Mountain Rwenzori National Park
The park was gazetted in 1991 and was recognized as a World Heritage site in 1994 and a Ramsar site in 2008.
Highest point: 5,109m above sea level on Mt Stanley’s Margherita Peak. The border with DR Congo bisects Mt. Stanley.
The Rwenzori is not volcanic like East Africa’s other major mountains but is a block of rock up-faulted through the floor of the Western Rift Valley.
The Rwenzoris were christened the “Mountains of the Moon” by the Alexandrine geographer Ptolemy in AD 150.
The explorer Henry Stanley placed the Rwenzori on the map on 24th May 1888. He labeled it ‘Ruwenzori’, a local name which he recorded as meaning “Rain-Maker” or “Cloud-King.”
The oldest recorded person to reach Margherita Peak was Ms. Beryl Park aged 78 in 2010.
The Rwenzoris – the fabled Mountains of the Moon – lie in western Uganda along the Uganda-Congo border. The equatorial snow peaks include the third highest point in Africa, while the lower slopes are blanketed in moorland, bamboo, and rich, moist montane forest. Huge tree heathers and colorful mosses are draped across the mountainside with giant lobelias and “everlasting flowers”, creating an enchanting, fairy-tale scene.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park protects the highest parts of the 120km-long and 65km-wide Rwenzori mountain range. The national park hosts 70 mammals and 217 bird species including 19 Albertine Rift endemics, as well as some of the world’s rarest vegetation.
The Rwenzoris are a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination. A nine- to twelve-day trek will get skilled climbers to the summit of Margherita – the highest peak – though shorter, non-technical treks are possible to scale the surrounding peaks.
For those who prefer something a little less strenuous, neighboring Bakonzo villages offer nature walks, homestead visits home cultural performances and accommodation, including home-cooked local cuisine.
FACTS ABOUT RWENZORI MOUNTAIN PEAKS
Ruwenzori, also called “Rwenjura” or “Rwenzori” are a series of mountains placed at between the borders of Uganda and Congo in the East African Equatorial region. Its highest peak stands tall at 5,109metres (16,762 ft), with its higher areas mostly sheltered with snow and glacier, which melt and form small rivers whose water gathers to form 1 main source of the River Nile.
It is because of this reason that the Europeans associated the Ruwenzori with the legendary Mountains of the Moon, as stated by the Greek scholar Ptolemy as the source of the Nile. Besides, Congo’s Virunga National Park and Rwenzori Mountains National Park in southwestern Uganda are connected within the same range.
The ancient Mountains of the moon are reflections of the mist-covered mountains of this rugged massif that stands almost 4,000 m above the Albertine Rift Valley, making them visible from futher distances.
These mountains offer a ideal and lush landscape of alpine vegetation characterized by charismatic giant lobelias, groundsels, and heathers which have been called “Africa’s botanical big game.” The spectacular combination of snow-capped peaks, glaciers, V-shaped valleys, fast-flowing rivers with impressive waterfalls, clear blue lakes, and ideal flora adds to the area’s exceptional natural beauty.
Wildlife Of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park
The Rwenzori Mountain slopes are covered with numerous species of wildlife including 6 amphibian species, 9 reptile species, and 18 mammal species. While other rarely seen animals within the park include elephants, leopards, bush bucks, giant forest hogs etcetera. It is also a natural home for numerous primates among others; blue monkeys, olive baboons, colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys chimpanzees.
Birds
Rwenzori mountains National Park has more than 217 bird species such as the Queens Turaco, Shelley’s crimson, collard birds, red faced woodland warbler, dwarf honeyguide, barred long tailed cuckoo, purple breasted sunbirds, montane masked, collared apalis, strange weaver, kivu ground thrush and many more.
Climbing The Rwenzori Mountain Peaks
Hiking the Rwenzori ranges, is the major hiking activity in the Rwenzori mountains National park, which offers impressive views of the mountains along the trails, the breath taking vegetation zones and the glaciers. Day hikes are organized for both beginners and experienced mountaineers, as well as for those don’t want to summit. Hiking Mountain Rwenzori is strenuous, which requires enough physical strength to traverse through either of the trails of the Kilembe and the central circuit trail.
