Mountains in Uganda
Mountain Rwenzori
The Rwenzori Mountains also referred to as the legendary Mountains of the Moon are situated in the western part of Uganda close to the border of Uganda & Congo. The snow peaks are the third highest in Africa with lower slopes filled with moorland, bamboo, vast tree heathers, colorful mosses and rich wealth montane forest. This is situated along the border of Uganda and the DR Congo with glaciers that also act as the main source of River Nile. The Mountain is at a height of 5,109 metres (16,762 ft) with all peaks covered in snow. The Rwenzori Mountain range is approximately 120 kms (75 mi) long and 65 kms (40 mi) wide with six different massifs separated by deep chasms i.e.
- Margherita peak being the highest
- Mount Stanely (5,109 metres (16,762 ft))
- Mount Speke (4,890 metres (16,040 ft))
- Mount Baker (4,843 metres (15,889 ft))
- Mount Emin (4,798 metres (15,741 ft))
- Mount Gessi (4,715 metres (15,469 ft))
- Mount Luigi di Savoia (4,627 metres (15,180 ft).
Flora at Rwenzori
The vegetation around the Mountain ranges from tropical rainforest through alpine meadows to snow with various species of giant groundsel and lobelia as well as a 6 meters (20 ft) tall heather coated in moss found on one the peaks. The mountain inhabits various afro alpine species which flourish in desert climate and the air temperature as well as radiation level rise rapidly positioning persistent demand on the exposed areas as they transpire along the leaves maintaining water balance.
Mount Stanley
Mount Stanley also referred to as Mount Ngaliéma is among the ranges of Rwenzori situated along the border of Uganda and the DR Congo as well as East of Central Africa. The Mountain is one of the 10 peaks that elevate to height of 16,000 ft (4,900 meters) with the highest called Margherita at (16,762 feet (5,109 metres)). It has various glaciers and glacier Lakes which make it a very beautiful place to get to while in Uganda. It’s peak is tall making it very visible in Uganda as well as the DR Congo surrounded with one of Africa’s chief concentration of glaciers. Around the Mountain are mists, rains with recurrent thunder & lightning, collection of bog, fog, moss, lash and sleet as well as heavy rainfall that falls usually.
How to Get There
Arrive at Entebbe International airport then transfer to Kampala where you will choose from two different routes i.e the route that goes through the stunning town of Fort Portal then south to Ibanda and the Southern route through Kasese and this traverses the equator twice. These take you till Ibanda which is suitably located at the base of the Mountain. They range from the excellently paved surfaces to the rugged rough dirt roads. If you want to enjoy the entire transfer to experience hiking the beautiful Mountain, we recommend you book/ reserve a safari with an experienced safari tour operator agency so as to get the best encounters while on holiday vacation in Uganda. You can as well as hire a 4×4 vehicle to take you around comfortably.
Mount Speke
Situated in the beautiful world Heritage site i.e the Ruwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda, Mount Speke is the second highest mountain among the various ranges of Rwenzori adjoining Mount Stanley (3.55 kilometres (2.21 mi) and Mount Baker hence forming a stunning triangle enclosing the upper Bujuku Valley. The Mountains were referred to differently by various people depending on various factors for example the Bakonjo referred to them as Rwenzori which means “rain maker/ rain Mountains”, The Baganda called them “Gambaraga” which means “My Eyes Pain” referring to the longer distance that is there to spot the Mountains as well as the shining snow along the peaks. Just like the other Mountains this was named after explorers like John Speke that came here looking for various discoveries like the Source of River Nile and is traversed by various rivers and streams due to the rainfall amounts the area received annually. The vegetation is very thick which inhabits many different wildlife like the elephants, chimpanzee, monkeys, leopards as well as small antelope. The Mountain has various rough peaks i.e
- Vittorio Emanuele 4,890 metres (16,040 ft)
- Johnston 4,834 metres (15,860 ft)
- Ensonga 4,865 metres (15,961 ft)
- Trident 4,572 metres (15,000 ft)
Mount Muhabura
Situated at 4, 127m ASL, Mt Muhabura is the third highest Mountain in the Virunga ranges that cross the border of Rwanda, Uganda and the Dr Congo. The Mountain is also referred to as Mt. Muhavura which means “The Guide” in the local language of the people that inhabit the area around Kisoro. It is shared between various National Parks i.e Volcanoes National Park –Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The climbing/ hiking experience is divided into two main stops before getting to the peak and these consist of a hut for relaxing/ resting. Te first hut is at 3,116m ASL where as the second hut is at 3, 855m ASL and the peak is at 4,127m ASL. And while at any of these stops, you are free to eat your packed lunch and snacks before you proceed towards the peak. When you reach the peak, you will have beautiful views of the surrounding vegetation terrain as well as the misty cold weather along the Mountain and beautiful Crater Lake. After he entire experience, you will be required to descend down before night falls for buffaloes are known to wander and graze around the lower forested areas of the Mountain and these are very dangerous for hikers/ climbers. The Mountain is so beautiful for it can be spotted from many different parts of Uganda as well as Rwanda due to its high peaks.
