The push to Point Lenana always starts in darkness. Most trekkers leave high camp - either Shipton's Camp (4,200 m), Austrian Hut (4,790 m), or Mackinder's Camp (4,200 m) - between 2:30 and 4:00 a.m. The cold is real: summit temperatures in the early hours typically range from −5°C to −15°C, with wind chill pushing lower. You will want a proper down jacket, insulated gloves, and a warm hat.
The final section climbs steep scree and loose rock to the summit ridge. There is no technical climbing involved, but the ground is unstable at points and the altitude makes every step feel harder than it should. Your guide sets the pace - slow and steady wins every time at 4,800+ metres.
The summit ridge itself is narrow and exposed, with Batian (5,199 m) and Nelion (5,188 m) immediately above you - massive, dark rock towers that look nothing like a Kenyan mountain in the pre-dawn light. Reaching Point Lenana at sunrise is one of those moments that stays with you.
On a clear morning, the views from the summit extend across the Aberdare Range to the west, the Rift Valley beyond that on the clearest days, and north across the Laikipia plateau. Below you, the remaining summit glaciers - shrinking with each passing year - cling to the rock between Batian and Nelion. The crater lake, Curling Pond, is usually frozen in the early morning hours.