Mt Kenya Lakes – Rutundu Route Ladies Trek

The mountain climbing bug hit right in the middle of last year. Any climber knows too well when this bug hits it is almost next to impossibility to reverse it. Who was I to refute the innate desire to get back to the summit of Mt Kenya? My colleague and I humbly obliged.

So here we are crafting the most workable dates just before the onset of the rainy season. In consultation with our ground mountain guide, we settle for the 19th to return on 24th October 2021.

The itinerary was going to take 5 Nights 6 Days considering we would be traversing through a route that is less traveled. Entry is through Rutundu side of the Mountain and exit via Naromoru Gate. In a nutshell we would be aiming at covering a total mileage of close to 90 Kms.

So the day is finally here after much preparation by virtue of pre – climb hikes, proper packing, medical checkups, evacuation cover taken, leave of absence from work approved not to mention leave of absence from spouses, children and family. Here is an overdue recount of this expedition.

Day 1: 19th October 2021 Nairobi – Nanyuki – Rutundu Road Head
So on this morning, the team of 5 ladies meets up at the CBD Nairobi at 0615hrs ready to depart for the 3.5hrs drive to Nanyuki.

Off course we make a couple of stopovers to sip on takeaway coffee, a few selfie photos here and there, lunch and pee stops. This is in anticipation of the huge hiking challenge awaiting us ahead.

You need a 4wd vehicle with good clearance to cut through the less traveled route of Rutundu. Allow me to tell you about this route. It is a distance of about 69 kms from Nanyuki and takes approximately 4 hrs drive to get to Rutundu Camp. It is almost impassable during the heavy rainy season. Worst case scenario if the vehicle is not able to navigate the entire rough road to your 1^st camp for the night, you may have to trek there. This is such a gaiety walk and very refreshing sanitized breath of fresh crispy air. On a clear window, the vast plains and moorlands of Mt Kenya can be seen to cascade through the horizon of your eyes. Talking of a clear window, the weather is intermittent; one minute it may be clear, the next foggy and rainy too.

So my team and I weren’t as lucky to have our land cruiser drive us all the way to our intended 1^st camp of the night. We opted to walk for a good 3 hrs to the Rutundu Camp. This was a much needed acclimatization walk. Our lungs adjusted to the crispy air at 2700m above sea level gaining an elevation of 415m asl. Now this is good for the first night. Shortness of breath and headaches wouldn’t be such a scare. We were so lucky that during our ascent to the camp it didn’t rain until we all checked into our tents for the night. Man it rained cats throughout the night and that is how The Mountain serenaded us. Did I say that freshening up is a story for another post?

Day 2: 20^th October 2021 – Rutundu Road Head Camp – Lake Alice
The original plan was for us to spend the first night at Lake Alice but it was not practical given the weather condition among a few other factors that I will not go into details in this post. When doing a mountain climbing challenge, it is always advisable to pack the Spirit of adventure and flexibility in plenty. Anything is possible and in most cases the lead guide will have an insight into many possibilities. For example the pace of the hikers in the group gets to determine the overall direction of the expedition. The weather condition of the day especially on the summit night is also another determining factor. A porter or two could possibly fall ill as they are also human and Mountain altitude knows no boundaries. This will definitely affect the overall logistics and a staunch back up plan needs to be in place otherwise the entire team would need to collaborate and agree on the way forward.  

So on this day we set for Lake Alice which is not so far a distance from Rutundu Camp. It is steep and felt like an ascent to Mt Longonot on adrenaline rush. In Fact the terrain looks mistakenly like Mt Longonot`s. We aced the 2hrs steep climb and slowly descended into Lake Alice which is perched in a crater right below Ithanguni Hill. This day was bliss! We fished these huge trout fish weighing upto 6 -7 kgs each. Had our lunch and capitalized on the beautiful reflections of the sunny afternoon. Some of us went on a journaling hide way at the shores of the lake others just took a siesta, someone else did a walk almost around the lake (which is no mean feat.) We couldn’t ask for a better day than this one on the trail. Perfect! Blissful! Magical! Tranquil and more….We needed this breather for the next few days on the trail in target of our summit night.

