BecomingX School Adventure TrekKenya

Overview
Dates & Bookings
Itinerary
Photos

Overview

Join the BecomingX team on a fascinating trek with our Masai Guides across the grasslands, valleys, hills, volcanoes and gullies of the Great Rift Valley! Enjoy stunning walks off the beaten trail, wilderness beauty, trek to the summits of Mt Longonot and Mt Suswa, view stunning wildlife in the Masai Mara, walk with giraffes through Hell's Gate national park and boat with Hippo on Lake Naivasha! This adventure really has it all!

The Great Rift Valley is a geographical trench running north to south for 4,000 miles, from northern Syria to central Mozambique. Astronauts say it is the most significant physical detail on the planet that is visible from space. It is home to stunning people, culture, flora, fauna and vistas. This challenging trek lets us experience all of that intimately and in all its beauty! Plus you’ll be fully supported by a very special and incredibly lively team of experienced staff to ensure you are safe, happy and enjoy all aspects of this diverse adventure.

Kenya Safari (1)

BecomingX Kenya School Adventure Trek Itinerary Overview

Days 1: Arrive into Kenya via Nairobi's Jomo Kenyata International Airport and transfer to our campsite on the edge of Ngong forest.
Day 2: Trek briefing & preparation plus visit the Giraffe Sanctuary and some of Nairobi's sights on a city tour
Days 3 - 7: We travel to our base in Suswa Conservancy where our Masai guides will take us on numerous treks and climbs in the area - climb Mt Suswa, visit the local hot springs & baboon parliament, camp overnight in Hell's Gate national park, cycle with zebra and giraffe!
Day 8: Climb Mt Longonot
Day 9: Go boating with the hippo on Lake Navaisha
Days 10 - 12: We'll head to the Masai Mara on safari!
Day 13: Visit Sheldrick's elephant orphanage, explore more of Nairobi before flying home in the evening

For an in-depth itinerary, please refer to the main Itinerary tab above.

BecomingX Kenya School Adventure Trek Map

Click the image above for a larger version

BecomingX Kenya School Adventure Trek Terrain

Throughout this adventure our terrain and environments change, which is facsinating and really allows us to explore and appreciate the diversity of the Kenyan wilderness.
During the trek sections we'll walk on average 6 or 7 hours per day starting after breakfast at about 8.00am and there are many opportunities to stop and take photos along the way. We usually aim for shelter and shade around lunch time, be that in a cave, under a rock outcrop or under a tree. The pace is slow and is not a forced march, but people should come prepared to walk for distance in warm and at time dusty environments. As we climb Longonot and Suswa we hope for clear skies but must be prepared for rain. No technical equipment is needed, but good boots or walking shoes should be worn and waterproof shells carried. There is no elements of high altitude trekking on this itinerary.

During the safari section we'll spend quite a lot of time in safari vehicles, which can be dusty and bumpy at times as we cross the mighty Masai Mara spotting wildlife and hopefully the 'Big Five', however we'll stop to stretch our legs at some of the lodges and get refreshments throughout the day.

Kenya Safari

BecomingX Kenya School Adventure Trek Altitude Profile

Click the image above for a larger version

Packing list for the BecomingX Kenya School Adventure Trek

There is no specialist kit needed for this trip and most people will already own everything they need. If you have any questions, do feel free to contact us.

70 - 90 Litre duffle / kit bag
35 Ltr Day Pack
Stuff sacks, waterproof, various sizes
Waterproof shell jacket and trousers
Fleece jacket
Fleece tops or jumpers
Trekking trousers, shorts
Trekking shirts
Warm hat, neck buff, sunhat
Sun glasses
Thin gloves
Socks - normal and trekking ones
Walking Boots or shoes and trainers, sandals
2 / 3 season sleeping bag and a compression sack to keep it in
Sleeping mat
Head torch & spare batteries
Camera, memory card & batteries, phone, mp3 player etc, plus chargers (normal three pin plug is fine)
Water bottle x 2
Wet wipes, toothbrush and paste, washkit, hand gel
Personal Medical Kit - Paracetamol, hand gel, antiseptic wipes, plasters, blister plasters, zinc tape, insect repellant, lip salve, throat lozenges, rehydration sachets (Dioralyte), sunblock cream, water purification tablets, personal medication like inhalers,
Anti-Malarial tablets as prescribed

School Expedition Kenya (13)

Dates & Bookings

Bespoke Dates

Day

Month

Year

Trip

Itinerary

BECOMINGX SCHOOL ADVENTURE TREK KENYA ITINERARY

The entire program in Kenya is 13 days, including travel days from the UK the trip usually takes 14 days in total. You fly to Nairobi, where you will be met by the BecomingX staff team and transfer to our secure campsite on the edge of the capital.

