9 Days 8 Nights Mt Ruwenzori Hiking/Trekking in Uganda
The Rwenzoris, or the “Mountains of the Moon”, have a celebrated beauty. Shrouded almost perpetually in mist, they have a seducing, eerie quality that led to many wondrous tales about them through the ages. Rwenzori is known primarily for its challenging hiking and climbing possibility with a unique among East African Mountains. Rwenzori is not Volcanic in Origin, but it rises directly from the Rift valley floor. Its range also supports a diversity of animals
including mammals and about 177 bird species, with several being Albertine Rift Endemics. It’s the highest mountain range in Africa, with its Loftiest peaks, Margherita (5,109m) and Alexandra (5083m) on Mount Stanley, are exceeded in altitude elsewhere in Africa only by Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya.
Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Entebbe – Rwenzori Mountain National Park
After breakfast and the briefing we will take off to the Rwenzori Mountain National Park (also known as the Mountains of the Moon). The drive will take approx. 7 hours.You will have lunch in Fort Portal and then continue to Mihunga for overnight.The equatorial snow peaks include the third highest point in Africa; Margherita (5109
metres), Alexandria (5083 metres) and Albert (5087 metres)
Dinner and overnight at Mihunga Lodge (FB)
Day 2: Trek to Nyabitaba (2650 metres)
We will start the trek to Nyakalengija trail head (1600 metres) where the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) will provide and informative briefing prior to commencing the trek. Our trek will take us past Bakonjo homesteads dwarfed by steep foothills and banana plantations. We will follow the trail along the Mubuku River to then cross
the Mahoma River before steadily climbing through Podocarpus Forest.
Dinner and overnight at Nyabitaba Hut (2650 metres)
Day 3: Trek to John Matte Hut (3350 metres)
We will depart Nyabitaba early after a substantive breakfast. We will follow a small trail dropping down through the forest to the Kurt Shafer Bridge, just below the convergence of the Bujuku and Mubuku Rivers. The forest gradually turns into a bamboo zone where the trail is slippery and moss covered. A zone of the giant heather, lobelia and groundsel vegetation emerges before the Nyamileju rock shelter before traversing a bog to the hut.
Dinner and overnight at John Matte Hut (3350 metres)
Day 4: Trek to Bujuku Hut (2900 metres)
The trail crashes down to cross the Bujuku River and enters Lower Bigo Bog, home of giant lobelias. We will cross the bog to the Upper Bog before continuing to Lake Bujuku where views of the highest mountain can be seen.
Dinner and overnight at Bujuku Hut (3900 metres)
Day 5: Trek to Elena Hut
After Bujuku, we will climb the boggy trail up the slopes west of the lake, passing through the paranormal groundsel gully and then ascend to the Scott Elliott Pass (4372 metres). A metal ladder will take you oven an extremely steep section after which the trail branches; the right one leads up to Elena Hut and Mt. Stanley over a steep rocky trail, the left leads to the Scott Elliot Pass and down to Lake Kitandara.
Dinner and overnight at Elena Hut (4541 metres)
Day 6: Ascent to Mt. Stanley (5109 metres) to Kitandara Hut (4027 metres)
For those who do not wish to climb the peak, a more restful day walking from Elena Hut (4541 metres) to Lake Kitandara (4023 metres). For those who wish, but also depending on altitude sickness, visibility, climbing ability we will climb a further three hours to Margherita peak (5109 metres) and later down to Kitandara Hut. We will trek to the Elena glacier before moving on to the Stanley Plateau. We will climb and scramble to the Margherita summit, the highest point of the Rwenzori. The use of crampons and ropes may be necessary. We will need to be prepared for a tough, arduous time in the mountains. We will then return to the Scott Elliot pass, view the magical Bujuku Lake and Mt. Speke at a distance and will then continue down to Lake Kitandara.
Dinner and overnight at Kitandara Hut
Day 7: Trek to Guy Yeopman Hut (3260 metres)
After breakfast we will climb from the base of Mt. Baker to the south side of the mountain to the Fresh Field Pass (4280 metres). From there we can view the Congo to the west, Mt. Stanley to the north. From the pass, the boggy trail will continue downwards, passing the rock shelter at Bujangalo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906.
Dinner and overnight at Guy Yeoman Hut (3262 metres)
Day 8: Trek to Nyakalengija Trail Head (1600m ASL)
The trail to Nyabitaba Hut can be muddy and very slippery under foot. Dinner and overnight Nyakalengija trail head.
Day 9: Return to Entebbe
END OF SAFARI