Kenya: Mount Kenya – At the top of Mount Kenya at Lenana Point

Point Lenana is the third highest peak of Mt Kenya at 4895 m / 16355 ft, higher than anything in the continental USA. (The two higher peaks, Batian and Nelion are less than 200 meters higher but both require technical rock climbing with over 2 dozen pitches). You leave the camp in pitch black darkness at 3am and start going up almost vertically on the icy scree. Altitude sickness kicks in for many and they have to turn around. You reach the Point Lenana peak just before the sunrise as the morning light illuminates the stunning and desolate mountain scenery of rock, ice, permafrost and snow, and -15C temperatures. There are still permanent glaciers on top of Mt Kenya. After Point Lenana you descend a different route using cables along a sheer ridge and stunning views of all the towering peaks in your right. © All photos by Rus Margolin.