Africa's Big Three
- An expedition to Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro and Mount Stanley
- Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda combined
- A once-in-a-lifetime experience unique to KE
- Three different countries and three contrasting treks
- Game viewing in the Amboseli National Park
Africa's 3 greatest peaks are situated relatively close together in the adjoining East African countries of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. This fantastic Explore More trip offers the opportunity to climb all 3 within a single expedition. Starting out in Kenya, we make a traverse of Mount Kenya via the trekker's summit of Point Lenana (4985m). This provides excellent acclimatisation and fitness training prior to our rapid ascent (just 5 days on the mountain) of Kilimanjaro's Rongai Route. Then, from Kilimanjaro, we fly across Lake Victoria to Entebbe and make our approach to the Rwenzoris, the mysterious 'Mountains of the Moon'. Our objective here is Mount Stanley (5109m), probably the least well known of Africa's big peaks, which we tackle as the culmination of a tough 8-day circuit trek. Offering a combination of 3 countries, 3 peaks and a wealth of contrasting travel experiences, this is a contender for the best trekking holiday on the African continent.
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This trip is one of our ‘Explore More' range of outstanding adventure holidays which we are running in conjunction with our friends at Allibert and Hauser (France and Germany's leading adventure travel operators). The holidays we have chosen for this range are undoubtedly some of the finest adventures on the planet. They are also ‘specialist' and will appeal to those who have ‘been there, done that' in many parts of the world and are now looking for something new. The cosmopolitan nature of the groups will be an important part of the Explore More experience!
Is this holiday for you?
This is a long trekking holiday, with 3 relatively short sections of trekking. Combined, these treks add up to around 8000 metres (26,000 feet) of ascent and descent. We start out on Mount Kenya and this involves reasonably short days, as we take care not to ascend too high, too quickly. After this climb, we are well acclimatised and can push the pace on Kilimanjaro a little. When we get around to the Rwenzoris part of the trip, our trekking days are long and constrained to a certain extent by the location of the established huts and camping places and by the distance the local porters are prepared to walk each day. Generally, there are excellent trails to follow, although high up on Kilimanjaro we do have to negotiate some sections of scree where the path will not be so well-marked. In the Rwenzoris, underfoot conditions are as difficult as any you are ever likely to find; dense jungle, deep mud, slippery tree roots and boulders are all par for the course and you should be prepared for this. The trekking on Mount Kenya and on Kilimanjaro is straightforward. The ascent to the Margherita summit of Mount Stanley requires a degree of competence, scrambling on at times wet and loose rock. This ascent also involves the use of crampons and a single ice-axe. Due to glacial retreat, there is now a short, steep wall at the foot of the final ridge on Mount Stanley that involves a couple of moves of entry-level rock climbing.
The Secret of Success on Kilimanjaro
Success on Kilimanjaro is all about acclimatisation. At 5894 metres (19,340 feet) this is a mountain of Himalayan proportions. A poorly acclimatised person will not cope well with the Kilimanjaro climb and may even become quite ill during the ascent. However, since this itinerary begins with a trek across Mount Kenya, the group will be well acclimatised prior to making the ascent of Kilimanjaro.
You may also be interested in...
Kilimanjaro Trek and Safari - Tanzania, Trekking 11 days
Mountains of the Moon - Trekking in the Rwenzori - Uganda, Climbing 14 days
Mount Kenya Ascent - Kenya, Trekking 7 days
