Naro Moru Route
Naro Moru route is my favorite trail on Mount Kenya. It's a scenic and direct way to climb Mount Kenya, and popular for summiting and returning in a single day. Park your car or get dropped off at Met Station, the trailhead for this route, located inside the park 9.5km from the park gate. There is a tarmac road all the way to Met Station from the gate. Bandas for overnight stay are available at Met Station.
Fill up your water supply. Start the run on a small forest road and enter the trail where the road ends. Make your way through the final forest section before the landscape suddenly changes into open moorland. In the rainy season, the moorland can be very boggy, but usually it’s dry. During night hours there is buffalo presence in the moorlands, be vigilant here.
A few kilometers before Mackinder’s Hut, you will drop down into a valley where you cross a river on a small bridge. Another spot to fetch water. When reaching the Mackinder’s Hut, I usually start feeling some altitude effects, especially when ascending quickly. There is great drinking water at the hut, which is a great resting place, overnight hut or campsite. Shortly after, the trail will become very steep and the environment will change into alpine desert with barely any vegetation. Be very careful in this area in case of snow, because the trail is slightly exposed and angled next to a long steep slope (especially higher up). After some time, you will reach a section where you have to scramble over some boulders. Past there, you will reach Austrian Hut, a mountain cabin operated by KWS.
Continue up the trail and you will see the via ferrata leading you up Point Lenana. This is the highest via ferrata in the world! If the weather is good, apart from altitude and steepness, it's an easy climb to the top, otherwise it can be slippery and exposed. However, usually people don't use climbing gear here.