9 Days Hiking Mt Rwenzori

Day 1: After an  morning breakfast, drive off from Kampala to the Mountains of the moon,through Fort Portal to reach in the late afternoon. The journey rewards you with a panoramic views and game as you traverse through QENP. Dinner and over night at Margherita Hotel or Rwenzori Base Camp.

Day 2: Leave early morning for Rwenzori Mountains National Park and the Rwenzori mountaineering services (RMS) offices at Nyakalengija. This will give you ample time to rent equipment and be availed with guides who will brief you/guide you and porters to ease your burden of carriage. Hiking begins from the park headquarters 5,400ft (1,646m),past typical “mud and wattle” Bakonzo homes,gradually ascending through elephant grass and garden plots.; the hiike will take approximately forty minutes to reach the park boundary. You will follow the Mubuku River, crossing recent landslides areas(to be negotiated carefully),and involves climbing over rocks and bluff, before reaching the Mahoma River in about two and a half –hours. After crossing the river there will be a steep climb through open bracken fern slopes and Podocarpus forest up to Nyabitaba hut 8,700ft (2652m) which will take an average hiker from Nyakalengija is about 5-7 hours, and total elevation gained is 4,000 ft (1,200 m). Slower hikers could take considerably longer, so insist on leaving park headquarters before noon to avoid being on the trail after dark. At a distance you will hear chimpanzees, and occasionally see black,white colobus and blue monkeys behind the hut,catch glimpses of brilliantly coloured Rwenzori Turaco (a bird of the treetops). Across the valley to the north of Nyabitaba hut lies the rocky and largely unclimbed Portal peaks, which rise above 14,000ft (4,627m).

Day 3: After breakfast, leave Nyabitaba Hut westward a half a kilometer and then drops steeply to Kurt Shaffer Bridge,crossing below the confluence of the Bujuku and the Mubuku rivers.On your right there bridges that you will climb the central circuit anti-clock wise since; clock wise direction is  a little challenging and adds considerable danger for you and your porters. After crossing Kurt Shaffer Bridge , the muddy, slippery trail climbs steadily up through bamboo forest. After one and a half hours you encounter an area of slippery boulder hopping which some hikers consider the most difficult and dangerous footing of the circuit.After five hours of travel from Nyabitaba,you will arrive the hut at Nyamuleju and its accompanying rock shelter.If you had a late start or know that there is a large group a head of you at the next hut, you might consider spending the night here. On a rare clear day, Mt Stanely and Speke can be seen from top of the rock near the hut. Nyamuleju also marks the start of the giant lobelia and grounded zone, this remarkable vegetation type is found nowhere else in the world except high –altitude tropical African Mountains .

The one hours walk to John Matte hut (11,200ft/3,414 m) through a challenging bog, full of extra ordinary plants a relaxed walk can be a delightful chance to take a good view and photograph this unique environment,arriviing John Matte from Nyabitaba in about 7 hours. This is considered  the most tiring and longest day of the circuit, so an early start is important. The loss of altitude to Kurt Shaffer Bridge means the total elevation to be gained on this day is about 3000 ft (915m). Hikers who feel they have reached their tie limits by this point should consider John Matte a reasonable stopping point. You can enjoy the unique vegetation in the bog and the great view, and then the following day begins your return journey to Nyabitaba.

Day 4: Leave John Mate hut to cross the Bujuku River and enter the lower Bigo bog, where your first real experience of jumping from tussock to tussock on a grassy bog begins. The trail is muddy and follows the left (southern) edge of lower Bigo bog until eventually it reaches the round metal ‘uniport‘. The Bigo hut and its rock shelter. A steep section past the hut leads to upper Bigo bog. In the last half of this bog, a boardwalk has been constructed. Though some think it is an ugly intrusion, it makes walking easier and prevents the hikers from further damaging the bog. A beautiful narrow stream at the upper end of this bog makes a good lunch break. An hour and a half beyond the upper bog, and after climbing through drier ground and criss-crossing the river, you reach lake Bujuku . The southern end of the lake is in a majestic setting, with Mt Baker to the south, Mt Stanely to the West and Mt Speke to the north.

