8 Days Margherita Peak Summit – Rwenzori Mountains Central Circuit Trail

You will be welcomed by an experienced and professional tour guide of Rwenzori Mountaineering Service and start the journey to drive to kasese town which is the next biggest town to Rwenzori Mountains national park , lunch will be en-route as it will be advised by the safari guide. The journey is like to take you around 7-8 hours and Dinner and overnight is planned to be at Ruboni Community Camp or Equator Snow Hotel.

After breakfast at the camp, you will go to RMS headquarters where you will be briefed about the whole hike. Start the hike from Nyakalengija through the Bakonzo settlements to mount Rwenzori national park gate where you will be registered before entering the park. You will start the central circuit trail trek through the thick tropical with high elephant grass and dense bushes.

This forest is a home to various animal species like forest elephant, chimpanzee, hyrax, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, duiker, and three horned chameleon among many more. Some of the bird species include; Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Long-eared Owl, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Strange Weaver, Archers’ Robin-chat, Rwenzori Batis among many others as well as various tree and plant species. You will expect to see some of them.

It’s about 8km from Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba hut. Dinner and overnight at Nyabitaba hut.

Have breakfast at the hut, you will move through thick shrubs and forest for about 30 minutes to the Kurt Shafer bright which is at the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. You will then move though the bamboo mixed with montane forests and slippery moss covered rocks for a couple of hours. As you hike you will also expect to see various bird species that live in the forest.

You will continue to move up to Nyamulejju rock shelter where the first hikers used to at times camp and also spend the night, you will have a stopover here for lunch. At this point you will have a view of mount Stanley and mount Speke if the weather is clear. You will then continue to move through the alpine forest to John Matte hut where you will have dinner and spend the night.

The hut is near river Bujuku and most hikers take a bath there, the water is so cold but so refreshing as well. You will also have a view of the Margherita glacier which is on mount Stanley between Alexandra and Margherita peaks. Nyabitaba to John Matte is about 11km.

After breakfast at the hut, you will cross river Bujuku and through forest to the lower Bigo bog. This is a swampy area in a valley and is a home to the giant lobelias. This area used to be hardest part of the Rwenzori since the area is so boggy, jumping from one tussock to another was not so easy for most hikers more so females.

Currently, there is a walk board up to the end of the boggy area which makes the walk much easier for trekkers. As you move you will expect to see giant lobelias, everlasting flowers and groundsels. You will then take a steep hike along a ridge which will lead you to the start of the upper Bigo bog. There is also a board walk up to Lake Bujuku.

After the board walk you will try to move through the remaining small boggy area with no walk boards to Bujuku hut. At this point, you will have a view of Lake Bujuku, mount Speke, Mount Baker and mount Stanley. At this point you are able to ascend mount Speke and mount Stanley. Distance from John matte to Bujuku is about 5km. Dinner and overnight at Bujuku.

Leave Bujuku hut to a newly newer trail. This trail raises and falls twice before finally climbing steeply through magical moss draped groundsel vegetation about 14,345 ft (4,372 m) to Scott Elliot Pass. While at the steepest section a short strong ladder after which a right hand branch will lead to Elena Hut 14,700 ft (4,430 m) .

It is the steep rocky trail which when hot can be slippery. You will then continue straight, a few steps below the pass, there is a sheltered spot for a very good break before Elena Hut. It is the base camp for climbing 16,763 feet and 5,109m to margherita peak in the Mt.Stanly Complex and requires an additional day. In case the weather is bad, the rain, snow and wind can occur in any season.

If you are aiming at Margherita peak (5109m), you will continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier. To reach the summit of Margherita, it will take you about 5-7 hours depending on the weather conditions and the pace of climbing this mountain. This tough walk takes you over three glaciers, slippery rock, ice and very exposed areas which are open on many sides.

Note that this climb is for only physically fit and technical climbers. Climbing on to the glacier,cross the Stanley Plateau and proceed with the ascent. Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and coolly weather, scramble up to the summit of Margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzori’s. Given the high altitude and the tough conditions even if you do not reach the peak, don’t get disappointed.

Prepare for you return through the Scott-Elliot pass, where there are spectacular views back to Bujuku Lake and Mount Speke and down to the Kitandara Lakes. After the trail that passes you through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend past the Kitandara Lakes for dinner and overnight stay at the Kitandara Hut

Today, from Guy Yeoman, take on the trail that ascends steeply up the headwall, spreading out from the base of Mount Baker and continuing along the south side of the mountain to Fresh field Pass. 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 at Bujongolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906. Overnight at Ruboni Community bands

The guide will pick you up from the camp in the morning after your breakfast then drive back to Kampala or to the airport for your flight back home.