Rwenzori mountain climbing is a really fanciful and exceptional adventure. This is because of the surprise of the extraordinary glaciers, the attractiveness of the gorge of nine lakes and the unshaven lichen dangling from huge heathers with a setting of stony overhangs. This is also in addition to cliffs and ice capped peaks. The extensive diversity of vegetation and animals with numerous atmospheres as you rise through the diverse shrubbery areas form the definitive experience for rambling. This why mount Rwenzori hiking is a distinctive and stunning trek.
Completely untouched and with no doubt Rwenzori mountains offer one of the utmost lovely adventure journeys in the whole world.
About Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site offering the finest chance to see landscape at its best. The botanical life fluctuates from heavy humid tropical forest, bamboo woodlands, montane rain cloud forests to mountainous plant covers and the decor is accurately outstanding. Above the height of 4,500m, the snowflake and glaciers complement that unusual aspect to the astounding views all over this primeval mount range.
Rwenzori is a true mountain range with countless ascents and descents, making it a strong hike though the setting and striking plants are unbelievable. The high rainwater of more than 3mm annually, the moss-covered stuns, the thick plant life, the high peaks and bluffs soaring above to the moss shielded valleys, make hiking mountain Rwenzori a rightly matchless experience. This is in addition to the twisting watercourses that craft an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ environment, that change through lots of biospheres as you scramble.
About Rwenzori Mountains National Park
During two breathless first days you move through tropical forests of gargantuan fig trees, that are chattered with blue monkeys, into the bamboo zone at 2,800 metres. With percussive accompaniment from stems rattling in the crosswinds, the ascent is steep so trekkers need a degree of fitness because of the heights. This is preferable for the summit push, but no technical climbing skills are required here.
Beyond a ridge joining Alexandra (5,091 metres) and Margherita Peaks, you scramble over frozen boulders to the summit. Upon seeing the sign welcoming you to Uganda’s highest point, you are welled up like in a ‘tearful celebrity’, intense joy mingling with fatigue. The clouds are clearer, revealing a panorama more complex and striking than you remember from Kilimanjaro’s volcanic rim. The peak is surrounded by glaciers and rocky peaks as you stare south down the Albertine Rift Valley to Lake George and west DRC. But for such moments standing fatigued and rather emotional at having conquered one of Africa’s greatest adventures. Don’t forget you might be the only summiteers that day.
The first 5 hours’ Rwenzori mountain climbing begins, after briefing, and then climbing with porters from the 1,615 meters Nyakalengijo to the 2,651 meters at Nyabitaba Hut. This shall be your first familiarity on the legendary ‘Mountains of the Moon’.
Rwenzori Mountain Climbing Experience
This trail commences by going through the farmland to the park periphery beyond which it trails the Mubuku River by crossing its Muhoma tributary before opening a long sharp ascent up into a huge crest to reach Nyabitaba hut. The hike takes about 5 hours. Take dinner and overnight stay at Nyabitaba Hut.
The second is a 7-hours climb where you will trek from Nyabitaba Hut (2,651m) to John Matte Hut (3,505 m), crossing the Kurt Shafer Bridge at Bujuku River passing via heath to Nyamileju hut for lunch. Continue the hike for 2 hours amidst steepness and rocky areas through the woodland, to John Matte Hut. This is an amazing trekking experience. Have dinner and overnight at John matte Hut.
On this day, the mountaineering experience is challenging because of mud as you climb from John Matte Hut to Bujuku Hut (3,962m), which is the base of Mount Speke. This zone offers a great outlook of Mount Speke, Mount Baker and Mount Stanley and Lake Bujuku. This trek can sometimes last 4 – 5 hours.
Climbing Rwenzori to the Top
When you reach this point, you will make a choice on whether to climb to the highest summit or carry on with the circuit. However, hiking to Margherita peak is done from Elena hut (4,541 m) and this is about 4 hours trek from Bujuku. Enjoy and overnight stay and dinner at Bujuku Hut.
Begin the day with a morning hike from Bujuku hut, taking a trajectory that continues up a vertical rock slope over Scott Elliot (4,372m), the uppermost point on the central circuit. This trail offers magnificent sights back down to Bujuku valley and that of Mount Stanley and Mount Baker soaring above. The trek finishes at the hut besides the lower Lake Kitandara, a good-looking spot encircled by towering mountain ops. Take dinner and overnight at Kitandara Hut.
On this day, you get on yet another puzzling sharp trekking experience starting from Kitandara Hut to Guy Yeoman Hut (3,505m). It lasts around 5 hours to reach the fresh field path (4,282m) with the attractive falls at Kabumba cave along the way, to sum up an exciting scramble on Uganda’s highest mountain range. Stay overnight with a dinner at Guy Yeoman Hut. The hut enjoys an attractive position close to Mubuku River with awesome views of forthcoming Mount Baker to the north.