8 days mountaineering( the rwenzori mountain ranges)

8 days mountaineering ( The Rwenzori)

Day 1: Arrival at the airport and you will be welcomed by the company driver guide and you will set of to Kasese in western Uganda via the equator where the Rwenzori Mountain ranges are located. We shall have lunch on the way. Arrive in the after noon and check in at the lodge. We may relax at the lodge or go for a short township tour. Kasese boasts of the best coffee in the region. We may have a sip or two .Dinner and overnight at Kasese Hotel

Day 2: Nyakalengijja to Nyabitaba hut

After breakfast at the camp, you will head to the RMS headquarters where you will be briefed about the whole hike. Start the hike from Nyakalengija through the bakonzo settlements to mount Rwenzori National park gate where you will be registered before entering the park. You will start the central circuit trail trek through the thick tropical with high elephant grass and dense bushes. This forest is a home to various animal species like forest Elephant, chimpanzee, hyrax, black and white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, duiker and three horned chameleons among many more. Some of the bird species include; Handsome francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, long eared owl, barred long-tailed cuckoo, Cinnamon-chested bee eater, Strange weaver, archer’s robin chat, Rwenzori batis among others as well as tree and various plant species. You will expect to see most of them. It is about 8 km from Nyakalengijja to Nyabitaba hut. Dinner and overnight at Nyabitaba hut.

Day 3: Nyabitaba to John matte hut

Have breakfast at the hut; you will move through thick shrubs and forests for about 30 minutes to the kurt Shafer bright which is at the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. You will then move through the bamboo mixed with montane forests and slippery moss covered rocks for a couple of hours. As you hike you will also expect to see various bird species that live in the Forest.

You will continue to move up to Nyamulejju shelter where the first hikers used to at times camp and spend the night, you will have a stop over here for lunch. At this point you will have a view of Mount Stanley and mount Speke if the weather is clear. You will then continue moving through the alpine forest to John matte hut where you will have dinner and spend the night.  The hut is near river Bujuku and most of the hikers take a bath there, the water is so cold but so refreshing as well. You will also have a view of the Margherita glacier which is on Mount Stanley between Alexandra and Margheritta peaks. Nyabittaba to John Matte is about 11 km.

Day 4: John Matte to Bujuku hut

After breakfast at the hut, you will cross river bujuku and through the forest to the lower bigo bog. This is a swampy area in a valley and is a home to the giant lobelias. This used to be the hardest part of the Rwenzori since the area is so boggy, jumping from one tussock to another was not so easy for most hikers more so the females. Currently, there is a walk board up to the end to the boggy area ,which makes the walk much easier for the trekkers. As you move you will expect to see giant lobelias, everlasting flowers and groundsels. You then take a steep hike along a ridge which will lead you to the start of the upper bigo bog. There is also a board walk up to lake bujuku. After the board walk you will try to walk through the remaining small boggy area with no walk boards to bujuku hut. At this point, you will have a view of Lake Bujuku, mount baker and Mount Stanley. At this point you are able to ascend mount Speke and mount stanley. Distance from John matte to Bujuku is 5 km. Dinner and overnight at Bujuku.

Day 5: Bujuku to Elena hut

Have breakfast at Bujuku hut and then continue with the hike to Elena hut, which is a 5-7 hours hike. You will move through the sides of the upper bigo bog. You will then hike through the steep slopes of Lake bujuku. While Climbing lake bujuku’s steep slopes on the west, the trail ascends to the 4372-meter scott-Eliot pass, and you will pass through more swamps and the thrilling ground gully. You will go over a steep section at top of the valley using a metal ladder. The trail is then divided into two. The left trail leads to Scott-Elliot pass descending to Kitandara lakes while the right trail heads to Elena hut and on a steep trail above large boulder to Mount Stanley. Elena hut is at the rocky part of Mount Stanley and the area is too cold. At this point you are at the highest mountain of the Rwenzori and you will have direct view of Mount baker and Mount Speke. Sometimes it is hard to view these two mountains because they are covered by fog.  Have dinner at Elena hut and spend a night.

Day 6: Elena hut(4563 m) -Kitandara (3979 m)

This day you will have to wake up as early as 2 am, have breakfast at Elena hut, be ready in your warmest gear, put on your harness, warm hand gloves and head sock. Have your head lamps and helmets and make sure you have sun glasses in the day pack on. Hike to the top of Mount Stanley, Margherita peak through the Stanley plateau. On steep rock areas you will use the rope to help you move. The guide will teach you how to use the equipment while on the ice. On the glacier parts, you will be required to use your crampons and ice exe. After moving for a couple of hours after the Stanley plateau glacier, You will reach the bottom of the Margherita glacier. This is the most challenging of the entire hiking of the Rwenzori experience. You will hike through the glacier to the top of Mount Stanley ,Margherita peak(5109 m).At the top you will have a view of Ireen Lake, Mount Speke and the surrounding environment. Then descend to Elena hut for lunch, and later proceed to descend to Kitandara through the Scott-Elliot pass, it is the most beautiful point of the Rwenzori. Have dinner at Kitandara and spend a anight. If the group is big you will spend another night at Elena hut and continue the following day. If you do not wish to climb Mount Stanley, you can combine days 45 and 5 into a single day by taking a different trail from the bujuku hut up to Scott -Elliot pass. At the pass , there is a trail junction with one that goes up to the Elena hut. The stretch to the trail just to he south of the pass is very rough, but after a short stretch it becomes mellower and continues to Kitandara Lake hut.

Day 7: Kitandara hut (3979 m) - Guy Yeoman hut (3505 m)

Have breakfast at Kitandara then move through the base of Mount baker, which can be slippery so you will need to be so careful. From Kitandara the trail ascends steeply up the head wall, spreading out from the base of Monut Baker And continuing on the south side of the Rwenzori mountain to fresh field pass. From the pass the long muddy descent continues, passing the rock shelter of Bujangolo, the base camp f the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906.This will take you around 6-7 hours then you reach guy yeoman hut which is located at the banks of river Mubuku, have dinner and spend a night.

Day 8: Guy Yeoman to Nyabitaba to Nyakalengijja

From Guy yeoman you will descend to Nyabitaba through the bamboo forests. The path down can be slippery and muddy with little to hold on to and requires balancing over the vertical mud or steep rock. After about 5 hours of trekking you will reach Nyabitaba hut where you will have a stopover for lunch. You will then continue to descend for more 3 hours to Nyakalengijja. Upon arrival at Nyakalengijja ani the late Evening, You may drive back to Kampala or plan an overnight stay in Kasese town, and sip on Kasese coffee, or go for other safari add like gorilla tracking in the Bwindi impenetrable National park.