Top Ten Treks

(Berger/Smith)

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For the true trekking experience up Africa's second-highest peak, the Chogoria Route is the way to go. Though other routes get you up the mountain faster, they also increase your chance of suffering altitude sickness. Besides, who's in a hurry? Rush and you'll miss the amazing, strange, and wonderful landscape that surrounds you. Volcanic and glacial activity have combined to create phantasmagoric crags. Diverse ecosystems ranging from rain forest to moors to barren alpine uplands provide habitat for animals you thought only lived in zoos: rhinos, monkeys, zebras, and cape buffalo, not to mention the occasional lion. The path is fairly well-worn; guides can make life easier but are not crucial. If you have technical climbing skills, you can ascend the true summit, known as Batian, at 17,053 feet. If not, you'll still feel pretty bad-ass when you reach Point Lenana, the so-called trekkers' summit, at 16,350 feet.

More info on Mount Kenya.