7 Ponds Hike

7 Ponds entails a trail of an initial 2km that’s dramatic with twists and turns with sections of steepness. The rest of the way is adorned with typical mountain vegetation and graced with marvelous views of other sister peaks. The highest point of 3826m ASL is where the 7 scattered tarns are situated on a flat summit. It’s a hiker’s haven that’s found in the Aberdares lying in between Table Mountain and Rurimeria.

It’s a challenge that pushes your endurance and conditions you better for high altitude. An amazing prep hike if you’ve set your eyes on Mt. Kenya or want to hone your mountaineering skills.

The starting point is the Kenya Wildlife electric fence. Seven Ponds shares the starting point with the Table Mountain. The trail to Table Mountain is to the left, while the trail to Seven Ponds is to the right. The trek takes around 7-8 hours depending on your pace.

The first section of the hiking path is on a well-paved dirt road before detouring into the woods in narrow paths, sometimes single paths and also wide sections. The ascent for the first 2.5km is quite challenging through forested sections, but the thrill to see the tarns encourages you to reach the top. The descent is back along the same route. The total distance is around 11-12km.

Hike researched and photographed by Abby Koyier in June 2024

Though the driving route is less than 160km, the roads are not in great condition which makes the expected time to be about 3 to 3.5 hours

Our driving route would be using Waiyaki Way, along Nairobi Nakuru highway where we turn at the flyover to use Thika Gatura road

At Njabini we take a left and towards Engineet, Ndunyu Njeru and finally to Mikeu where the hike starts from

1. Hiking level – Difficult. Total hiking distance is around 11 km. Factors contributing to difficult hiking experience include the initial sharp ascent, uphill terrain, start from a high altitude ascent, cold unpredictable weather and low atmospheric oxygen.
2. Main attractions – Diverse vegetation, insects, flora, birds, wildlife, beautiful landscape and stunning views of the Aberdare Ranges; Rurimeria, Table Mountain, Kipipiri amongst others.
3. Type of hike – High altitude Mountain hike.
4. Atmospheric conditions – tends to be cold, foggy, wet, cloudy or with chances of hail stones
5. Slipping hazard – Average as there are some sections with steep inclines both up and downhill.
6. Steepness – Total elevation change is 995m over 11km and there are several steep sections and a few rocky sections.
7. Hiking path condition – Short road stretch and a lot of narrow and single file trails in most sections with wet/damp ground conditions in some places.
8. Water usage – Medium to high. Recommend a minimum of 2.5 litres because of the high altitude.
9. Route visibility – The trail starts out with a visible road path then folks out to a single and narrow paths in different sections overseeing beautiful landscape.
10. Biodiversity – Numerous species of insects, flora, birds, and diverse vegetation.

• Good hiking boots, walking stick due to the steep terrain. 

• Sun hat – to protect against the sun/rain gear to protect against rain/hailstones and gloves for warmth against fog. 

• Water – at least 2.5 litres 

• Snacks and lunch – since we expect to start at 5am and finish latest by 9pm, we recommend you bring snacks and lunch to eat while relaxing at scenic locations along the route