1	1795m	n/a	Arrive into Nairobi and transfer to our campsite on the edge of Ngong Forest. Briefing and overnight in either bandas (4 person huts), dorms or tents.
2	1795m	6 hrs	After further team meetings we’ll tour Kibera – the world’s 2nd biggest slum community and some local schools, which we have a strong philanthropic history with. In the afternoon we’ll visit the famous Giraffe Sanctuary before returning to camp and preparing for our adventure to Suswa!
3	1860m	6 hrs	We transfer from our Nairobi base to Duka Moja market village by road (2 1/2 hours) in our overland truck and then trek through the Suswa Conservancy with our Masai Guides for 3 - 4hrs (6km) where we’ll spend four nights of wild camping under the satrs in this rarely visited and stunningly beautiful area of the Great Rift Valley – we’ll live like the Masai and in the evening track wild dogs and hyena.
4	2356m	7-8hrs	We’ll start our climb to the summit of Mt Suswa after an early breakfast. We leave camp to the first viewpoint, which takes around an hour and then climb upwards for 3 hours to the summit of Mt Suswa, which is also known by the Masai as Ol Doinyo Nyokie - the Red Mountain at 2,356m. We’ll carry snacks with us and can spend some time exploring the crater rim of this vast volcano which has a 6-mile-wide caldera, before our return to camp around 2pm for a late lunch. Afterwards we’ll trek up a neighboring hill called Sampu Orkuoo meaning ‘a small healthy lamb’, where we have good views of the surrounding valley, our camp and it’s also where we collect our dinner for the BBQ (hence the name)! In the morning, if the team are feeling fit, it’s also possible to walk the entire crater rim which would instead take 10hrs at 24km!
5	1860m	8 hrs	We'll leave camp after breakfast to see the hot springs beneath Mt Suswa which force steam jets up at dawn and start our trek to the Lost Island in the Suswa crater which is about an 8 hour trek around the inner crater, dipping into the forest and the Masai open grazing land along the way. Throughout your time in the Mount Suswa Conservancy expect to see giraffe, zebra, klipspringer and Thompson's gazelle, a variety of birdlife and at night genet cats and hyena. We’ll take lunch with us on this walk. We cover 19km today over mixed terrain – sandy, scree paths, rocky sections and a couple of steep areas on approach to the Lost Island.
6	1860m	5-6hrs	We'll wake up early for breakfast then leave camp and visit the local Masai village, schools and experience the Masai culture before continuing our trek to what is considered the world's most complex braided system of lava tubes, where you'll also see the 'baboon parliament' where baboon troops take refuge from predators in the evening and the sleeping bat colonies, hanging from the ceilings of the caves during the day. The walk from camp to the caves is about 11km. We'll leave camp at 7 am before the sun is very hot. This will take the whole day, so we'll have lunch at the caves in the shade. The route is along a trail road which is sandy if dry. We'll then return to camp by vehicles in the early afternoon.
7	1900m	6hrs	Today we leave Suswa and walk back out to the overland truck (3hrs) and then transfer to Hells Gate National Park, just over an hours drive away. When in the park we’ll walk and cycle amongst the wildlife that lives in the park for around 7km and explore the deep gorge for which the park is famous. We’ll stay overnight in the park amongst the giraffe, buffalo and zebra and camp high on the escarpment which has beautiful views along the Rift Valley.
8	2776m	5 hrs	After breakfast we’ll drive to the foot of the throne of the Rift Valley and enjoy a full days trek and crater walk of Mount Longonot (2,776m - the name comes from the Masai word oloonong'ot, meaning "mountains of many spurs" or "steep ridges"), which is a breathtaking, dormant volcano and home to a wide variety of wildlife on its slopes and in its crater floor. After the climb we’ll travel the short distance to Fish Eagle resort where we’ll camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha. We can relax in the evening by the shore of the lake, watch the hippo wallow, or go for a swim in the pool before enjoying dinner.
9	1885m	varies	After all our walking and hard work we’ll have a chill day! After a well-deserved lie in we’ll head out onto Lake Naivasha for a boat trip to watch the wallowing Hippo and swooping Fish Eagles. Late afternoon can be spent shopping or visiting some local sites. We’ll then enjoy a relaxed evening meal before organizing our kit for our next adventure!
10	1750m	8hrs	Today we’ll pack up and drive to the most famous African game reserves of them all – the Masai Mara! The Masai Mara is one of Africa’s premier game reserves where you get close encounters with a diverse population of game all year round. With its iconic landscape of endless seas of golden grass dotted with picturesque acacia trees the Masai Mara fulfils the dreams of any visitor searching for the perfect safari experience. This natural wonderland is home to cheetah, leopard, large prides of lion, elephant, giraffe, hyena, huge Nile crocodile, hippos and many other species. The Masai Mara spreads over 1,510 square kilometers of rolling plains, sudden rocky outcrops, and green winding rivers and is one of the few locations in Africa that you stand a good chance of seeing the 'Big 5' on one game drive. We’ll go for a late afternoon game drive and then camp for the night in a campsite we regularly use beside the reserve entrance.
11	1750m	8hrs	We’ll spend a full day in the reserve spotting and tracking animals before returning to camp.
12	1795m	7 - 8hrs	We’ll spend a few hours in the morning on game drives before driving back to Nairobi (6hrs) were we’ll return to our campsite on the edge of the Ngong Forest. (Option of evening flight home)
13	n/a	n/a	In the morning we can visit the famous Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage and then, depending on your flight times, organise another afternoon tour or visit. Then catch an evening flight back home.