9 Days Rwenzori Mountain Climb Hiking Central Circuit Margherita Peak

Our Driver Guide will pick you up from your Hotel in Kampala before departure; Have a stop at one of the Supermarkets around Kampala for your Shopping in preparation for the Mountain Climb. You will transfer by Road to Kasese Town late evening on time for your Dinner and Overnight at the Ruboni Community Campsite / Rwenzori Base Camp in a self-Contained Banda.

After breakfast, transfer to Nyakalengija trailhead (1600m). Meet porters and guides, The Guide will help out on clearing for the Park Entrances, Getting porters and registration after which you will begin hiking up to Nyabitaba hut. Walk through the matooke / Banana plantations and Farm lands on the side of the steep foothills, past the local Bakonjo homesteads. Continue with the trail along the Mubuku River, through landslides. After crossing the Mahoma River, climb steeply through bracken fern slopes and Podocarpus forest to Nyabitaba Hut. Dinner and Overnight at Nyabitaba Hut

After breakfast at Nyabitaba, follow the trail that drops down through the forest to the Kurt Shafer Bridge, just below the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. Passing through the bamboo forest, traverse through a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rock. From the Nyamileju 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.

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 Mt Baker to the South and Mt Stanley to the West. Bujuku Hut, well located in the shadow of Mount Baker and Mount Speke, is set in a narrow valley below Stuhlmann Pass. Dinner and overnight at the hut

After breakfast at Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical Groundsel Gully as it ascends to Scott-Elliot Pass at 4372m. At the head of the gully a metal ladder takes you over a steep section after which the trail is divided into two. The trail on your right leads 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. Dinner and Overnight at the Coolly and Icy Elena Hut

For those aiming at reaching Margherita peak (5109m), continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier. To reach the summit of Margherita, the climb takes about 5-7 hours depending on the weather conditions and the pace of climbing this mountain. This tough walk takes you over three glaciers, slippery rock, ice and very exposed areas which are open on many sides. Note that this climb is for only physically fit and technical climbers. Climbing on to the glaciers, cross the Stanley Plateau and proceed with the ascent.

Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and coolly weather, scramble up to the summit of Margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzori. Given the high altitude and the tough conditions, even if you do not reach the peak, don’t get disappointed. Prepare for you return through the Scott-Elliot pass, where there are spectacular views back to Bujuku Lake and Mount Speke, up to Mount Stanley and down to the Kitandara Lakes. After the trail that passes you through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend past the Kitandara Lakes for dinner and overnight at the Kitandara Hut.

After breakfast at Kitandara, take on the trail that ascends steeply up the head wall, spreading out from the base of Mount Baker and continuing along the south side of the mountain to Fresh field Pass. At this point you can view into the Congo to the west and Mount Stanley to the north. From the pass, take on the long trail passing the rock shelter at Bujongolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906.Dinner and Overnight at Guy Yeoman Hut. Time 5-7Hours Walk

After Breakfast, descending begins; take on the path down from Nyabitaba hut to Nyakalengija. The path can be slippery and muddy and therefore requires careful balancing over the vertical mud or steep rock. We will have lunch on the way, after which we Resume journey to Final descent back to Nyakalengija.

The trial is attractive along the valley of the Mobuku and Kichuchu rivers, rich in plants and flowers of the heather zone before reaching the bamboo forest. See Kabamba falls on the way. The 40 minutes trial to see Lake Mahoma and descending to the Park Head Quarters. The trial takes more 2 to 3 hours. Transfer to the Ruboni Community Campsite for dinner and overnight.

After Breakfast, drive back to Kampala either through Kasese – Mbarara town Masaka Road with a stop at the Equator for Photography or Kasese – Fort portal town through Mityana High way arriving in the Afternoon in Kampala. Transfer to the Airport for your Outbound Flight Home!