Rwenzori Mountain National Park
The Rwenzori Mountains are one of the world’s most thrilling and technical mountain ranges to hike. A unique and enchanting realm of 996 square kilometers of fantasy vegetation, lakes, rocky outcrops, cliffs, towering glaciers, and snow-capped summits exists. The summits may not be as tall as larger mountains elsewhere in the globe; the highest point – Mount Stanley’s Margherita Peak – is 5,109 meters. However, their isolated position, variable weather conditions, strikingly diversified vegetation, remoteness, vistas, and low tourist numbers combine to excite daring trekkers seeking a really unique experience.
The Rwenzori Mountains became a national park in 1991, a World Heritage Site in 1994, and a Ramsar site in 2008. These designations attest to the mountains’ international scientific significance. The name ‘Rwenzori’ approximately translates as ‘Rainmaker,’ emphasizing the mountains’ significance in Central Africa.
The environment is moist since the mountains get more than 3 meters of rain every year. This results in luxuriant flora on the lower slopes and snow and ice on the upper levels. Despite the fact that glaciers have receded dramatically over the previous century owing to climate change, climbers during the rainy season will still have to cross ice barriers and substantial snowfall to reach the peaks.
Our Top Safaris
Trekking the Rwenzori Mountains
The Rwenzoris must be explored on foot, and you must be physically fit and accustomed to endurance sports. Margherita Peak has just been classified as a technical climb, and while you don’t need to be an expert climber to summit it, some prior expertise is suggested. From ‘peak baggers’ to birders looking to track down the region’s rare species, a wide range of treks ranging from one to twelve days are offered. Routes can also be extended for private groups to allow for additional time acclimating to the altitude or simply enjoying the calm, isolation, and beauty of the highlands.
The hiking trails
The Rwenzori peaks may be reached by two hiking circuits: The Central Circuit from Nyakalengija and the Southern Circuit from Kilembe. While Professor Scott Elliott pioneered the Southern Circuit in 1895, it was the Central Circuit, pioneered by Luigi di Savoia in 1906, that gave the only access to the highlands for many years.
Which Hike is best for me?
Unlike other famous African hiking sites, the Rwenzori is a mountain range, thus there are several paths to choose from. One of the advantages of hiking in the Rwenzoris is that the routes are often longer than those of other high-altitude climbs such as Kilimanjaro, giving you more time to acclimate and lowering your risk of altitude sickness. If you want to truly stretch your legs and have some experience trekking at high altitudes, you may try any of the Rwenzoris’ high-altitude paths. These hikes are among the greatest in the world. Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley is the crown gem; at 5,109 meters, it is Uganda’s highest peak. The Rwenzoris are one of only three spots in Africa with permanent glaciers. You’ll have to climb through ice and snow to reach the peak. The summit hike is challenging, requiring the use of crampons, ropes, and belays.
Most persons with reasonable fitness and some altitude hiking experience will be comfortable on low-altitude climbs. The Rwenzori paths are lengthy, which allows you to acclimate as you travel. People, on the other hand, may climb Kilimanjaro (5,895m) in 4.5 days, starting from just 1,000 meters, putting them at a significantly higher danger of altitude sickness.
Accommodation in the Rwenzori Mountains
The Rwenzori Trekkers Hostel in Kyanjuki Village, 12 kilometers from Kasese, is the finest site to start and conclude a hiking tour on the Kilembe Southern Circuit. The hostel, a well-renovated former copper mine building, overlooks the deep Nyamwamba river valley and boasts spectacular views of the Rwenzori Mountains. It enjoys a wonderful climate even in January and February due to its elevation of 1,450 meters. Another popular alternative for the night before the trip is to stay at the Sandton Hotel in Kasese and then transport to Kilembe the next morning. You will be briefed by your guides upon arrival before commencing the trip to Sine Camp.
On the central circuit, the Rwenzori base camp located in Kyakalengejja acts as a base camp for the hikers. The stream of clear water coming down from the mountain offers a beautiful white noise during your stay at the camp.
On the mountain, hikers are accommodated in specially built wooden huts, which are ideal for keeping out the elements and storing supplies needed for different stages of the walk. The hikes are fully catered for, with as much fresh food as possible used to suit the energy and hydration requirements of high-altitude hiking.
The Rwenzori Mountain Huts
A summary of the camps in the Rwenzoris. Each camp is made up of communal wooden huts with outside toilets and showers.