DAY 3: Lake Alice – Lake Ellis (3300m asl)
This is the day our knees experienced fire! We trekked on what seemed like an endless terrain. Miles and Miles of walking! Our resilience was put on testing fire! This is the day when each of the hikers got annoyed….mumbling, rumbling, wondering when we will ever get to the finish line for the night. It was grueling to say the least. We navigated through the moorland and semi-forested terrain. It was evident that this is a route that is rarely used compared to the other main routes on Mt Kenya. There were no “marked trails” We had to tap into our guides and porters sense of direction. The visible trails were those of wildlife found in this part of the mountain mainly buffaloes. It was a tough nut to crack but we made it amidst the foggy morning. This section should ideally join the main trail of CHOGORIA ROUTE through the facet of Mugi hill on a treacherous protea and heather bushes the ground covered in tussock grass. Once you join the intersect that leaves Chogoria gate to Lake Ellis, you are on the right track.

I could sense agitation from some of our trekkers as they kept asking the lead guide what time and how far we are from Lake Ellis Camp. Particularly at the home stretch between Chogoria bandas signage to Lake Ellis which is indicated as a distance of 2kms but feels like a 4-5kms of an unending steep climb. You can imagine what a relief it was to see the porters that had preceded us coming back to meet us with a cup of hot tea. This was a long day! We freshened up, ate dinner and retired to bed. Some collaborative decisions had to be made in lieu of the following day. 

You see Mountain climbing is a very personal encounter and journey if you wish. In as much as we were a team, the moment to experience this personal journey was here with us. Questions such as: What is my life all about? Do I have what it takes to move to the next phase of my life? What is the next phase of my life? Such questions require an innate answer through clarity of purpose and where best do you get this secluded time other than on the mountain trail? Unlock your potential……

DAY 4: Lake Ellis – Lake Michaelson (3850m asl)

The day presented itself with a fresh and brand new aura of hope. On the previous night, one of the climbers had reached her optimum patience level. She even asked if we could organize a chopper to fly her back to Nairobi. This is how the mountain is capable of doing your brain…You should have seen the same climber the following morning. All ready to hit the road to our next camp. She had challenges with her knee joints and precisely for this reason, the rest of the team chose to bypass Lake Michaelson`s steep descent for Mintos Camp. It was a sacrifice worth foregoing because as the mountain lingo goes “The mountain is going nowhere” We can always revisit this site again. So after breakfast and confirming that every team member is set for our next camp, we took off. Some at a fast pace (which is not recommended at all due to possible development of altitude sickness) while others were doing a slow but consistent pace. The acreage of cascading peaks, hills and valleys were our eyes delight. It was a briskly affair with the rawness of the Mountain.

We had a lunch break and were served with hot lunch (vegetable spaghetti). This was such a welcome change of detail from the usual packed lunch. Before our muscles could relax beyond what is required at a stop over, we hit the road aiming at reaching our camp for the night by 3pm. We made it! The rains were here again to welcome us at Mintos Camp.

How can I not mention that we had the vantage view of Lake Michaelson as we ascended the steep hill that drains you to Mintos camp? The sight is heavenly which makes me draw a plan of coming back and actually camping at the base of the magnificent Lake Michaelson. And why didn’t someone name it after our local men / women? Must the names of our Kenyan Lakes be canvassed after foreign hikers? Don’t we have our own established hikers or porters and mountain guides? Subject for another day perhaps?

This is the night on whose overflow (2am) we subjected our minds and whole selves to summit point Lenana.

Off we went to sleep clad in full summit gear! You ask why sleep in the summit gear?

At this point in time, your body is already so fatigued by the previous days treks needless to say your frame of mind is a bit blurred from the intermittent weather changes. Then you have hosted a little bit of anxiety especially if it is your first peak attempt. You would be lucky to even catch some good sleep due to the high altitude as well as thin oxygen levels. So you work with what your body dictates. Then again, who will change from the warm layering into fresh ones in the middle of a crispy cold night?

On this night, two of my tent mates couldn’t sleep very well. One had a stomach infection that had made her uncomfortable since we began the hike. She thought it must have been some takeaway coffee she consumed from Nairobi on the 1^st day. She tried a couple of remedies but it didn’t seem to go away. I tell you when you have your eyes on the prize, such discomforts are secondary. She persisted as she felt like she could hack it anyway. And hacking it she did.

