The Rwenzori Mountains Trekking is Africa’s best kept Amazing secret trek, it ranks as one of the top ten “best Iconic things” to do in East Africa. The Rwenzori Mountains hiking can be undertaken in the range of mountains in the Albertine Rifft valley of East Africa. The mountain range runs for about 130 km north to south along the border between western Uganda and the eastern DRC. The Mountains Rwenzori has famously been termed for long as the “Mountains of the Moon“, for centuries the moniker has been synonymous with the Rwenzori due to its unique flora and unearthly beauty.
The Rwenzori Mountain trekking experience offers a stunning destination for experienced mountaineers, and is perfect for adventure travelers. It’s tucked away in the remote and sparsely populated western part of the country. Consequently offering visitors a quiet and untouched corner of incredible natural beauty and diversity to explore, these are still by far the biggest glaciers in Africa.
The unique landscape of the mountain Rwenzori hike range is outstanding, you get to climb from tropical rainforest, through alphine valleys to glaciers. The ascent to the challenging Margherita (5,109m), Africa’s 3rd highiest mountain will see you encounter demanding ascent with muddy conditions and variable weather on your Mountain Rwenzori Uganda safari trek, murchison falls safari or a kenya gorilla trekking safari.
The Rwenzori Mountain vegetation is wild, unique and varied, and there are birds and animals living in the forest that can be found nowhere else on earth. The jungle-filled valleys are regular shrouded in mist, while the highest mount is perennially covered in snow (even though its sits near the equator). The views in all directions are absolutely breathtaking as you undertake to trek the Rwenzori Mountains!
Your 3 Days Mountain Rwenzori Trekking Johnmaate Camp (3,505m) will see you walk through Nyabitaba Camp (2,650m) from Nyakalengija (1,650m).
Book today the most expeditious nature walk while in the Rwenzori mountains for 4 Days in the Mutinda Lockout to experience the wilderness of Rwenzori mountains national park.
Are you thinking of hiking rwenzori mountains range, the Nature walk in the Mahoma trail is the perfect and the most expeditious nature walk along the range.
Your 6 day trek to Hunwick’s Camp takes you through the Montane Forest up through the Bamboo Zone to the Heather Zone and across the Alpine Zone to Bugata Camp at 4,062m.
Looking to adventure Weismann Peak in Rwenzori Mountains National Park? This Expeditions is tailored for a 6 days Rwenzori Mountaineering tour to climb up to Weismann on your Uganda Safari Tour.
Are you planning for a combined safari trek to the Rwenzori Mountains and Kibale Forest National Park on a Uganda Holiday? This 6 Days offers a chimpanzee Tracking adventure and a visit to the Rwenzori Mountains.
Planning for an expedition to trek Rwenzori mountains and enjoy gorilla watching in either Bwindi Forest or Mgahinga National Park in Uganda? Book the most discounted Rwenzori mountain trek & safari.
8 Days Climbing rwenzori Mountain or 7 Days climb Rwenzori central circuit tour is adventure of life time, due to its good looks and remoteness. Basically, it maximizes the chances for summit success rate by many hikers.
Book an Adventurous trek either on group or private trek to Rwenzori Mountains with Destination company that offer trekking tours to Uganda’s Mountains of the moons using Kilembe trail.
Your 12 days trek takes you through all the 6 mountains of Rwenzori using the central circuit trail. You will hike to the top of mount Gessi, Emin, Speke, Stanley, Luigi Savoia and Baker, without missing the chance to reach Margherita Peak.
A combined visit to the gorillas and the Ruwenzori is the best expedition rewarding for a Uganda safari tour that can be booked with us to offer an ultimate unique adventure trips to Ruwenzori Mountains National Park.
While on this 14 days Magical Mother Nature Uganda safari, you will enjoy; a series of game drives through the different national parks, boat cruises, nature walks, birding and primate tracking to mention but a few.
When it comes to Mountain Trekking in Africa, it all rings at Mount Kilimanjaro. Forget the Kili Crowds, the Mountain Rwenzori Trek and Hike experience will offer glimpses of a vast array of spectacular plants, tress along the different 6 climate zones, birds, wildlife such as Forest Elephants, Leopards, giant forest hog, dear including endangered Rwenzori black-fronted or red duiker, a number of primate species such as blue monkeys, Angola colobus monkey, black-and-white colobus, I’Hoest’s monkeys and Chimpanzees some cute and rarely sighted birds in the Rwenzoris.
You also see tropical rainforest, waterfalls, and other incredible and unique flora, culminating in a high alpine environment like the Andes or Himalayas. The Rwenzori Mountains hike is not to be missed for its stunning beauty and outstanding array of habitats and ecosystems.
Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountain Trekking range is Africa’s top mountain trek destination, having three of the continent’s five highest peaks. The Mountain’s summits are spectacular, with uncrowded routes and the high-altitude forests that teems with life.