- Camp Samilira (3,170m)
- Mutinda Camp • Kiharo Camp (3,588m)
- Camp Kalalama (3,134m)
- Sine Hut’s (2,596m)
- Camp Bugata (4,062m)
- Hunwick’s Camp and Butawu Camp (3,974m)
- Camp Margherita (4,485m)
When Should You Visit Rwenzori?
Trekking in the Rwenzoris is feasible all year. You should be prepared for a mix of sun, rain, muck, fog, ice, and snow at any time of year. However, the months of late June to early September, and again from late December to the end of February, have reduced rainfall, therefore tourist numbers surge around this time.
It’s also worth noting that the wetter months bring more rain lower down the slopes, but more snow higher up, adding to the already magical experience of hiking in the Rwenzoris.
Flora
Apart from the high alpine views, the mountain flora has a significantly bigger impression on visitors than the indigenous wildlife. Water is everywhere: cloudy, thick in the mist, overflowing mountain streams, and reflecting lakes. Below 4,000 meters, temperatures seldom surpass 15 degrees Celsius and remain above freezing. This signifies that life is flourishing and the plants are spectacular. The lobelia is enormous; heather grows over the valleys; and brightly colored moss crawls across gnarled trees wrapped in lichen. A walk will take you through several vegetation altitudinal zones, each with its unique microclimate, flora, and animals.
The Rwenzoris have five primary vegetation belts:
- Zone of Afromontane vegetation: 1765m – 2600m
- Bamboo zone: 2600m – 3000m
- Heather zone: 3000-3800m
- Moorland (Afro-Alpine zone): 3800-4500m
- Rocky glacier: 4500m or higher
The Afro-montane forest is the most diverse, covering slopes between 1,800m and 2,500m. Large mature trees push to form a canopy, with dense thickets filling in the gaps. From 2,500 to 3,000 meters in elevation, the thick forest opens up to bamboo stands, leaves cover the ground in dense litter, and flowers appear only once every 30 years.
Above here, until you reach 4,000 meters, you enter the heather zone. Usnea beard lichens and Sphagnum moss are abundant, while coral pink orchids puncture the ground. Large tussocks cover the bottoms of bog-wet valleys. The alpine zone, over 4,000 meters, is home to the enormous groundsel, Senecio adnivalis, and the Lobelia wollastonii. After 4,300m, the flora thins down until just moss, lichen, and a few ‘Everlasting’ plants remain. The plants found over 3,800 meters belong to some of the world’s most enigmatic botanical groupings.
Fauna
The vegetation zones on the mountain are home to 70 animal species and 177 bird species. Elephants, chimps, Rwenzori otters, and leopards are among the animals. Despite their presence, they are rarely observed due to the deep forest. Primate species such as colobus (Angola and black-and-white versions are thought to exist), blue monkeys, and tiny antelope such as bushbucks are easier to see, as are uncommon reptiles such as the three-horned chameleon.
Several of the bird species here are Albertine Rift endemics, making the Rwenzoris an Important Birding Area. (IBA). The greatest diversity is found in the montane forest where you may see the Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis, Long-eared Owl, Archers’ Robin-chat, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Slender-billed Starling, White-starred Robin, Greenbuls, Apalises, Golden-winged Sunbird, Montane Sooty Boubou, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Blue-headed Sunbird, Barred Long-tailed CuckooStrange Weaver and several varieties of Barbets, IIladopsis, Flycatchers and Crimson wings.
How to Get to the Rwenzori Mountains
The city of Kasese is the closest built-up location to the Rwenzori Mountains. Kasese is accessible by air from Entebbe, with daily flights lasting slightly more than an hour. Daily flights leave Entebbe at 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. perfectly aligning with hiking departures. Every day at 10:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., the return flight departs Kasese. The flight lasts roughly one hour. The road trip from Entebbe/Kampala through Fort Portal, on the other hand, takes 6-8 hours
The highlands may also be reached by public bus from the capital Kampala. The bus leaves Kampala every hour and costs about 50,000 UGX (about $14 USD). We recommend using the Link Bus or the Kalita Transporters bus. You may take a cab from Kasese to Kilembe for 40,000 UGX. The whole transfer duration is around 10 hours.
Treks in the Rwenzoris begin at the Kilembe Trekkers Hostel. (also known as Rwenzori Backpackers Hostel Kyanjuki). The excursions begin at 8:00 a.m. with a briefing from the guides. Kasese is 12 kilometers away from the accommodation. (30-40 minutes by road).
The trip up from Queen Elizabeth National Park takes around an hour. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (home of the mountain gorillas) is roughly a six-hour journey from Kampala.
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