DAY 5: Summit Night (Mintos Camp to Point Lenana via Simba Tarn – Top Hut – Mackinder’s  Camp) (3455m – 4985m – 4700m)

We rose up at 0200 hrs all ready to leave the camp but not before we had some coffee and biscuits. At this point your appetite is thinning, nausea threatens to check in but you must keep your eyes on the prize. My two tent-mates and I set off in the company of other climbers who we had shared Mintos camp with. We had to part ways with two of our other lady hikers as they felt they could summit during the day. At this point it is inevitable to separate the fast-paced trekkers from those ones that are a bit slow. Why? Each person reacts to high altitude differently.

Off we take with our headlamps fixated, our backpacks where they should be and a few steps from the camp there are water bogs everywhere. So we need to curve our steps carefully within the meandering queue of fellow hikers all aiming at the same direction.

We pace out under the guidance of our mountain guide and finally manage to secure a moderate rhythm all through to Simba Tarn Camp. It was a very chilly morning, snowy even. Luckily it had stopped raining and the moon shone ever so brightly; so did the stars grace the heavens with their astounding beauty. We kept going and hoped the sunrise would find us at the top peak of Lenana. Well, that wasn’t going to be easy because it had snowed heavily. The wind was biting strong. If your face and lips aren`t covered well like mine, you are bound to get serious frostbite.

The 0620 hrs Sunrise found us just above Simba Camp. At this point we had to make a random decision due to the condition of the snowy terrain. Instead of descending through the icy traverse to Austrian Hut, we opted to circumvent through the toothpick route. One of us made it to the summit point of Lenana Peak. Two of us decided our summit would be 200m from Lenana Peak. This is because we had made several summits on previous occasions and it wasn’t cast on stone to get to the peak given the adverse weather. This was the best decision we ever made under the circumstances. We took many photos on the white snow with the sun out. We thoroughly enjoyed this moment as we rarely get such opportunities to share our hearty stories. With a signal from our guide, we made our way through the scree of round bend up till the Top hut where we had lunch and a siesta before descending further to Mackinder’s Camp.

This stretch was magical! Scenic even! The blue tarns below the valleys were a sight to behold. Many beautiful thoughts of our creator! Who can fathom what a designer He is? Who can be equal to His potential, ability and prowess? We were worn out good!

Looking back at where we came from, we felt such an intense sense of fulfillment that we got to Mackinder’s camp, we freshened up and joined a few other climbers for dinner. There is nothing as satisfying as knowing you have achieved your mountain climbing goals for that period. The three of us felt accomplished and we could finally sleep on a proper bed in a bunk house all by ourselves! Our accompanying set of porters, guide and cook served us well and they also seem to have rested in for the night.

DAY 6: Further Descent (Mackinders Camp – Met Station – Nairobi)

After breakfast and taking a couple of photos, we descended further through muddy bogs of the mackinders valley onto Met Station where we found our vehicle waiting for us.

On the other hand, we had left two of our other hikers who didn’t make it to Point Lenana as pre-scheduled. Instead, they chose to spend the night at Simba Camp under the close watch of the lead guide. Their pace was reduced to a snail pace but they had a resolve to summit amidst the adverse weather on the trail. They had a great and resilient guide who not only supported them but was patient with them despite the harsh weather conditions. Bottom-line is that they made it to the summit point albeit 12 hours later.

DISCLAIMER:
Our other two ladies had really exposed themselves to the harsh weather and upon their descent to Austrian hut, they thought of freshening up. This was a grave mistake because no sooner had they done that than they both fell ill. One quite extreme and had to be lowered to Mackinder’s camp on an emergency basis to stabilize her altitude sickness. Breathing was quite low as was her oxygen levels. Calling an evacuation chopper at that hour was not feasible even though we did notify them. It is unfortunate that visibility past 4pm is poor on high elevation. As such, she had to be monitored throughout the night closely by the Mt Kenya Rescue team while here.

On the other hand, our other team of 3 ladies had already descended according to the earlier schedule to Met Station and further to Naromoru where they caught a ride back to their original destinations.

