No time right now to read about the trekking Rwenzori Mountains National Park (the Mountains of the Moon trek)? Going back down was sometimes slippery going – it would have been extremely dangerous if there had been more snow. It was a 12.5-mile (20-kilometer) drive to the base camp at Ibanda. BOOK AN 8-DAY RWENZORI TREK HERE. There are good views of the Rwenzori Mountains from the restaurant and some rooms. Facts about the Rwenzori Mountains. Do you have any stories of Uganda ? Hike time: 5 hours officially (It took me a slow 4 hours). Buy the East Africa Lonely Planet here. Then more of the mossy forest before reaching the hut. The first known ascent of the highest peak was made by Luigi di Savoia, the Duke of Abruzzi, accompanied by J. Petigax, C. Ollier and J. Brocherel, in 1906. You have flown all the way to Uganda, which is probably far from home. I recommend checking at least 6 months before you travel. The Rwenzori Mountains (also called “The Mountains of the Moon”) straddle the equator between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC; formerly Zaire). Each porter got a blanket and a jacket, food and cigarettes plus a small wage per day. I did a mountain gorilla trek in Uganda and it was mind blowingly amazing. Mountain Rwenzori is one of those glamorous mountains with a snow capped peak. It is another world. Ugandan trekking is the best option because Rwenzori National Park is the safest and easiest to access. Two others, Mark and James, sped ahead of the guide and accidentally took a wrong path, arriving to the hut at 4:00pm just before the guide and head porter were about to head off to find them. Why do I like WorldNomads.com? At the base is the African SAVANNA teeming with animals including elephants and zebras. Uganda really does have it all! I was travelling through Africa and when I first heard about the Mountains of the Moon, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more. Or Return to Mountain Ranges, View detailed snow forecast for Ruwenzori at:snow-forecast.com, Copyright © 2010-2020 MountainProfessor.com, Return to Mountain Environment from Rwenzori. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Ptolemy, the Alexandrian geographer, first used this name on a map. One of my friends, Vicky, was sick and took 6 hours, staying with the guide and retching all day. As I jumped from one tussock of grass to another across the bogs, I didn’t always make it, and fell in the mud a couple of times up to the top of my boots and once up to my thighs. A dramatic mountain peak rises far above us in the distance. See the details and book here. This forest type is one of the most unique habitats to walk through, in my opinion. However, Stanley is commonly identified as the first white person to confirm their existence. The best time of year to hike the Rwenzori Mountains is July to September and January to February. We passed through three bogs, starting with the Lower Bigo Bog. The entire 8 hours were spent wading through mud. Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, is the main gateway to the Rwenzori Mountains. There are also hikes to see chimpanzees in the wild in Uganda. This morning started with a rapid descent first thing to cross the Mubuku River. It crosses the equator twice. Be sire to read: Hiking is possible all year, but the rainy seasons are March – May and November, so these are the low season. Almost 2,500 years ago, in the fourth century B.C., Ptolemy marked “Lunae Montes” (The Mountains of the Moon) on his map of Africa in their correct location. The scenery and the vegetation is out of this world. I’d love to hear them. Finally, above 14,500 feet and reaching to Margherita Peak at 16,763 feet (5,109 m.) the highest point in the range, atop Mount Stanley, the Rwenzori mountains are wrapped in permanent snow and storm-swept glaciers. Mountain Rwenzori is situated in Western Uganda in the East African Rift Valley and straddles also to the Democratic Republic of Congo and its conservation area known as Virunga National Park. The range is not volcanic but consists of crystalline rock that moved upward from the earth's crust. Hike time: 5 hours officially (It took me 3.5 hours), Stayed: Kitandara Lake Hut [13,200 feet/ 4,025 m]. Going higher, we reach the ALPINE zone, above 12,000 feet (3,657 m.), a land which in its lower sections is dominated by giants. When planning a trip, I always use a combination of blogs and guidebooks. Learn how your comment data is processed. Some of my friends pressed on and made it to the bottom and on to Kasese, but there was no way I could have done it. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. southern route via Kasese. We set off at 10:50am. Rwenzori mountain border Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Rwenzori Mountains (also called “The Mountains of the Moon”) straddle the equator between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC; formerly Zaire). Here are two good options for packages that both include pickup and drop off at Entebbe Airport in Kampala (click on the links to book). We were out of the rainforest and into an eerie forest of trees strung with hanging Irish moss and covered in huge clumps of thick clumps of moss with ferns and giant lobelia. These include: Hike time: 4-5 hours officially (It took me 3 including lunch), Stayed: Nyabitaba hut [8,700 feet/ 2,650 m]. The upper reaches of this zone, extending up to around 14,500 feet (4,419 m.), consist mostly of rocky terrain covered with black lichens and brown mosses. I had no problems traveling in Uganda, but it does pay to be careful. Finally, even when you take all precautions, things CAN happen. The Ruwenzori Range’s largest mountains are separated by passes and deeply cut river valleys that all eventually drain into the Semliki River. Please accept cookies for optimal performance. ), Hike time: 7 hours officially (It took me 4.5 including lunch), Stayed: John Matte Hut [11,100 feet / 3,380 m]. It was amazing. If you are just going to Uganda (and that is enough for a two- or three-week vacation), then there is a guidebook just for