5 Days Rwenzori Mountains Trek

These 5 days Rwenzori Mountains Trek is one of the best adventure short packages you can do in East Africa. The park has several activities to do depending on what the traveler interest is but the highlight is a trek to the third highest peak in Africa. (The Margherita 5,109m ASL) which can take about 6-7 days of hiking and down.

But besides that tourists visiting the Rwenzori’s can also opt to do a day trek to either Lake Mahoma which is 3300 meters above sea level and it can take about 8-10 hours of hiking and down.

For group travelers, this mountain is a challenge as its tagline says (The Mystical Challenge) for older people who cannot do the hiking for a day, tour operators EBS Tours & Safaris can organize some optional activities like visiting the local communities around the park and experience their local ways of living or opt to do some other activities as advised by your tour operator.

BIRDING IN THE RWENZORI

For bird watchers, Rwenzori Mountains is one of the best birding destinations in the whole of Africa. With about 217 bird species which can be spotted here and the best part of it is that 19 of them can only be found here in the whole of the world. Some of the spectacular species you can spot are the Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Shelley’s crimson wing, Batis diops, Malachite sunbird, Bamboo warbler etc.

EBS Tours & Safaris can organize an extended Albertine rift endemics bird watching safari tailor-made for any kind of travel groups or solo travelers.

ACCOMMODATION IN RWENZORI MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Just like most of the National Parks in Uganda, they’re various types of accommodations at Rwenzori National Park ranging from Budget to Luxury travelers. Even though these accommodations are just outside the park, but it is just a close distance to the parks main entrance just about 30 minutes of driving and you’re at your favorite destination.

You can either book for yourself or be helped by a tour operator to book the accommodation which suits your budget.

GETTING THERE.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park can be reached by either Air or Road Transports.

Tourists can board chartered flights from Entebbe to Kasese Airstrip which takes about 30 minutes only which allows visitors to move a shorter journey to the park.

By road, there are two routes from Entebbe/Kampala which can take you to the Rwenzori Mountains. From Kampala via Mubende to Fort portal it takes about 5 hours of driving which is 301 km. And from Kampala to Masaka-Mbarara-Bushenyi to Kasese can take about 7-8 hours of driving which is 355km.

Day One

Steady walk with a steep climb. Start at Trekkers at 1,450 meters and sleep at Sine Hut at 2,596 meters being a height gain of 1,146 meters. Guides generally brief clients at the start of the trek or the night before.

The trek starts at Trekkers Hostel in Kyanjuki, which is situated 1,450 meters above sea level and 12 kilometers from Kasese. It is best to start by 9 am but can leave as late as 11am. You walk 2.2km to the UWA rangers post at 1,727 meters, which takes about one hour. Here you pay the gate entrance fee and the rangers brief you on the rules of the National Park.

We start by walking up the valley floor through tall forest trees of the Afro Montane Forest Zone. This is a steady climb with multitudes of birds and a chance of seeing a wild chimpanzee or blue monkey scampering off through the forest. There are rare sightings of the L’Hoest monkey which are part of the Bukonzo cultural emblems and are protected by the virtue of the King or Omusinga. There is wide variety of plant species from forest trees to bamboos thickets, low shrubs, flowers, fungi, and with many moss and lichen covered vines hanging from the tall trees creating an awesome appeal. Enock’s Falls are just 200 meters from Sine Hut and offer a splendid opportunity to capture a great screensaver for your memories.

The wooden hut with 10 beds is a set between tall forest trees on a narrow ridge, with ten beds and a large verandah where you may sit and enjoy the beauty of the Afro Montane forest while you look down at a fantastic waterfall crashing over the rocks far below. Sine is just below the bamboo zone and the area around has many different bird species. Sleep at Sine Hut – 2,585 meters

Day Two

After a good breakfast, trekking starts at 8.30am and you soon enter the Bamboo-Mimulopsis Zone which is steep climb with many high steps. In the wet season the bamboo area is rather muddy and slippery making the going slow. However, the atmosphere and the forest is beautiful as you climb 551 meters’ altitude and a distance of 1.8km to Kalalama Camp at 3,147 meters which is in the Heather-Rapanea Zone where you can take a rest and a quick cup of tea or coffee before heading on to Mutinda Camp.

The trail meanders up and over several small knolls along a ridge top then drops down the side of the valley before climbing again, and in doing so cross several small streams and passing close to moss covered waterfalls. You then climb steadily along the side of a beautiful mossy river which tumbles down over the rocks under the Giant Heather trees whose trunks are covered in green moss with old man beards (Usnea lichen) hanging from the branches. The trail twists and turns as you climb up the deep valley, which has an enormous variety of plants and flowers.

This valley is unique with many Giant Heather trees creating a beautiful atmosphere often shrouded in mist. Eventually you get to Mutinda Camp which is set near a small river that drops off a waterfall and offers a chance to wash, refresh and relax or, you may wish to climb up to the top of the Mutinda Lookout (one and a half hours up and one hour down) The view and the atmosphere is amazing as you stand on moss covered rocks at 3,925 meters with views across the Rwenzori Mountains, down to Kasese town and Lake George. Sleep at Mutinda camp

Day Three

Summit Mutinda peaks then climb up past Lake Nsuranga to Kiharo Camp at 3,380 metres directly at the base of some good granite rock climbs of 20 to 40 metres, with towering peaks above. Here if you have the energy you may decide to do a spot of rock climbing before settling down for the evening. Sleep in Kiharo Camp.

Day Four

Descend to Samalira camp , which takes about 3 to 4hours ,after breakfast you start descending down through the giant heather trees which make up most of the vegetation from Kiharo to Samalira past the small garden on lobelias. It’s a flat trail trek down for the first 2 hours with very beautiful views of river Nyamwamba across then you hike up a ridge for about 45minutes then sloping down to Samalira camp 3174m.

Day Five

From Samalira you descend down a long ridge, through the Bamboo-Mimulopsis Zone and Afro Montane Forest Zone back down to base camp in Kilembe

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