Day 1: Entebbe to Fort Portal - Kasese
Meet and greet at the airport by your guide. You will be transferred to Kassese via Mubende and Fort Portal.
This is a long trip to Western Uganda. A stop is also foreseen at Fort Portal for some shopping. After some shopping we will drive another hour to reach the Kasese where you will stay at Tour Holiday Inn (Rwenzori Base Camp - Ibanda).
Day 2: Nyakalengija (1,646 m) - Up to Nyabitaba Hut (2,652 m)
After breakfast you will have a short drive to offices of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park and the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services (RMS) at Nyakalengija. Time will be spent in the morning to rent equipment and be availed with guides and porters.
Your hiking trip begins from the park headquarters at 1,646 m, walking past typical “mud and wattle” Bakonzo homes and gradually 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 landslide areas (to be negotiated carefully), and involves climbing over rocks and bluff, before reaching the Mahoma River in 2 ½ hours. After crossing the river there will be a steep climbing through open bracken fern slopes and Podorcarpus Forest up to Nyabitaba hut (2,652 m). The Nyabitaba hut is set on a ridge above the confluence of the Bujuku and Mubuku rivers with views over the Portal Peaks which rise above 4,627 m.
Total time for an average hiker from Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba is about 5-7 hours, and total elevation gained is 1,200 m.
Day 3: Nyabitaba Hut (2,652 m) - John Matte Hut (3,414 m)
From Nyabitaba Hut the trail leads westward for half a kilometre then drops steeply to Kurt Shaffer Bridge, crossing below the confluence of Bujuku and the Mubuku rivers. By turning right to the bridge, you begin to climb the central circuit anticlockwise since the clockwise 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 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. Nyamuleju means" Place of beards" and refers to moss and lichen hanging from the trees. If you had a late start or know that there is a large group ahead of you at the next hut, you might consider spending the night here. On a rare clear day Mts. Stanley and Speke can be seen from 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 (3,414 m) is through a challenging bog, full 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 7 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 915 m.
Day 4: John Matte Hut (3,414 m) - Bujuku Hut (3,962 m)
Leave John Matte hut to cross the Bujuku River and enter the lower Bigo bog, where your first real experience of jumping from tussock to tussock on 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 is 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 the bog makes good lunch break.
An hour and a half beyond the upper bog, and after climbing through drier ground and crises-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. Stanley to the west, and Mt. Speke to the north.
The trail route along the lake’s northeastern shore crosses the worst mud on the trip. Beyond the north end of the lake is a rock shelter called cooking pot, and a short distance further is Bujuku hut (3,962 m), favorably located for parties climbing Mt. Speke (which requires technical skills and special equipment).
Time to reach Bujuku from John Matte is typically 5-6 hours, and the elevation gained is 560 m. 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 a nature walk, the chances of seeing red duikers are high and at night, calls of the Rock hyraxes are common.
Day 5: Bujuku Hut (3,900 m) - Elena Hut (4,541 m)
From Bujuku Hut you climb through moss draped groundsel vegetation to Scott Elliot Pass, 4,372 m, between Mt. Baker and Stanley. Here you divert to Elena Hut, 4,540 m for spending the night before climbing Mt. Stanley.
Estimated hiking time: 4 hours
Day 6: Elena Hut (4,541 m) - Kitandara Hut (4,023 m)
Early morning traverse of the Elena Glacier to the Stanley Plateau where crampons may be required. Cross this in a north-west direction and follow the Margherita Glacier to the col and to the summit (3 hours).
Descend to Elena Hut and after you descend to Upper Kitandara lake and through thick mud to Lower Kitandara lake where is located Kitandara Hut, 4.023 m. Time to complete the hike about 3 hours more. Enjoy the view of Mt. Luigi di Savoia.
Day 7: Kitandara Hut - Guy Yeoman Hut (3,261 m)
From Lake Kitandara you climb to Freshfield Pass, 4,282 m, a long flat of high alpine mossy glades, before descending the circuit among rocky and boggy areas.
The panorama is dominated by the glaciers of Mounts Stanley and Baker and Mount of Savoy. A muddy trail leads to Akendahi, Bujongolo and Kabamba rock shelters, where starts the Kabamba valley down to Guy Yeoman Hut, 3,261 m. This can take up to 6 hours. The hut is surrounded by a beautiful landscape of mountains, vegetations and rivers.
Day 8: Guy Yeoman Hut - Nyabitaba Hut
Drop very steeply alongside the Mubuku River, past Kichuchu, another rock shelter and join our original route near the confluence of the Bujuku River (3 ½ hours).
Day 9: Nyabitaba-Nyakalengija Base Camp; Transfer to Entebbe
Nyabitaba Hut to the Nyakalengija road head (2 hours).
Descend steeply off the ridge and enter the warm rainforest. Look for the tropical forest birds and monkeys.
After, your driver picks you for transfer to Entebbe.