Team B had to spend another night at Mackinder’s camp in wait for an evacuation the following morning. The process was smooth and the guest was admitted at Nanyuki Cottage Hospital for further observation as she had developed acute pulmonary oedema. Well within two days she was discharged and back home for recovery. We thank God that they both survived the challenge and so did the support team that remained on vigil.

Valuable Lessons and Tips for a Mountain Climbing Challenge on a camping expedition:

1. Share a tent: It is advisable to share a tent with a fellow hiker. Why? you never know when altitude sickness might strike. If it does strike in the middle of the night, you will have someone who can call out for help if need be.
2. Hydrate as much as possible while on the trail. Frequent peeing is the only flip side you will experience as a result of this.
3. Pack lightly: Bear in mind that a fellow human being (porter) will shoulder your luggage for you along the trail. You can recycle some of these clothes especially if black in colour. If anything, showering along the mountain hardly happens. Maximum luggage of 10-15kgs.
4. Diet: Eat well while on the trail. Energy-giving foods are highly encouraged as you get to burn a lot of calories.
5. Time: Keep time as per the guidelines of the lead guide. If you agree to leave each camp by 0700 hrs, please adhere to this time frame as it saves a lot of things such arriving at your next camp in good time at least before dusk. You will also be respecting your fellow hikers and porters’ time. 
6. Sleep-Possible: Try and sleep as much as your body can allow.
7. Extra-Pushover: Do not push yourself beyond the capacity of your body limit.
8. Pay attention to your lead guide: You see, it is always advisable to listen to instructions from your guide. If he perceives danger due to weather, please listen and descend accordingly.
9. Carry lots of adaptability: Things do change while on the trail. If you must alter a necessitating item on the itinerary to cater for an unprecedented occurrence, please be flexible. In most cases it is always for your own good.
10. Summit Point: You do not have to reach the peak. You can make your summit anywhere. The mountain goeth nowhere. You can always go back to challenge it as you challenge yourself at any other given opportunity.
11. Tips of gratitude: Always carry enough cash or a gift to tip your porters and guides. It goes a long way in expressing your gratitude.

The original Itinerary was as follow:

5 NIGHTS 6 DAYS ASCENT THROUGH RUTUNDU EXIT VIA NAROMORU GATE

Day 1: Nairobi – via Rutundu Camp – Lake Alice
Day 2: Lake Alice – Lake Ellis (8 – 9hrs)
Day 3: Lake Ellis – Lake Michaelson (7hrs)
Day 4: Lake Michaelson – Austrian Hut (5-6hrs)
Day 5: Austrian Hut – Lenana Summit – Lake Hohnel (5-6hrs)
Day 6: Lake Hohnel – Met Station – Naromoru Gate – Nairobi (3-4hrs)

We missed out camping at Lake Michaelson and Lake Hohnel respectively due to the dynamics of the group as well as the adverse weather. We believe that we will stick to the above original schedule in our next attempt whenever using this route.

With moderately paced hikers, the above is very achievable.

On the flip side, we would also like to try ascending on the reverse of Rutundu Route by starting at Naromoru gate and exit through Rutundu Road head.

Shall we try it albeit for more days on camping basis?

7 Days 6 Nights In Naromoru Gate out Rutundu Route

Day 1: Nairobi – Naromoru(3.5hrs) Naromoru – Met Station (3-4hrs)
Day 2: Met Station – Lake Hohnel (3-4hrs)
Day 3: Lake Hohnel – Austrian / Top Hut (3-4hrs)
Day 4: Austrian / Top Hut – Lenana Summit – Lake Michaelson (3-4hrs)
Day 5: Lake Michaelson – Lake Ellis (4-5hrs)
Day 6: Lake Ellis – Lake Alice (8-9hrs)
Day 7: Lake Alice via Lake Rutundu  (2-3hrs) – Nanyuki – Nairobi

Email us to get a quote for this route:

NB: THIS ROUTE IS ACCESSIBLE ALL YEAR ROUND.

IF AUSTRIAN HUT IS SNOWING BEYOND, TRAVERSE THROUGH TOOTHPICK ROUTE!