Mount Speke

Mount Speke is the second highest of the Rwenzori's six massifs, reached from the Bujuku valley on the Central Circuit side of the range. Its principal summit is commonly cited at around 4,890 metres — we flag that figure as widely cited rather than independently verified, in keeping with our policy of not repeating a number until we can source it ourselves.

What distinguishes it

Speke sits directly on the classic Central Circuit route, which means trekkers pass close beneath it days before any decision about summiting anything is made. Unlike Margherita, reaching Speke's summit does not require glacier travel in the way the Stanley massif does, though the approach is a genuine scramble over broken, often wet rock rather than a straightforward walk.

The massif carries its own named summit points, again dating from the Duke of Abruzzi's 1906 survey — the naming pattern across the range consistently reflects that expedition's Italian royal and expedition-member associations.

Who climbs it

Speke tends to attract two kinds of trekker: those doing the twelve-day all-peaks expedition, for whom it is one stop among six massifs, and independently minded parties who want a genuine Rwenzori summit away from the Margherita crowds without committing to ice work.Ask us about the current state of the scramble when you enquire.

Access

Reached via the Central Circuit, from camps in the Bujuku valley. It is not accessible from the Kilembe Trail side without first crossing onto the Central Circuit route.