Mount Kenya Burguret route

Climb Mount Kenya by the route made famous in the book 'No Picnic on Mount Kenya'. ascending the wilder and less travelled Burguret route to Point Lenana and then descending via the Chogoria Route in a total of six days.

The Burguret route begins on the west side of the mountain near the Mountain Rock Lodge and the whole route is about 76 kilometres. You can read about this and other routes on the mountain in order to make a good choice for your adventure on Mount Kenya. 

The itinerary is based on starting and finishing in the nearby market town of Naro Moru but we can accommodate any travel preferences including private transport from Nairobi, accommodation off the mountain, extra nights on the mountain, safaris or a visit to our Moving Mountains projects.

Burguret route in summary

Mount Kenya route map showing Burguret on the left (west) side of the mountain and Highland Castle and Shiptons Camp, and the descent down the Chogoria route on the south east side. 

When to climb Mount Kenya

You can climb any time of the year in theory but best to avoid the long rains in April and May when there will be afternoon rain and potentially a lot of snow on the high slopes. A really good time would be January and February and then in the months from July to September, before the short rains in October. November can still be a bit wet and December is once again good weather. 

Trek reality

As on any trek up this mountain it is advisable to be physically fit and able to hike long hours and on quite mixed terrain. Even though there are paths, the route is hilly and rocky and there are plenty of areas of open moorland which can get boggy. The Burguret route however is particularly wild and rough, far fewer people do it compared to the Sirimon or Naro Moru route. The paths will be less frequented, the campsite facilities at Giant Bamboo and Highland Castle are basic and this route is camping. The height gain to Highland Castle is quite a lot which is why we recommend a night at Mountain Rock before the trek starts. The summit night is not easy, in the early hours on quite often slippery scree slopes and then on snow and ice with a bit of a scramble to Point Lenana itself. 

After the summit there is a big drop down to Hall Tarn and then Nithi Camp, which is quite hard on the knees. Poles are a really good idea, and some of the trail near the top is scrambly with loose rock and still snow or ice. It will be important to be clear headed to be aware of the path ahead. 

The descent on the Chogoria is spectacular but it is also longer than the other routes. It's a steady descent and the path becomes much easier as you get lower. Nithi Camp - and Shiptons Camp - are both lovely places to stay and they have facilities like toilets and a hut. 

Back at Meru Bandas at Chogoria Gate, the facilities are excellent. 

A bit of information about Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya is a huge extinct volcano in the Kenyan highlands, formed by the tectonic disturbance of the Great Rift Valley fault. Over millions of years the volcano was eroded and denuded by glaciers, ice caps and weather. It now has a very broad dome, cut through by valleys and ridges and capped by spectacular rock spires at its summit. At over 5000m, the peaks still support eleven permanent glaciers and an environment and eco-system of strange and unique giant flora for which it is famous. You can read more about the type of terrain you'll encounter on a Mount Kenya trek and the level of fitness required under 'Mount Kenya advice'.

Mount Kenya also has very important cultural importance to the local Kikuyu tribe who traditionally viewed it as the meeting place and throne of their gods. For the country at large, it is actually the mountain that gave the nation of Kenya its name and it holds a significant place in Kenyan identity.

What to wear on the trek

To successfully summit Mount Kenya you'll need kit which keeps you warm, dry, protected from the sun/rain and comfortable in the various environments that you'll find yourself in on the way to the summit. There is a detailed list on the 'Mount Kenya trek kit list' page.

We provide all group equipment such as tents and bed mats, plus all the cooking equipment for providing your meals. Our porters will carry about 15kgs each. 

Additions to your holiday and options to add on to your Mount Kenya trek.

Why choose us for organising your trek to Mount Kenya? 

• All our staff in East Africa and the UK have been climbing Mt Kenya for more than 20 years so we know the mountain and its communities extremely well, we're happy to discuss options on the phone and offer honest advice on what to expect
  
  
• We employ trusted full time staff who are very experienced and knowledgeable. Our Head Guide, Cyrus Maina, has built up a solid team for the mountain and is a trusted upstanding member of his local community, where he sits on the Board at Tigithi Primary School, a rural school on the lower slopes of Mount Kenya that has been developed and renovated by our charity, Moving Mountains.
  
  
• On Mount Kenya our charity has developed numerous sustainable projects which anyone is more than welcome to visit. Full details on the work of Moving Mountains in Kenya can be found here.
  
  
• We offer high standard authentic adventures on Mount Kenya with a personal service and lots of experience to offer.
  
  
• We have our own license to operate tours in Kenya and are a fully bonded, insured and registered tour operator
  
  
• Our prices are competitive and good value, and we offer quality, service, security and an ethical stance on tourism in a developing country.