This is most popular of all the routes that lead up to the Mountain. It is the steepest and the fastest way up Mt Kenya and ascends the mountain from the west. The route is not particularly scenic but has some of the best tourist accommodations.

Most climbers begin at the park gate, although it is possible to drive a vehicle as far as the Met station (3050 metres). Among the challenges in this route include the vertical bog and the extremely steep trail on looses gravel while going up.