If you are looking for a trek activities through lush jungle driven on by thought of snow-capped peaks, a natural landscape with everlasting flowers, an ice climb to see the curvature of the earth as it meets the heart of Africa, then a Rwenzori Mountain summit trek is your answer.
Our 7 Days Rwenzori hiking Via the Central Circuit Trail takes you to Margherita peak at 5109m asl.
The Rwenzori Mountains ranges for 120 kilometers comprising of various mountains like Mount Stanley (5109m), Mount Baker (4843m), Mount Speke (4890m), Mount Luigi di Savoia (4627m), Mount Gessi (4715m), and Mount Emin (4798m) which are separated by deep gorges.
Upon arrival at the gate you will be welcomed by the local community with traditional dances celebrating your success on conquering Rwenzori Mountain, the highest point above sea level in Uganda.
This trip can start from Kasese town or Fort Portal whereby our guide/driver will collect you transport you to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park gate.
Mount Stanley, which is the tallest mountain in the range, has several summits whereby the highest point is Margherita peak at 5109m asl.
One of the benefits of trekking the Rwenzori’s through this trail is that the routes are typically shorter and accessible than other routes and it’s incredibly beautiful. If you are not an experienced hiker you can have more days to acclimatize to reduce the risk of altitude sickness.
Transfer from your hotel in Fort Portal or Kasese to Mihunga park gate (1615m) and hike to Nyabitaba Hut (2651m)
After breakfast at 8:30am you will meet all the guides, porters and chefs who will accompany you on the trek and you will check the hiking equipment to ensure that you have all of the necessary apparatus to ensure a successful summit.
After the briefing you will proceed with the guides to the Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters at the Rwenzori gate. The guide will introduce you to the park warden and receive an induction, briefing and registration before starting the trek.
You will then officially begin the hike by passing through farmland to the park boundary, which follows along the Mubuku River. You will cross the Mahoma tributary before starting a long steep ascent onto a giant ridge until you reach Nyabitaba Hut at 2651m. During this part of the trail you will pass through the grassland, Montana Forest zone and heather which are tropical rain forests, and on the right hand side you will see Portal peaks. You may be lucky enough to hear the calls or even see Chimpanzees as well as Black and White Columbus monkeys, Blue monkeys, and the brilliant Rwenzori Turaco (amongst many other birds) as well as seeing different chameleons. You will pass through different rivers and waterfalls until you reach Nyabitaba Camp for dinner and an overnight rest.
Hike duration: 5 -6 hours. Elevation height: 1,036m
From Nyabitaba follow 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.
Hike duration: 7 – 8 hours. Elevation height: 854m
From John Matte Hut, the trail 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 Mount Baker to the south and Mount Stanley to the west.
Bujuku Camp, well located in the shadow of Mount Baker and Mount Speke, is set in a narrow valley below Stuhlmann’s Pass. This camp is good for acclimatization for clients attempting the summits of the peaks of Mount Stanley and Mount Speke. Dinner and overnight at Bujuku hut.
Hike duration: 4 – 5 hours. Elevation height: 457m
Leaving Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical landscape and forest of Groundsel Gully. We will turn to the 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. Those who are not attempting to climb to Margherita Peak will take this trail on the left Kitandara Hut.
Those climbing the peak will have their Dinner and overnight at the cool and Icy Elena Camp.
Hike duration: 5 – 6 hours. Elevation height: 579m
Very early in the morning, you attempt to summit the highest peak of Mount Stanley, the Margherita Peak.
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 rocks, 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 already acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and cold weather, scrambling up to the summit of Margherita, the highest peak of the Rwenzori Mountains at 5109m asl.
Following a successful summit, the descent from Margherita Peak back to Elena Camp will take you about 2 – 3hours.
After your lunch at Elena Camp, descend to the Scott-Elliot pass (4372m), where there are spectacular views of Bujuku Lake and Mount Speke. After this the trail passes you through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders and you continue the descent past Kitandara Lake.
Dinner and overnight at the Kitandara Camp.
Descent duration: 3 – 4 hours.
From Kitandara, take 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 Freshfield Pass at 4282m asl.
At this point you can see into the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west and Mount Stanley to the north. Thereafter you start the descent 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 dinner and an overnight at Guy Yeoman camp.
Hike duration: 6 – 7 hours.
Below Guy Yeoman Camp, the route descends the cliffs of Kichuchu, and beyond Kichuchu the muddy path crosses the Mubuku River twice through a bamboo forest before climbing downwards to Nyabitaba to complete the circuit. Continue descending beyond Nyabitaba Camp and complete your hike at the park gate by the evening to end your 7 days Rwenzori Margherita Peak Trek.
Descent duration: 6 – 7 hours
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