Mount Kenya Climbing: Burguret Route

Overview

Burguret Route information

The route was pioneered during colonial days and then abandoned for many years until it was re-opened in the early '90s. It provides a unique and completely natural mountain trekking experience. Up to point Lenana then descend on the Chogoria route provides the most spectacular views and completes a traverse of Mount Kenya.

Gentle hike down a broad ridge enjoying magnificent views back up the valley to the Mt Kenya snowy peaks, and down to waterfalls, tarns and lava flows in the Gorges Valley itself. Overnight in the Meru Mt. Kenya cabins - log fires, hot showers, beds - and if the supply vehicles have made it up through the forest, Tusker beers! Wildlife viewing possible in the evening with elephants and buffalo often grazing outside our cabins and a large number of forest and moorland birds.

Burguret Route itinerary.

Trip highlights

• Nairobi – Giant Bamboo camp
• Giant Bamboo – Highlands Castle
• Highlands Castle – Shipton Camp
• Shipton camp – Pt Lenana – Hall Tarns
• Hall Tarns – Mt Kenya Bandas
• Mt Kenya Bandas – Nairobi

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Nairobi – Giant Bamboo camp

   Transfer from Nairobi to Mt Kenya royal cottages for lunch. After lunch drive to Gathiuru forest station and a 4-hour ascent through dense stands of towering bamboo to a Giant Bamboo Camp at 2600m. Elephant and buffalo are common here.

2. Day2
   Giant Bamboo – Highlands Castle

   The luxuriant bamboo yields to enormous podocarpus and pencil cedar forest before we climb to the Hagenia rosewood zone at the edge of the moorlands. This marks our lunch spot before heading up through the extraordinary giant lobelia and groundsels. We spend the night close to the sheer lava cliffs of the "Highland Castle" at 3,700. Today's hike takes 5-6 hrs with an ascent of 1,100m

3. Day3
   Highlands Castle – Shipton Camp

   Spectacular scenery as the jagged volcanic peaks and shimmering glaciers tower above our trek around the summit circuit. Turquoise tarns nestle in the valleys, eagles and buzzards soar overhead - it's difficult to believe we're on the equator! We might, for the first time, meet other trekkers here as we hike for 5-6 hours overnight at Shipton Camp at 4,200m.

4. Day4
   Shipton camp – Pt Lenana – Hall Tarns

   Predawn start for the summit attempt. Up steep screes and a bare rocky track to reach the summit. It's an exhilarating 3 hours from here to reach the hiker's summit, Pt Lenana at 4,985m in time for the sunrise - Kilimanjaro is usually visible 340kms to the south then 2-3 hours descent to Hall Tarns (4,300m), where we have a hefty breakfast and spend the day here to rest and to relax. Our campsite is perched close (but not too close) to the top of a sheer 300m cliff overlooking the Gorges Valley.

5. Day5
   Hall Tarns – Mt Kenya Bandas

   Gentle hike down a broad ridge enjoying magnificent views back up the valley to the snowy peaks, and down to waterfalls, tarns and lava flows in the Gorges Valley itself. Overnight in the Meru Mt. Kenya cabins - log fires, hot showers, beds - and if the supply vehicles have made it up through the forest, Tusker beers! Wildlife viewing possible in the evening with elephants and buffalo often grazing outside our cabins and a large number of forest and moorland birds.

6. Day6
   Mt Kenya Bandas – Nairobi

   Three hours walk down through the bamboo forest to meet our vehicles for the return journey to Nairobi, arriving in the late afternoon

What's included