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DAYS

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MOUNT KENYA

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ATHLETES

25 or 75 km

TRIATHLON

The traverse

Day-by-day.

Four days on the mountain.

01 MON 2 MAR 2027 Acclimatization hike 2,600 m → 3,200 m · 9 km · 4-5 h

Sirimon Gate trailhead, montane forest path

Sirimon Gate to Old Moses Hut. Forest track gives way to moorland as the trail climbs from 2,600 m to 3,200 m. The pace is deliberately slow — Day 1 is acclimatization, not distance.

02 TUE 3 MAR 2027 High-altitude trek 3,200 m → 4,200 m · 14 km · 6-8 h

Open moorland in Mackinder's Valley below Shipton Camp

Old Moses Hut to Shipton Camp. Open moorland through Mackinder's Valley. Thinner air, slower legs. The summit ridge becomes visible by mid-afternoon.

03 WED 4 MAR 2027 Summit Day · Point Lenana 4,985 m 4,200 m → 4,985 m → 3,300 m

Sunrise on the summit ridge of Point Lenana, 4,985 metres

03:00 start from Shipton Camp by headlamp. 06:30 sunrise summit at Point Lenana, 4,985 m. Descend to Lake Ellis tarn for the Day 4 triathlon staging camp.

04 THU 5 MAR 2027 Triathlon Day — Sprint or Long Sprint 25.5 km · Long 75.5 km

Kayak launch on Lake Ellis tarn at 3,455 metres

Kayak 500 m on Lake Ellis, then run + bike to Chogoria Gate. Participants choose Sprint or Long format at registration. See the toggle below.

Day 4 · Triathlon

Choose your distance.

Two formats. Same kayak, different ride and run. Pick at registration.

KAYAK

500 m

Lake Ellis

RUN

5 km

3,300 → 2,800 m

BIKE

20 km

Single-track descent

TOTAL 25.5 km

The route

Sirimon to Chogoria, west to east.

Aubergine line traces the 4-day hike (Sirimon Gate → Point Lenana → Lake Ellis). Lilac dashed line is the triathlon descent (and ascent for the Long distance participants) from Lake Ellis and the Chogoria gate.

Open in Google Maps

WILDLIFE

The mountain we share.

Sirimon's and Chogoria's forests on Mount Kenya give way to alpine moorland. Bongo, elephant, rock hyraxes, zebra, and countless others live below the snowline.

Mountain Bongo

Critically endangered. Mount Kenya is one of the few places left in the wild.

African Elephant

Herds graze the forests and the plains on the Sirimon and Chogoria sides of Mount Kenya.

Zebras grazing with Mount Kenya peak in the distance

Grévy's Zebra

The northern slopes meet Samburu — where the zebras of two species mix.

Rock Hyrax

The mountain's closest relative to the elephant — found on the rocks above Shipton Camp.

Golden-breasted Starling

One of East Africa's most colourful birds, found on the lower slopes.

Malachite Sunbird

Iridescent green at altitude — feeds on the giant lobelia that lines the trails.

Safety + logistics

How the mountain is run.

Aid stations. Every 5 km on Day 4. Water only.
No cutoffs. No leg cutoff. No summit turnaround. No triathlon time cap.
Kayak safety. Life jackets mandatory. Diver and safety boat on the water. Water temperature ~5 °C. No swim required.
Bail-out. Helicopter extraction available via rescue.co supplemental insurance. Team descends together.
Staff ratio. Approximately 3 staff (porters, guides, medic) per participant.
Licensing. All guides KWS- and KMGA-licensed.

What to bring

Gear, in short.

A full packing list ships in the post-signup briefing. The headlines:

Boots. Broken-in. Waterproof. Above the ankle.
Layers. Base + mid + insulated + shell. Temperature swings 5 °C to 25 °C on the same day.
Sleeping bag. Rated to −10 °C comfort for Shipton (4,236 m) and Lake Ellis tents.
Headlamp. Plus spare batteries. The 03:00 summit start is in the dark.
Sun protection. Glacier-rated sunglasses, SPF 50, brimmed hat.

Rentals available on request — boots, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, trekking poles. Full kit list in the post-signup briefing.

What's in, what's out