RWENZORI MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Rwenzori is the highest mountain in Uganda, and the first foreigner to climb it was an Italian, a hundred years back. It was in 1906 when Luigi Amadeodi Savoy duke of the Abruzzi climbed to the top of the mountain and last year 2006 the Ugandans and Italians celebrated the a hundred years since the first foreigner reached on top of Mt. Rwenzori.

A trip into the Rwenzoris is an exhilarating and rewarding experience but one, which must be well planned. The key to an enjoyable visit is to be prepared! The central hike circuit takes six nights or seven days and reaches an altitude of 14,000ft.(4,267m) above the sea level. The conditions on the mountain are a challenge to even an experienced hiker. This mountain is renowned for its un-engineered, steep and slippery trails and frequent rain. Rainfall and cold temperatures, bogs, mud, steep terrain, and high altitude make it a challenging trip. Never the less it is exciting! You need to try it! Since during much of the year mud, rain, mist, and wind occur daily, adequate clothing (and mental altitude!) for these conditions are a must. The periods of July-August and December-February, are relatively dry and for inexperienced hikers are the best seasons for a trek.
During any season, rain gear, good sleeping bag, warm hat, gloves, heavy socks, gum boots, gaiters, and a walking stick for balance(and to probe mud) are recommended. A basic first aid kit is a necessity.

Central circuit trail
Day one
Plan to arrive at rwenzori mountaineering services offices at nyakalegija in the morning so as to have ample time to rent equipment and be availed with guides and potters. Hiking begins from the park headquarters 5,400ft(1,646m), walking past typical “mud  and wattle” bakonzo homes and graduary moving upward through elephant grass and garden plots. It takes approximately forty minutes to reach the park boundary. The trail then follows the Mubuku River, crossing recent land slide areas 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 podorcarpus forest up to nyabitaba hut 8,700(2,652). Total time for an average hiker from nyakalengija to nyabitaba is about 5-7 hours, and total elevation gained is 4,000ft (1,200m). Slower hikers could take considerably longer, so insist on leaving park headquarters before noon to avoid being on the trail after dark.
During this part of the trip you may be able to see chimpanzees, and sometimes you can see black and white colobus and blue monkeys behind the hut, and catch glimpses of brilliantly colored rwenzori turaco. Across the valley to the north of nyabitaba hut lays the rocky and largely unclimbed portal peaks, which rise above 14,000ft (4,627m).

Day two
From nyabitaba hut to the trail leads westward for a half a kilometer, then drops steeply to Kurt Shaffer Bridge, crossing below the conference of the bujuku and Mibuku Rivers.  By turning right to the bridge, you begin to climb the central circuit anti clock wise direction is much more difficult 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 yours 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 reach the hut at nyamuleju and its accompanying rock shelter. If you had a late start or know that there is a large group ahead of you at the next hut, you may consider spending a night here. On a rare clear day mts. Stanley and speke can be seen from the top  of the rock near the hut. Nyamuleju also marks the start of the giant lobelia and groundsel zone, this remarkable vegetation type is found nowhere else in the world except high-altitude tropical African mountains. The one hour walk to john matte hut (11,200ft/3,414m) is through a challenging bog, full of extra ordinary plants, and the slow pace can be a delightful chance to examine and photograph this unique environment. Typical time to reach john matte from nyabitaba is about seven hours. Some hikers consider this to be the most tiring and longest day of the circuit, so an early start is important. The loss of altitude to Kurt Shafer bridge means the total elevation to be gained on this day is about 3,000ft (915m) hikers who feel they have reached their limits by this point should consider john matte a reasonable stopping point. You can just enjoy the unique vegetation in the unique vegetation in the bog and the great view, and then the following day begin your way back to nyabitaba.

Day three
Leave john matte hut to cross the Bujuku River and enter the lower bigo bog, where your first real experience of jumping from 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 may think it 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. starnley to the west, and mt. Speke to the north. The trail route along the lakes north eastern shore crosses the worst mud on the trip. Beyond the north end of the lake is a rock shelter called cooking port and a short distance further is bujuku hut 13,000ft(3,962), favorably located for parties climbing mount speke (which requires technical skills and special equipment). Time to reach bujuku from john matte is typically three hours, and the elevation gained is 1,800ft (560m). But 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 nature walk, the chances of seeing red duikers are high, and at night, calls of the rock hyraxes are common.

Day four
From bujuku hut leave directly to newer trail which rises and falls twice before finally climbing steeply through magical moss draped groundsel vegetation 14,345ft (4,372m) to Scott Elliot pass. At the steepest section is a short strong ladder after which a right hand branch will lead to Elena hut 14,700ft (4,430m). This is steep, rocky trail which 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 16,763ft (5,109 m) to mt. Stanley 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 Scott 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. Do not delay your decent towards Lake Kitandara. As you leave the pass, you may enjoy spectacular views northward of magherita peak, Elena and savoia glaciers, and mt. baker 15,889ft(4,843 m)towering above you to the east (left) of the trail. Having dropped a few hundred 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 and kitandara hut 13,200ft (4,023 m). This lovely site is surrounded by towering picks, but the sun sets early and the nights can be cold. Time to reach kitandara hut from bujuku hut usually takes 3-5 hours. The elevation gain to the pass from bujuku is 1,400ft (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 altitude sickness.

Day five
An early start is advisable to avoid overheating on steep but lovely hour-long climb from the lake kitandara which is 14,050ft (4,282 m)to the fresh field pass. Viewing westward on clear days leads into neighboring democratic republic of Congo and northward, margherita and its glaciers still dominate the horizons. Fresh field is a flat traverse along two day decent. 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 stop avers but it is best to push on through the endless mud to newly constructed guy yeoman hut 10,700ft (3,261 m). some hikers make the kitandara – guy yeoman trip in five hours, but any stops to enjoy the pass, bad weather on descent, and the 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 six
Hikers should begin their journey back early, so as to get to nyabitaba hut before dark. In any case the path from the guy yeoman is quite difficult in some sports. 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 five 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 bath! Be especially careful about vines and brush and resist the urge to hurry out of the mountains. Late evening walking can be good for watching birds and you may sight the occasional blue tailed monkey. Sharp eyes can catch a glimpsye of the brilliant green but changeable rhino serous chameleon.

Day seven
Descend to the park headquarters. It can take2-3 hours.

Access
By road: from Kampala via mbarara to kasese, or from Kampala through fort portal and then 75 kilometers south on the fort kasese road. The park is 25 kilometers from kasese town.
By air: chartered planes are available from Entebbe / Kampala to kasese and then by road.

Accommodation
There are a variety of accommodation facilities in kasese town (both upper and lower market). RMS operates accommodation facilities-huts with bunk beds along the central circuit.

Health and safety on the trail
The high altitude and cold wet conditions of the Rwenzori Mountains can adversely affect inexperienced visitors. The following are ailments, which may occur.
Hypothermia, dehydration, altitude sicknesses, AMS (acute mountain sickness), HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema), and HACE (high altitude cerebral edema).

How to behave at the park

• Visitors should stay 15 persons per hut as the park management states.
• Don’t litter the park with non burnable or biodegradable items like this, tins, plastic and silver foil.
• For all body wastes, there are latrines, please use them.
• Respect for other people in the camp, by sharing of stoves, and other things, and not making noise for others.
• Observe the prohibition of wood fire. Making fires using local wood is prohibited in the park. Visitors should use paraffin stoves.
• Minimize damage on trails by following your guide closely and avoid making new paths.
• If there is anything not clear, contact your guide for information