As with any mountain, the weather on Mount Kenya can be hard to predict, but whilst there are no real black out dates, we can certainly advise certain times of year for those with a free schedule. It is also important that anyone considering climbing Mount Kenya is aware of the cold temperatures encountered.

Kenya has two rainy seasons, the short rains from September to October and the long rains from March to June. During these periods rain falls consistently each day in a fairly predictable pattern. The same seasonality applies to Mount Kenya. Whilst the short rains generally speaking only provide sporadic daily rain, the long rains are a real obstacle making many of the tracks up to the mountain impassable and the trails on the mountain very muddy. Having said that, you can also expect long spells of sunshine each day, even during the long rains, so if this is the only time of year you can make it, it is possible. The best time of year to tackle Mount Kenya is July – August and November – February.

One of the biggest weather obstacles on Mount Kenya is the cold. At an altitude over 3,500m, the final camps where you spend the night before tackling the summit are cold. The huts are unheated as the Kenya Wildlife Service doesn’t allow the burning of firewood within the park. And most trekkers will be out tackling the final approach to Point Lenana before sunrise at temperatures as low as -15 or even -20 degrees Celsius. There is no two ways about it, this can be seriously uncomfortable if you aren’t equipped well. A good 3 (or preferably 4) season sleeping bag is essential, as is a good combination of thermal base layers, fleeces and wind and rain proof tops and trousers.

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