The 995 km² Rwenzori Mountains National Park was gazetted in 1991 and was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1994.The Rwenzori consists of six distinct mountains, Stanley, Speke, Baker, Emin, Gessi and Savioa. Mt Stanley’s 5109m Margherita Peak is the third highest point in Africa. The Rwenzori was named as the “Mountains of the Moon” by the Alexandrine geographer Ptolemy in AD 15O. The explorer Henry Stanley placed the Rwenzori on the modern map on the 24th May 1888. He labeled it ‘Ruwenzori’, a local name that he recorded as meaning “rain maker” or “cloud-king.” The oldest person to reach the Margherita Peak was Ms Beryl Park, aged 78!
Back in AD150, the geographer Ptolemy wrote of a snowcapped mountain range in the heart of Africa, which he claimed represented the source of the Nile and which he named. Montes Lunae – the Mountains of the Moon. Seventeen centuries passed before the explorer Henry Stanley located such a mountain in western Uganda and established that, though Lake Victoria is the primary source of the Nile, the great river is also supplied with equatorial meltwaters. Stanley mapped the range as ‘Rwenzori’, a local name that he recorded as meaning “rain maker” or “cloud-king.”
In the years since Stanley’s 1888 visit, the Rwenzori has become established as one of frica’s great mountaineering adventures, offering the chance to ascend snow peaks of the Rwenzori Ranges and walk on equatorial glaciers that represent the highest and most intriguing source of the Nile. Though the range is now established as the Rwenzori, the Mountains of the Moon tag remains apt for the higher contours are the domain of a weird and wonderful botany that imparts a distinctly alien feel. Unlike other regional mountains, moreover, the high Rwenzori really does feel like a place apart; after starting a trek, a week can pass without a glimpse of the real world that lies
beyond.
The Rwenzori range, which lies on the Uganda-Congo border on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley, measures approximately 110km long and 50km wide. The high Rwenzori bears six distinct mountains. Mt Stanley (5109m); Speke (4890m); Baker (4843m); Emin (4797m); Gessi (4715m) and Luigi da Savoia (4627m), all of which bear their own crown of peaks. Though its summit is only the third highest point in Africa, after the volcanic Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, the Rwenzori, which is an upfaulted block, is Africa’s highest mountain range.
Trails ascend to the peaks from Kilembe, Mihunga and Katebwa. Make no mistake; climbing the mountain is tough. Conditions are cold and wet, the terrain is steep and boggy and a week or more is needed to reach (and descend from) Mount Stanley. But with the help of local Bakonzo guides and porters, the mountain can be
climbed and the rewards are vast. Indeed your Rwenzori experience will likely rank among your most challenging and satisfying achievements.
There are two main hiking routes in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park.
The popular one is the Central Circuit Trail which may take about eight days to summit Mount Stanely and the Kilembe Route. The latter one has variations you can choose from while on your Rwenzori Mountains trekking adventure.
The route is managed by the Rwenzori Mountaineering Service and the local community that live adjacent to the mountain. This is the oldest trail that is used by the trekkers that would wish to hike the Rwenzori mountains and summit Magherita Peak.
It is the shortest trek to reach the Rwenzori Mountains peak. However there can be some variations on the trek route, the trail typically will take 6-7 days to reach the peak and descend back.
This is the newest trail for summiting Mountain Rwenzori and it is managed by the Rwenzori Trekking Services. The trail takes its route beginning in Kilembe in the south-east, and later joining the central circuit at the Kitandara Lakes. This routes takes quite longer days to summit, usually 7-9 days depending on the hiker’s strength. This makes the route longer than the Rwenzori Central Circuit route for your Rwenzori trekking.
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Day 1: Nyakalengija (1650) to Nyabitaba camp (2650m)
Start the day by approaching the Rwenzori mountaineering reservation officer early in the morning in order to hire equipments if so and arrange for guides, chef and porters at once hiking starts from the park gates to Nyabitaba a distance of 7 km takes 5-6 hours and an ascent of 1200 meters for the first day on the Rwenzori mountains hike.
The trail at the beginning goes through homes and fields progressing through high elephant grasses and dense bush. You will climb over cliffs and bluffs crossing river mahoma then ascending steeply into Nyabitaba camp. Certain animals can be spotted such as the white and black colobus monkeys, three horned chameleon and the Rwenzori Turaco birds.
Stay an overnight at the Nyabitaba Camp.
Day 2: Nyabitaba (2650)m to Johnmaate camp (3505)m
From Nyabitaba you descend to your right follow the trail that drops down through the forest for a half an hour to the Kurt Shafer bridge, just before the confluence of the mubuku and Bujuku rivers.
This Rwenzori mountains trek walk is an easy going for a couple of hours passing through the bamboo forest and then becomes more difficult kind of like spelunking, traverse through a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rocks. From the nyamileju rock shelter, mount Stanley and speke can be seen before passing into the zone of the giant Heather, lobelia and groundsel.
Finally reach Johnmaate camp after passing through the tiring bog. While here, high chances of catching the nice views of mount Stanley and margherita glacier of the Rwenzori Mountains range.