Mt.Elgon
With the largest volcanic base in the world, Mt.Elgon is situated at 4,000km² along the Uganda Kenya border with the oldest and vast solitary in East Africa. In width, it is 80 km in diameter elevating more than 3,000 m above the neighboring plains and the cool heights because of the higher altitudes hence being very ideal for numerous flora and fauna. The Mountain is North of Kisumu and West of Kitale with the highest peak known as “Wagagai” which is mainly on the Ugandan side. It elevates to 3,070 metres (10,070 ft) with various trails one can take on to enjoy the surrounding vegetation terrain as well as the beautiful rare Savannah Elephants. There are five major peaks along Mt.Elgon and these include;
- Wagagai (4,321 metres (14,177 ft)), in Uganda
- Sudek (4,302 metres (14,114 ft)) on the Kenya/Uganda border
- Koitobos (4,222 metres (13,852 ft)), a flat-topped basalt column in Kenya
- Mubiyi (4,211 metres (13,816 ft)) in Uganda
- Masaba (4,161 metres (13,652 ft)) in Uganda
There are other features obne can spot while at Elgon and these include;
- The Sacred Lake located outside the crater rim and below Sudek
- The caldera which is one of the largest intact calderas in the world
- The warm springs by the Suam River
- Endebess Bluff (2,563 metres (8,409 ft) with the unique Savannah elephants
Mt,Gahinga
Mount Gahinga is situated in the prominent Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and is a dormant/extinct volcano among the ranges of the Virungas along the border between Rwanda and Uganda. It occupies the area between Mt. Muhabura and Sabinyo despite being the smallest of all. The word Gahinga means “A small pile of stones” in the local Kinyarwanda language. There is a swampy caldera on its peak and this is estimated to be approximately 180 meters wide and the mountain is 3,474 meters high. The vegetation around the Mountain is mainly afro-montane consisting of bamboo which in habits the rare intelligent species of Mountain Gorillas as well as various species of birds and golden monkeys.
Mount Moroto
Mount Moroto is situated in the far eastern part of Uganda and the most ideal place to spot the dry north Eastern “special” around the Karamoja region. It borders Kenya along Mt.Elgon in the South as well as Mountains like Kadam and Morungole. The Mountain is also a forest reserve with habitats varying from arid thorn savannah to dry montane vegetation. If you want to adventure the higher areas of the Mountain, you will have to go for the long hike and on your way, you will spot thorn savannah and rocky slopes as well. The Mountain overlooks the small town of Moroto situated in Moroto District in the Northern part of Uganda. It is about 3 kms (1.9 mi) by road east of Moroto’s major business district. Transfer to this Mountain if you want to encounter and experience the remarkable Northern part of Uganda to the fullest from the plains to the highlands.
Mount Gessi
Being among the 6 Mountains of the Ruwenzori range, Mount Gessi is situated in the North of the triangle which includes Mount Stanley, Speke, and Baker. This mainly occupies the area along the edges of the narrow valley which proceeds from North to South with twin peaks i.e Iolanda (15,470 ft.) and Bottego (15,418 ft.). The mountain elevates to a rocky North Southern crest with the highest peak in the South. Various huts and good trails are availed in both Uganda and Zaire.
Mount Kadam in Karamoja
Situated in the Karamoja region, Mount Kadam is the second highest mountain located in the North Eastern part of Uganda with the highest peak called Libo. The Mountain is inhabited by five different tribes i.e Pokot, Karamojong, Gishu, Sebei and the Kadama. Major crops are grown along the Mountain and these include maize, beans, sun flower and wild tomatoes and these farmers have a problem of food insecurity due to constant climate variations and attacks of baboons that are fond of stealing food crops baboons as well as inadequate access to good healthcare and lack of agricultural tools.
Mt Sabinyo
Mount Sabinyo is suitably located in Mgahinga National Park at an elevation of 3645 m and is among the various volcanoes that make up the Virunga ranges. The Mountain traverses all the borders of the three different countries i.e Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. When at this volcano, you will be able to reach the meeting points of all these countries as well as scenic views of the Virunga ranges hence referred to as the axis of the virungas. There are three different peaks along this volcano with a minimum hiking experience requiring approximately 8 hours. However, due to the rugged nature of the terrain various handmade ladders have been invented to enable hikers climb to the top of the Volcano with ease. The physical fitness of the hikers will determine the encounter they will have. The Hikes begin from the park office and hikers are accompanied with an experienced ranger guide. Walking sticks are provided for free to help hikers climb to the top. The porters are also available to be hired from US $15-$25 and the trek goes through bamboo zones ranging from 2400-2800m. Various wildlife species can be spotted like Golden monkeys, Buffalo, elephants and the rare unique Rwenzori Turaco.