Uganda. Then I banged my head on the pointy end of a log and had a thumping headache. You can book it online. That was a little scary and I was caked in mud by the end of the day, but mostly it was fun – and the scenery so overwhelmingly amazing that the mud seemed almost incidental. Corrections? When I finally arrived, I was white, felt ill and was so exhausted I could barely lift my feet. Not all of my companions had as good a day as I did. …Ruwenzori (Rwenzori) Range—sometimes called the Mountains of the Moon—which reaches its highest elevation at Margherita Peak (16,795 feet) on the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, is not volcanic in origin. Some vaccines requite several shots over a period of time, so you want to make sure you have time. So you should definitely get travel insurance. The highest peaks of the range were first climbed in 1906. If you liked this post, please share the love and Pin it to your Hikes and Africa boards! google_ad_client="pub-9079649804098398";google_ad_slot="2695153901";google_ad_width=728;google_ad_height=90; The Rwenzori (formerly spelled Ruwenzori) is a spectacular mountain range located in Africa on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Unlike most African snow peaks, the Ruwenzori is not of volcanic origin but is a gigantic horst of six separate glaciated masses, reaching a high point in Mount Stanley at Margherita Peak (16,795 feet [5,119 m]). It is beautiful, nestled in the bottom of the valley, surrounded by more spectacular vegetation. The permanent snow line stands at about 14,800 feet (4,511 m) on the east and 15,900 feet (4,846 m) on the west. Then it consisted mainly of clambering up and down gullies over rocks, through a bamboo forest, always going higher. We passed through a bog, jumping from tussock to tussock and glad to see bits of boardwalks in a few places, even though they weren’t very frequent and those that were there, were not in great condition. However, the last two days were tough – I would NOT recommend trying to do two days’ worth of hiking in one day. You need travel insurance whenever you travel and should definitely not head to Africa without it. Always check the current situation to make sure there is no political unrest. The range is not volcanic but consists of crystalline rock that moved upward from the earth's crust. A small lake forms the bottom of the valley below. Lying slightly north of the Equator, the Ruwenzori Range has a maximum breadth of 30 miles (50 km) and extends south-north for 80 miles (130 km) between Lake Edward and Lake Albert. There was total silence except for the nearby river. I don’t look down. Everything was loaded into burlap/ hessian sacks and each porter tied straps of banana bark around their sack to make a head strap with which to carry each sack. I did the hike in Uganda, and this is safer, since the DRC has a pretty unstable political situation. The mountain summits are often hidden in cloud cover, created periodically by moist airstreams from the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Ruwenzori Range, mountain range bordering Uganda and Congo (Kinshasa); the range is thought to be the “Mountains of the Moon” described by the 2nd-century-ad geographer Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus). Updates? The airport, Entebbe Airport has frequent connections with Nairobi in Kenya. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Dwelling in the mountains of the Ruwenzori Range, western Uganda. This is the route I took. The scenery was amazing still, but I barely noticed, as I was consumed by my own misery. On the Ugandan side is Rwenzori Mountains National Park and on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC – formerly Zaire) side is Virunga National Park. Omissions? Some of my companions set out earlier than I did and went up to the peak of Alexandria. Glaciers and small lakes occur in the upper valleys. When you are ready for your trip, check out my Essential Packing List. The mountains were long thought to be the source of the Nile. In fact, there are five distinct zones of habitation generating a world of amazing biodiversity. This zone is mostly between about 3,000 and 5,500 feet (914 - 1,676 m.). I have never seen anything like this place before. Instead, there was yet another bog. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Hiking the Rwenzori Mountains was one of the highlights of my trip to Africa, without a doubt. Hike time: 10 hours – over 2 days – officially (It took me a very determined 8 hours + 1 hour rest). Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get the visa before you travel. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Ruwenzori-Range, How Stuff Works - Georgraphy - The Ruwenzori Mountains. However, Uganda is most famous for something else – the mountain gorillas (think “Gorillas in the Mist”. Here are giant ferns, wild banana trees and lianas. Even the bogs weren’t the horrendous quagmires I had expected, although they were nonetheless extremely muddy. A trip to Africa is no small undertaking. Hydropower for mining is provided by the Mubuku, the range’s largest river. The Rwenzori Mountains. The range is only 80 miles long but contains one of the most dramatic diversities of ecosystems in the world, for here within just a few miles from each other are the heat of tropical jungles and the cold of glacial ice. James Ian has traveled to 82 countries and all 7 continents. Buy the Bradt Uganda Guide Book here. Also, I recommend you have at least 6 months left on your passport after your trip. Plus big game in nearby game parks. Steeped in myth, these fabled ‘Mountains of the Moon’ are Africa’s largest range and the source of the White Nile. There is a good system of huts along the main circuit of the Rwenzori. A great insurance option is World Nomads. Bamboo, a type of grass, can grow up to three feet a day here, and reach over a hundred feet in only two months! Note that each trek can be a little different from the one I describe below, depending on how far you go each day, but the overall experience is similar.