The trail route along the lake’s northeastern shore crosses the worst mud on the trip. Beyond the north end of the lake is a rock shelter called Cooking pot and a short distance further is Bujuku Hut 13,000ft(3962 m), favorably located for parties climbing Mt Speke (which requires technical skills and special equipment). Time to reach Bujuku from John Matte is typically 3-5 hours and the elevation gained is 1,800 ft (560 m). However, the long stretches of bog, and the mud along the lake make this another challenging day. The shaded location and frequent mists can make Bujuku Hut quite cold. If one moved around on a nature walk, the chances of seeing Red duikers are high and at night, calls of the Rock hyraxes are common.

Day 5: Leave directly to newer trail, which rises and falls twice before finally climbing steeply through magical moss draped Groundsel vegetation 14,345 ft (4,372 m) to Scott Elliot Pass. At the steepest section is short strong ladder after which aright hand branch will lead to Elena hut 14,700 ft (4,430 m). This steep, rocky trail when wet or icy can be slippery. Continuing straight, and a few steps below the pass, there is a sheltered spot for a break; from here, there is a second trail to the right to Elena Hut. Elena is the base camp for climbing 16,763 ft (5,109m) to Margherita Peak in the Mt Stanely complex, which requires an additional day or two and can only be attempted with an ice axe, mountain boots, crampons, ropes and prior arrangements with RMS guides. The circuit trail continues to the left over Scot Elliot Pass and enters an alpine zone of sparse low vegetation and stark rough boulders more familiar to high altitude climbers from northern latitudes. If the weather is bad here (rain, snow and wind can occur in any season) the conditions for “hypothermia” are ideal. As you leave the pass, you may enjoy spectacular views northward of Margherita Peak, Elena and Savoia Glaciers, and Mt Baker 15,889 ft (4,843 m) towering above you to feet in elevation from the pass, you cut below massive rock walls at the base of Mt Baker . Here Dramatic “impact craters” have been caused by large rocks falling from above, and your guide may caution you against loud noises! Rising and falling, the trail descends past Upper Lake Kitandara through thick mud to lower Lake Kitandara Hut 13,200 ft (4.023 m). This lovely site is surrounded by towering peaks, but the sunsets early and the nights can be so cold. Time to reach Kitandara Hut from Bujuku Hut usually takes 3-5 hours. The elevation gain to the pass from Bujuku is 1,400 ft (425 m), and because Scott Elliot is the highest point so far, some hikers will be slower due to greater effort required at these altitudes. Watch carefully for signs of altitudes sickness.

Day 6: You are advised to start early in order to avoid over heating on the steep but lovely hour-long climb from the lake Kintandara , which is 14,050 ft (4,282 m) to the Freshfield Pass. Viewing westward on clear days lead into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and northward, Margherita and its glaciers still dominate the horizon. Freshfield is along flat traverse through beautiful high alpine mossy glades (and more mud) until after half -hour, when the trail begins the circuit’s long two–day descent. Mist or rain can make tracing the trail difficult, and the first one Kilometer here can be very slippery. Rock Shelters at Bujongolo and Kabamba are optional over night stopovers but it is best to push on through the seemingly endless mud to newly constructed Guy Yeoman Hut10, 700 ft (3,261 m). Some hikers make the Kitandara-Guy Yeoman trip in hours, but any stops to enjoy the pass, bad weather on descent and slow conditions in the last two hours, of deep mud can make this a much longer day, which some visitors consider as difficult as day two.

Day 7: Begin their journey back early, to get to Nyabitaba Hut before dark. In any case, the path from the Guy Yeoman is quite difficult in some spots. Helping each other and descending very slowly facing the slope instead of facing outward is recommended, especially as you approach Kichunchu where the trail parallels and twice crosses the Mubuku River mostly in deep mud, until the last few kilometers of good dry trail. This follows the ridge down Nyabitaba, which completes the circuit. Typical hikers make Guy Yeoman to Nyabitaba in 5 hours. Should you decide to continue to Nyakalengija it is another two or three hours depending on the condition of your knees and your desire to reach a comfortable bed and you may sight the occasional blue-tailed monkey. Sharp eyes can catch a glimpse of the brilliant green but changeable Rhinoserous chameleon.

Day 8: Descend to Park Head quarters. It can take 2-3 hours.

Day 9:Drive back to Kampala . Dinner and overnight at Sheraton Hotel / Serena Hotel .