Dinner and overnight at the Johnmaate Hut.
Day 3: Johnmaate camp (3505)m to Bujuku camp (3900)m
From Johnmaate camp the trail drops down to cross the Bujuku river and enters lower bigo bog, the home of giant lobelias, jumping from tussock to tussock. The bog is finally crossed but rarely without the feet sampling some of the freezing ooze, continuing on rwenzori trekking to the upper bigo bog you will follow the Bujuku river that sometimes runs underground from lake Bujuku, with views of mount Baker to the South and mount Stanley to the west.
Bujuku hut is well located in the shadows of mount Baker and Speke, set in a narrow valley below Stulman Pass.
Dinner and an overnight at Bujuku Hut.
Day 4: Bujuku hut (3900)m to Elena hut (4541)m
Leaving Bujuku on the forth day for the Rwenzori Trek, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing up the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical groundsel gully as it ascends to Scot Eliot pass at 4372m. At the head of the gully a metal ladder takes you over a steep section after which the trail is divided into two.
The trail on your right leads up to Elena hut and mount Stanley on a steep trail over large boulders. While the trail on your left leads to Scott Eliot pass and down to Kitandara lakes,the trail on the left leads those who are not climbing margherita peak. Those climbing up the peak will have their dinner and overnight at the coolly and icy Elena hut.
Day 5: Elena hut (4541)m to to margherita peak (5109)m and back to Kitandara lakes camp (4022)m
For those aiming at reaching margherita peak, continue to the base of Stanley glacier. To reach the summit of margarita, the climb takes about 5-7 hours depending on the weather conditions and the pace of climbing this mountain. This tough walk takes you through over three glaciers, slippery Rock, ice and very exposed areas which are open on many sides. Note that this Rwenzori mountains trek climb is for only physically fit and technical climbers.
Climbing on to the Rwenzori Mountains glaciers, cross the Stanley plateau and proceed with the ascent. Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and colly weather. Scramble up to the summit of margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzori mountain trekking range. Given the high altitude and the tough conditions even if you don’t reach the peak, don’t get disappointed. Prepare for your return through the Scot Eliot pass where there are spectacular views of the Bujuku lake, mount Speke, mount Stanley and down the Kitandara lakes.
After the trail that passes you through the Alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend passed the Kitandara hut for dinner and an overnight at Kitandara Lakes Camp.
Day 6: Kitandara Lakes Camp 4022m to Guyeoman Camp 3505m.
The trail trail ascend steeply up the headwall, spreading out from the base of mount Baker and continuing along the Southside of the Rwenzori mountain to fresh field pass 4280m. At this point you can view into the Congo to the west and mount Stanley to the north. From the pass, take on the long trail passing the rock shelter of bujongolo the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906.
Overnight at Guyeoman Camp.
Day 7: Guyeoman 3505m to Nyabitaba camp 2560m
The descend to Nyabitaba takes around 6-7 hours but with an early start and it’s possible to make it all the way down to nyakalengija.
Below Guyeoman, the route descends the cliffs of Kichuchu and takes you through the bamboo forest zones down to Nyabitaba for either dinner and an over night or lunch and continue down to Nyakalengija for hot showers. This marks the end of your Rwenzori mountains trekking adventure in Uganda.
For the first time, there is a luxurious lodge accommodation at the foothills of Rwenzori Mountains Trek, built parallel to the Mubuku River and surrounded by the exceptional eco-system of the Rwenzori Mountains range.
Ruboni Community Camp is a tourist accommodation in the beautiful foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains trekking circuit, overlooking the high Portal Peaks. It’s fully owned and operated by the local community.
Sandton Hotel is a home away from home located in the heart of Kasese business town along Rwenzori Street. From Entebbe via Fort Portal, its 393 km a 4 hrs. From Kasese to Queen Elizabeth National Park its 25 km a 30 minutes’ drive.
This is midrange facility that is set along the scenic Lake George shores just near Queen Elizabeth National Park within Muhokya and near Kahendero fishing village over viewing the stunning Rwenzori Mountain ranges.
Mihunga lodge is set at Nyakalengija (Mihunga village) thus offering the best base for you to kick start your hike to the Rwenzori Mountain range. It is run by Rwenzori Mountaineering Services and has about five en-suite wooden cottages.
A basic accommodation facility set adjacent Rwenzori Mountain range operated by community and comes with the best Bandas together with camping site. It features bar, restaurant, eco-san toilet & showers in the campsite.
Hotel Margherita is situated some few kilometers west of Kasese town, Western Uganda in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains Range otherwise known as the “Mountains of the Moon”.
Trekkers Hostel is just 12km from Kasese at Kyanjuki village, Kilembe. Is a popular place to begin and end your Rwenzori mountains trek, and it offers spectacular views of the Nyamwamba river and the Rwenzori Mountains.
Khaman Africa is your ultimate choice for a satiating safari tour in the ‘Pearl of Africa’ – Uganda.