic Chogoria Trail. Reach point Lenana (4985 m), the highest point accessible to walkers. Above the habitable altitude, you find a rainforest zone, abundant with tree species. Further up is open moorland, with the snowline beyond. Finding snow on the equator was a great surprise for the first Europeans to get to East Africa.

Weather, Climate and Seasons

It's safest to climb Mt. Kenya during the dry seasons: January - February and August to September off the most reliably fine weather. The main routes are likely to be more crowded at this time of the year. If you favor complete solitude over the sunny skies, try going slightly off the peak season. It's best to avoid the two rainy seasons from mid March until June and from late October to the end of December.

Lying on the equator Mount Kenya is affected by the passage of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which brings with it the main rainy periods.

The highest rainfall occurs between late March and the middle of May, and slightly less between late October and mid December. Maximum rainfall occurs in the forest belt and on the south-east side of the mountain where it reaches 2500mm. per year at 3000m. Precipitation decreases with altitude and is about 700mm. per year at 4500m. Rain and, higher up, snow can however be encountered at any time of year - even in the driest periods (January and February). Normally the drier seasons are associated with clear, dry weather which can last for many days on end.

The best weather is generally in the mornings, and convectional rainfall, if any, tends to come in the mid-afternoon.