Most popular hikes to the Rwenzori mountain peaks in the Rwenzori mountains national park incude 3 days Mahoma loop trail, 5 days Margherita peak along the central circuit trek, 7 days Rwenzori Kilembe Trail with Margherita peak, 7 days Kilembe trail trek , 8 days Rwenzori treks and 12 days Rwenzori & Gorilla trek combined.
Culture
Rwenzori mountains national Park is surrounded by mostly the Bakonjo villages and communities, especially at its mountain slopes, who offer an ideal feel of the true African culture to cultural enthusiasts. These communities also organize nature walks around the park, as well as cultural performances to showcase their traditional ways of living and history.
Best Time To Visit
From June to August and from December to February is the perfect time to visit/climb/hike/trek Rwenzori Mountains National Park, otherwise, it can be visited throughout the year. For mountaineers the climbing window from June to August is the best times to attempt an ascent to Margherita Peak of Mountain Rwenzori.
From mid-June to August, the dry months may sound like the ideal time to visit the Rwenzori Mountains. The small window of opportunity opens up for mountaineers, eager to glimpse Mountain Rwenzori at it’s best, yet it is a season during which the mountains can receive less amounts of rainfall.
During the dry months, the Rwenzori Mountains national Park is, more visited than the colder months from March to May and from September to November, shrouded in mist. However, it is very cool in this season in Rwenzori mountains national Park, where climbers/trekkers can enjoy fine weather in the region.
From December to February, after the cold months from September to November, the weather tends to be relatively stable with mild to warm days and cold nights. The small window of hiking/climbing Rwenzori Mountains National Park opens up opportunities to mountaineers eager to glimpse the Rwenzori Mountains at its best.
These dry months of December, January and February are also the peak time for climbers, with many more climbers seeking to reach the Margherita.
Accommodation
When you Climb or trek Rwenzori Mountains National Park, you sleep in either your own tent or in the huts constructed along both trails, although majority of the trekkers sleep in these huts. Rwenzori mountains National Park has well-constructed wooden huts built along the central circuit and Kilembe trails where most Rwenzori mountaineers sleep or spend their nights after the whole day trek.
The huts within the Rwenzori Mountains National Park are ordinarily built out of wood, which reveals the true African nature. They are comfortably designed to offer enough warmth after a whole day trek.
The huts are strategically positioned, offering impressive views of the of peaks including Mount Baker, Mount Speke, and Mount Stanley, with each room containing either a double or triple deck, which allows one person for every single form mattress.
How To Get To Mountain Rwenzori
Getting To Rwenzori Mountains National Park: The Best way to get to Rwenzori mountains National Park is by Road & Air transport From Kampala/Entebbe.
How to get to Rwenzori Mountains National Park? Rwenzori Mountains National Park can be reached by road transport , 0r by air. However the most fast & convenient option typically involves a direct charter flight from Kampala/ Entebbe to Kasase airstrip in 90 to 120 minutes, that means, you wont have to spend many hours driving to the Park, like it is for road transport.
By Road
The Rwenzori Mountains National Park is about a 4-6hour drive from Kampala depending on the route. The road is fairly tarmacked and in pretty good condition. Fuel is never a problem in Uganda, and easy-to-follow maps are available with all car rentals.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park can be reached by two routes from Kampala to Kasese. The shortest route starts from Kampala to Fortportal via Mubende for a distance of 300km by a 4×4, while the longest route begins from Kampala, via Masaka through Mbarara, Busheny to Kasese for 350km distance drive.
The second route to Kasese offers amazing stop over at the Equator to experience the difference in both the Northern and southern hemisphere
By Air
A scheduled chartered flight can be arranged from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airstrip, which is then followed by a 40 minutes drive to the Rwenzori mountains National Park.
Chartered flights to Kasese airstrip are organized in two schedules with the first one departing at 7:00 am, while the second one departs at 12:00 noon.
Note That: The Rwenzori Mountains National Park can also be accessed from the democratic republic of Congo. By road, it take 4×4 drive from Kigali Rwanda to Gisenyi , thereafter continues to Beni, where it takes a bout 13 kms drive to Mutwanga, the base at which all Rwenzori mountain treks begin.