Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The Rwenzori Mountain Ranges
The Rwenzori Mountains lie along the Western border of Uganda and rise to a height of 5100m. Here are the legendary “mountains of the Moon“; a World Heritage Site – and these incomparable, beautiful, mist-shrouded peaks provide a unique back drop to one of our most magnificent national parks. In the Centre of the range, which boasts of Africa’s third highest mountain, some of the peaks carry permanent snow and glaciers, while the lower slopes do not call for mountaineering experience, although the higher you go the fitter you need to be. Excellent walking routes, including the Bujuku circuit are provided through wonderful and unique scenery. For those who want to attempt a climb, several peaks provide challenges that match those in the Alps.
These fabled mis-covered “mountains of the moon” 120 km in the length and 48 km in width, were formed from block which was thrust up during the creation of the Western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley. At the Centre 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 5,100m above sea level. The Rwenzori Mountains were gazetted as National Park in 1991. The park covers 996 sq km of rugged mountain terrain. Whether they are experienced climbers or casual day-hikers, Rwenzori Mountain National Park offers visitors a unique experience of an Afro-Montane rain forest.
The main attraction is the luxuriant vegetation found above 3000m which includes the giant forms of Lobelia. Heather and Groundsel. Rwenzori Mountains National park is also home to the unique bird species such as the Rwenzori touraco, the handsome francolin and the olive pigeon.
Wildlife
A variety of large mammals inhabits the lower slopes, but the Rwenzoris are notable more for their majestic scenery and varied vegetation. The trails lead through rainforest rattling with monkeys and birds, and then tall bamboo forest, before emerging on the high-altitude moorland zone, a landscape of bizarre giant lobelias, towered over by black rock and white snow, looking for the entire world like the set of a science fiction film.
Elephant, Genet, Chimpanzee, Golden Cat, Forest Hog, Rock Hydrax, Sitatunga, Mongoose, Duiker, Velvet Monkey, Rwenzori Colobus.
This 996 sq km National park protects the upper sloes of the Rwenzori Mountains which run for almost 120 km along the Congolese border west of Kasese and Fort Portal.
The Rwenzori is the highest mountain range in Africa. Its loftiest peaks, Margherita (5,109m) and Alexandra (5,083m) on Mount Stanley, are exceeded in altitude elsewhere in Africa only by Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, both of which are extinct volcanoes standing in isolation above the surrounding plains. The Rwenzori mountains are unique among the east Africa’s major peaks in that they are not volcanic in origin, but they do rise directly from the rift valley floor and their formation, like that of Kilimanjaro and Kenya, was linked to the geological upheaval that created the Rift. In addition to Mount Stanley, there are four other glacial peaks in the Rwenzori: Mount Emin (4791m), Mount Gessi (4,715 m), Mount Speke (4,890m) and Mount Luigi da Savoia (4,627 m).
Birdlife

Known primarily for its challenging hiking and climbing the Rwenzori ranges also support a diversity of animals, including 70 mammals and 177 bird species, several of the birds being Albertine Rift Endemics. The forest zone is home to a diversity of birds, including Rwenzori Turaco, barred long-tailed cuckoo, long eared owl, handsome francolin, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Archer’s ground robin, Lagden’s bush shrike, golden-winged sunbird, apalis, illadopsis and many more.
Getting There and Away
By road: From Kampala via Mbarara to Kasese, then continue 18 km to Ibanda. The park is 25 km from Kasese. Take a left turn 4km after leaving Kasese on the Kasese-Fort Portal road. The Rwenzori Mountains National Park is signposted off the tarmac Fort Portal Highway about 7-8 km out of the Kasese by an electric substation between the roads bridges over the Mubuku and Sebwe rivers. The Nyakalengija trailhead lies off the Fort Portal road, 22km from Kasese. Transport can be arranged in Kasese. Any time, but the dry seasons are December-February and June-August is fine to visit.
Mountain Rwenzori Safari Tours
• Mountain hiking/Climbing tours
• Trekking safaris
• Wildlife tours
• Birding safaris
• Hiking