Location:
The Rwenzori lie along Uganda’s western border with the DRC, they are sometimes referred to as the ‘Mountains Of The Moon’. Rwenzori Mountains National Park was proclaimed a World Heritage Site to protect the natural beauty, flora and fauna of the area. The Rwenzori are a true mountain range created by up lift of the earth crust through tectonic movement and are not as a result of volcanic activity. The range is 120 km in length and 48 km in width. The mountains are frequently shrouded in mist and cloud with the peaks rarely being visible from far.
At the center of the range, there are six peaks carrying permanent snow, three with glaciers. The highest of these peaks, and the third highest peak in Africa, is Mt. Margherita rising 5102 meter above sea level.
The Rwenzori Mountains were gazetted as a National Park in 1991. The Park covers 996 km2 of rugged mountain terrain offering visitors a rare experience of an Afro-Montane rainforest. These forest start above 3000 m and includes the giant forms of Lobelia, Heather and Groundsel.
Getting There
The Rwenzori lies a few kilometres north of the equator, rising over 4000m above the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley. The park trailhead at Nyakalengija can be reached from Kampala from the north via Fort Portal (375km) or the south passing through Mbarara and Queen Elizabeth National Park (450km).
Nyakalengija is 17km off the Kasese-Fort Portal road and 25km north of Kasese town. Charter flights to Kasese can be arranged from Kampala (Kajjansi) or Entebbe.
The Park is 25 km from Kasese. Leave Kasese in the direction of Fort Portal and take a left turn after 4 km. The junction is signposted with a large yellow Rwenzori Mountains National Park sign. The route to Ibanda is 15 km along a rough track. Ibanda is the HQ for the national park and trail head. Vehicles could be left here for the period of the trek.
For those leaving vehicles in Kasese (Margarita Hotel) or if traveling by public means a special hire vehicle is the most sensible option to get up to Ibanda where transport is very infrequent. Rwenzori Mountaineering Services offer a transfer service for US$10 each way for the vehicle hire.