This safari starts and finishes in Kampala.
"The entire length of the range burst out of the cloudy darkness . . . a giant among the mountains, the melting snow of whose tops has been for some 50 centuries most vital to the peoples of Egypt" - Henry Morton Stanley.
The Rwenzoris, or the Mountains of the Moon, so named by the Hellenic astronomer Ptolemy, have a legendary beauty. They were explored and mapped out by Henry Morton Stanley, Emin Pasha and Prince Luigi Amedeo di Savoia. At the centre of the range are six peaks capped with ice and snow and three glaciers. The mountains - about 120 km long - were forced up during the creation of the Great Rift Valley. The highest peak of Mount Stanley is Margherita, which rises to 5,109m, the third highest in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya.
The best time to climb the mountain is from June through to August and from December to February.
Itinerary
DAY 1
Arrive Entebbe airport. Meet, greet and drive on to Kasese, via Queen Elizabeth National Park. Set off on the southbound road; look at royal drum makers, stand on the Equator and be in both hemispheres at once, bargain at the roadside markets bursting with fruit and vegetables. Continue to the escarpment overlooking the Great Rift Valley. An unforgettable sight, with the Rwenzori Mountains acting as a majestic backdrop. [Approximate driving time: 5 hours].
Overnight: Margherita Hotel, Kasese.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
DAY 2
Begin the climb - to Nyaitaba Hut (2650m). After breakfast drive to Nyakalengija trailhead (1600m). Make final arrangements for a guide and porters. Begin hiking up to Nyabitaba hut. Walk through the banana shambas on the side of the steep foothills, past the typical Bakonjo homesteads with the children waving you on! Follow the trail along the Mubuku River, through landslides and up and down rocks and bluffs. Cross the Mahoma River and climb steeply through bracken fern slopes and
Podocarpus forest to Nyabitaba Hut for overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
DAY 3
To John Matte Hut (3350m). The trail from Nyabitaba drops down through the forest to the Kurt Shafer Bridge, just below the confluence of the Bujuku and Mubuku Rivers. A steep ascent through bamboo forest, traversing a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rock. From Nyamileju rock shelter, on clear days, Mts Stanley and Speke can be glimpsed before passing into the zone of the giant heather, lobelia and groundsel. The final stretch to the hut is across a tiring bog, the first of many for which the mountain is infamous.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
DAY 4
To Bujuku Hut (3900m). Immediately after John Matte Hut, the trail drops down to cross the Bujuku River and enters Lower Bigo Bog, 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 for climbing Mts Baker and Speke, is set in a narrow valley below Stuhlmann Pass and even for the Rwenzoris it can be cold.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 5
To Elena Hut (4541m). Leaving Bujuku, through more bog, the trail climbs the slopes west of the lake, passing through the magical Groundsel Gully as it ascends to Scott-Elliot Pass at 4372m. At the head of the gully a metal ladder takes you over a steep section after which the trail branches, the right leads up to Elena Hut and Mt Stanley over a steep rocky trail, while the left leads to Scott-Elliot Pass and down to Kitandara Lakes. The Elena Hut, at the base of the Stanley Glacier, depending on the weather and individual’s acclimatisation, is about a three hour walk from the summit of Margherita.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 6
For those who wish, climb the peak up to Margherita (5109m) and later down to Kitandara Hut (4023m). Climb on to the glacier, moving on to the Stanley Plateau. Subject to altitude sickness, fog and weather, scramble up to the summit of Margherita, crown of the Rwenzoris. Crampons and roping up may well be necessary. Not everyone will make it so do not be disappointed if you don't. Returning to Scott-Elliot pass, there are spectacular views back to Bujuku Lake and Mt Speke, up to Mt Stanley and down to the Kitandara Lakes. Once over the pass the trail enters an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders. Descend to the Kitandara Hut for overnight, past the Kitandara Lakes. (For those who do not wish to climb the peak, a more restful day walking from Elena Hut to Kitandara.)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 7
To Guy Yeoman Hut (3260m). From Kitandara, the trail ascends steeply up the headwall, spreading out from the base of Mt Baker and continuing along the south side of the mountain to Fresh field Pass. On a clear day there are views into the Congo to the west and Mt Stanley to the north. From the pass, the long muddy descent continues, passing the rock shelter at Bujangolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 8
To Nyabitaba (2650m). The path down can be slippery and muddy with little to hold on to and requires careful balancing over the vertical mud or steep rock. An overnight stop at the Nyabitaba Hut is a pleasant rest after the exertion of recent days.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 9
To Nyakalengija trailhead (1600m). A gentle descent down the muddy paths to the trailhead, arriving late morning. Lunch in Kasese. Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, game viewing on the way. A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. Time permitting, short evening game drive.
Overnight: Mweya/Jacana
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 10
Early morning game drive. Depart for Kampala, lunch en route, arriving late afternoon. Continue to Entebbe for your return flight. [Approximate driving time: 6 hours].
Tour Ends.
Tour Costs: Based on per person sharing. Prices on Application
Download Itinerary UT7 Adobe PDF Document
