10 Days Rwenzori Mountain Climbing Trip

Begin your journey with an early breakfast then briefing by our experienced safari guide and later embark on the trip to Kasese through Kibale Forest National Park-the primate adventure Capital of Uganda and make a stopover in Fort Portal for lunch at Gardens restaurant. Thereafter proceed to Kasese enjoying fascinating gradients of Mount Rwenzori enroute.

On arrival in Kibale Forest National Park, you will check in at your accommodation as you wait for dinner for dinner and night fall. You can choose to take a community walk or rest for the day.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & Dinner

Accommodation at: Hotel Margarita Hotel

After your early breakfast transfer from Kasese town to Nyakalengija. Arriving at Nyakalengija in 30 minutes and proceed to the trail starting point for briefing about the Rwenzori Mountain climbing activity.

The trail begins by passing through farmland to the Rwenzori National Park boundary beyond which it follows a thick forest along the Mubuku River, crossing its Mahoma River tributary before starting a long, steep climb up onto a massive ridge to reach Nyabitaba hut. During this part of the trip you may hear welcoming notes from primates like Chimpanzees, sight the Black and White colobus without missing the Blue Monkeys.

The hike takes an average of 6 -7 hours.

Meal Plan: Lunch & dinner

Overnight: Nyabitaba camp

Wake up with the sounds of nature from different parts of the surrounding jungle like birds, insects - have your breakfast and embark on your hike From Nyabitaba following the trail that drops down through the forest to the Kurt Shafer Bridge, just below the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. Passing through the bamboo forest, traverse through a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rock. From the Nyamuleju rock shelter, Mount Stanley and Mount Speke can be seen before passing into the zone of the giant heather, lobelia and groundsel. Finally reach John Matte Hut after passing through the tiring bog, for dinner and overnight at the hut.

The hike takes an average of 7 - 8 hours.

After your breakfast, proceed from John Matte Hut with the trail that 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 below. The upper Bigo bog gives way to Bujuku Lake, with views of Mt Baker to the South and Mt Stanley to the West. Bujuku Hut, well located in the shadow of Mount Baker and Mount Speke, is set in a narrow valley below Stuhlmann Pass. This camp is good for acclimatization for clients attempting the summits of peaks Mount Stanley and Mount Speke.

Overnight: Bujuku Hut

Leaving Bujuku, the trail takes you through more marshland while climbing the steep slopes West of the Lake and through the magical and forest of Groundsel Gully. Turn to your right up to Elena Hut and Mount Stanley on a steep trail over large boulders, while the trail on your left leads to Scott-Elliot Pass and down to Kitandara Lakes the trail on he left leads those who are not climbing Margherita Peak to Kitandara Hut. Those climbing the peak will have their Dinner and overnight at the coolly and Icy Elena Hut.

Very early in the morning after your breakfast, you attempt climbing the highest peak, Margherita of Mount Stanley. To reach the summit of Margherita, the climb takes about 4 -5 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. Climbing on to the Glaciers, 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. The descend from Margherita peak back to Elena Hut will take you about 2 – 3hours.

After your lunch at Elena hut, descend to the Scott-Elliot pass (4372m asl.), where there are spectacular views of Bujuku Lake and Mount Speke. After, the trail passes you through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend past the Kitandara Lakes for dinner and overnight at the Kitandara camp.

After your breakfast, proceed from Kitandara and 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 the Fresh Field Pass 4282 meters above sea level (Asl). 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 high alpine mossy. There after start the descend through steep rocky trails and the rock shelter at Bujongolo-the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906 and then an overnight at Guy yeoman camp.

The hike takes an average of 6 – 7 hours.

After your early breakfast embark on your trip with the that route descends the cliffs of Kichuchu below Guy Yeoman camp. Proceed with the muddy path that crosses the Mubuku River twice through a bamboo forest beyond Kichuchu- before climbing downwards to Nyabitaba to complete the circuit.

Continue descending Nyabitaba Camp and complete your trek by the evening at Nyakalengija, the base camp.

The descent takes 7 – 8 hours

After breakfast you can choose to experience the other side of the Western Uganda and take the Mbarara -Maska route through Queen Elizabeth National Park or proceed to Kampala via Fort portal tourism city and Kibale Forest National Park.

End of the trip.