8 Days Rwenzori summit trek

We will meet in the early morning inside Rwenzori Mountain National Park, where your guide will be ready to meet you. We will make sure that you have all the equipment that you need, and rent what you might be missing. During this time you'll also meet your guides and porters. We then begin the trail by passing through farmland to the park boundary, which follows along the Mubuku River. We will cross the Mahoma tributary before starting a long, steep ascent onto a giant ridge until we reach Nyabitaba Hut at 2651m. During this part of the trail we may be lucky enough to hear chimpanzee calls and to see Black and White Colobus monkeys, Blue monkets, and the brilliant Rwenzori Turaco. We will have dinner and spend the night at the hut. (Approximate hiking time: 5-6 hours).

On our second day of hiking we will leave Nyabitaba Hut, continuing along a trail that drops down through the forest to Kurt Schaffer Bridge, just below the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku Rivers. After passing through a bamboo forest, we will travers through a long and challenging stretch of slippery, moss-covered rocks. From the Nyamileju rock shelter, we will be able to see Mount Stanley and Mount Speke on a clear day. Thereafter we will pass into the zone of giant heather, lobelia, and groundsel trees. Finally, we will reach John Matte Hut after passing through a bog. We will have dinner and spend the night at the hut. (Approximate hiking time: 6-7 hours).

On Day 3, we again descend from the hut along the trail to cross the Bujuku River and enter the Lower Bigo bog, home of the giant lobelias (a purple, flowering plant). Jumping from tussock to tussock--a thick clump of grass--we will cross the bog. Rarely is this possible without stepping at least one foot into the freezing ooze below. The Upper Bigo bog gives way to Bujuku Lake, where on a clear day we will be able to catch a glimpse of Mt Baker to the South and Mt Stanley to the West. We will then reach Bujuko Hut, located in the shadows of Mt Baker and Mt Speke, in a narrow valley below Stuhlmann Pass. We will have dinner and spend the night at the hut. (Approximate hiking time: 5-6 hours).

Leaving our home for the night, Bujuku Hut, we will continue along the trail through more bogs, all the while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake through the magical Groundsel Gully until we ascend to the Scott-Elliott Pass at 4372m. At the head of the gully we will use a metal ladder to climb over a very steep section of the trail, after which the trail splits. The trail on the right leads to Elena Hut and Mount Stanley along a steep trail over large boulders. The trail on the left leads to the Kitandara Lakes. Those who do not intend to climb Margherita Peak will follow this trail to Kitandara Hut where they will have dinner and spend the night. Those hoping to ascend Margherita will continue on to the icy Elena Hut where they will have dinner and spend the night. (Approximate hiking time: 4-5 hours).

Those aiming to reach Margherita peak (5109m) will continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier. To reach the summit of Margherita, we will climb for 5-7 hours (pace and weather conditions depending). This extremely challenging climb will take us over three glaciers, slippery rocks, ice, and areas that are completely exposed on all sides. Note: this climb is only for physically fit and technically experienced climbers! After reaching the glaciers, we will cross Stanley Plateau and proceed with our ascent. Finally, and after we've acclimatized to the altitude, we will continue in the icy cold up a scramble to the summit of Margherita, the highest peak in the Rwenzoris. Not all who attempt to summit Margherita will be able to reach the peak due to altitude sickness, and extreme conditions. Please don't be disappointed! When it is time to turn around, we will return through the Scott-Elliot pass, where we will be delighted with spectacular views. We will then continue our descent to Kitandara Lakes after passing through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders. We will have dinner and spend the night at the hut. (Approximate hiking time: 7+ hours).

From Kitandara Hut, we will follow a trail that ascends steeply up the headwall spreading out from the base of Mt Baker. We will then continue along the south side of the mountain to Fresh Field Pass. At this point, we should be able to see into the Congo to the west and Mt. Stanley to the north. From the pass, we will take the long trail past a rock shelter at Bujongolo to the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906. We will have dinner and spend the night at Guy Yeoman hut. (Approximate hiking time: 5-6 hours).

On this day, we will de scend from Guy Yeoman Hut to Nyabitaba Hut. We will descend past the cliffs of Kichuchu, follow a muddy path to cross the Mubuku River twice, a nd climb upwards to Nyabitaba Hut to complete the Central Circuit Trail. *With an early start it's also possible to make it all the way down to Nyakalengija, our starting point. (Approximate hiking time: 6-7 hours).

For those who spend the night at Nyabitaba Hut, we will descend for 3 to 4 hours until we reach Nyajalengija, our original starting point.