7 Days Rwenzori Mountain Trekking ITINERARY:
The Rwenzori mountaineering takes you to book the 7 Days Rwenzori Mountain Trekking to hike through the various vegetation cover up to the top of Margherita peak the highest point on Uganda’s famous Rwenzori mountains national park located in the southwest with the nearest time being Kasese.
Day 1: Nyakalengija(1648m) to Nyabitaba hut (2651m)
After breakfast at the camp, you will go to 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 home to various animal species like forest elephant, chimpanzee, hyrax, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, duiker, and three-horned chameleon among many more. It’s about 8 km (4-5 hours walk) from Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba hut.
Day 2: Nyabitaba(2651m) to john maate hut(3505m)
Have breakfast at the hut, you will move through thick shrubs and forest for about 30 minutes to the Kurt Shafer bright which is at the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. You will continue to move up to Nyamulejju rock shelter where the first hikers used to at times camp and also spend the night, you will have a stopover 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 to move through the alpine forest to John Matte hut where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Day 3: john matte(3505m) to bujuku (390m)
After breakfast at the hut, you will cross river Bujuku and through the forest to the lower big bog. This is a swampy area in a valley and is home to the giant lobelias. Currently, there is a walk board up to the end of the boggy area which makes the walk much easier for trekkers. As you move you will expect to see giant lobelias, everlasting flowers, and groundsels. You will then take a steep hike along a ridge which will lead you to the start of the upper big bog.
There is also a boardwalk up to Lake Bujuku. After the boardwalk, you will try to move 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 Speke, Mount Baker, and Mount Stanley. Dinner and overnight at Bujuku.
Day 4: bujuku(3962m) to elena hut(4541m)
Have breakfast at Bujuku hut then continue with the hike to Elena hut, which is a 5-7 hours hike. The trail is then divided into two. The two trails, the left trail leads to Scott-Elliot pass descending to Kitandara Lakes while the right trailheads to the Elena Hut and on a steep trail above large boulders to Mt 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 a 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 then spend the night.
Day 5: Elena(4541m) to Margherita peak(5109m)-kitandara hut(4023m)
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 headlamps and helmets and make sure you have sunglasses in the day pack on. Hike to the top of Mount Stanley, Margherita peak, through the Stanley plateau. On steep rocky areas, you will use the ropes to help you move.
After moving for a couple of hours, you will reach the bottom of the Margherita glacier hiking through this glacier up to the top of Mount Stanley, Margherita peak (5109m). 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 to Kitandara, which is the most beautiful point of the Rwenzori. Have dinner at Kitandara then spend the Night.
Day: 6 kitandara(4023m) to guy yeom
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 headwall, spreading out from the base of Mount Baker and continuing along the south side of the Rwenzori Mountain to Fresh field pass. This will take you around 5-7 hours then reach Guy Yeoman hut.
Day 7: Guy Yeoman to Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija
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 careful 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 than 3 hours to Nyakalengija. Then leave for your next destination.