Rwenzori mountain also known as the Mountains of the moon happens to be with the third tallest mountain summit in Africa standing on approximately 16763 feet tall (5109 meters). Mountain Rwenzori is also considered to be among the sources or starting point of the longest river in the world (River Nile) and Rwenzori National Park happens to be home to this amazing attraction which is the reason to why the park was gazetted in the year 1991 and later on was declared as a UNESCO World heritage Site in the year 1994. Mountain Rwenzori National Park is located in the south western part of Uganda approximately 375 kilometers away from Kampala which is the capital city of Uganda which means it takes roughly about 6-8 hours to get there depending on the route used and the accessibility. The Park is located along the Albertine rift valley bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and below is the basic information you need know about Mountain Rwenzori National Park before you decide to visit for an adventure.
What are the attractions of Mountain Rwenzori National Park?
Mountain Rwenzori National Park has a number of attractions which are a reason to why most tourists visit. With the major attraction being Mountain Rwenzori (Mountains of the Moon), there are various attractions that you should look forward to seeing or spotting once you visit and these are
Wildlife in Rwenzori National Park
Rwenzori National Park is home to a variety of wildlife species (over 70 mammal species) of which about 6 mammals are endemic species to the Albertine Rift Valley and some of these include elephants, chimpanzees, Rwenzori otters, leopards, back and white colobus monkeys, tiny antelopes, brushbacks, and reptiles such as the three horned chameleon. although spotting these animals is quite difficult, but while hiking the mountain the chances of encountering some of them is higher.
Vegetation cover in Mountain Rwenzori National Park
The vegetation cover on the slopes of Mountain Rwenzori is quite interesting and eye catching while hiking Mountain Rwenzori and walking in the park. The vegetation cover varies depending on the zone or altitude you have reached while hiking and these are Savannah zone (covers from about 680m to 1800m), Afromontane Forest zone (covers from about 1800m to 2600m), Bamboo Forest zone (covers from about 2600m to 2900m), Heather / Rapenea zone (covers about 2900 m to 4000m), Afro-alpine moorland zone (covers about 4000m to 4500m), and Rocky / Glacier zone (covers about 4500m to 5109m).
Birds in Rwenzori National Park
Rwenzori National Park is home to over 217 different bird species of which about 17 are endemic species which makes it one of the bird heavens or birding destinations in Uganda. the forest zone which covers approximately 1800m has a variety of birds to be spotted which include Blue headed sunbird, Cinamon- chested -Bee eater, Rwenzori Batis, Rwenzori Turaco, long eared owl, Greenbuls, Strange weaver, Golden winged sunbird, barbets, Apalises, Fly catchers, to list a few. These birds can easily be spotted flying around in the forest zone of Mountain Rwenzori.
Rwenzori snow peaks in Rwenzori National Park
Mountain Rwenzori has about 6 ranges which are located few miles south of the equator with the highest being Mount Stanely (Margherita standing on about 5109 meters), Mount Baker (stands on about 4,844 meters), Mount Speke (stands on about 4890 meters), Mount Luigi di Savioa (standing on approximately 4637 meters), Mount Emin (standing on about 15742 ft high), Mount Gessi made up of twin peaks (Lolanda standing on about 15,470ft and Bottego standing on about 15,418 ft).
Lakes in Mountain Rwenzori National Park
Mountain Rwenzori National Park has about 20 lakes which are all a result of melting glaciers of the mountain. These lakes are a source of water to different rivers like River Nyamwamba (in Kasese district) and also support floods plains and human activities. Due to the coldness of the water in these lakes, there is no aquatic life (fish, frogs, crocodiles) found there. Some of the lakes found Rwenzori National Park include Lake Mahoma, Lake Bujuku, Lake Katandara, Lake Irene, to name a few.
Activities/ what to do in Rwenzori National Park
There are a number of tourists activities that you can carry out or do when you visit Mountain Rwenzori National Park, and these include
Hiking Mountain Rwenzori
Being the major attraction in the park, also Mountain Rwenzori hiking is the major tourist activity or the main reason to why most tourist visit this park. Hiking or climbing mountain Rwenzori takes to approximately 6 to 12 days which are determined by different factors such as fitness of the climber or hiker, the hiking trail or route used, the weather conditions and the hiking tour package of a client.
Community tours/ visits
You can also do a community tour in the nearby communities such as the Bakonzo/ Ruboni community (main occupants of the nearby community to the park, Bikone community, Mihunga community, Kilembe, and Bikone Parish. When you visit any of these communities, you will get to learn about their history, way of life, interact with them, also get to watch them perform their cultural dances.
Other travel activities that are done or can be carried out in Mountain Rwenzori National Park include birding, guided nature walks, primate watching, research study, photography, to name a few.
What is the best time to visit Mountain Rwenzori National Park?
Mountain Rwenzori National Park is always open for tourists or visitors to visit but the best time or recommended time is during the dry season of the year (June to September and December to February). The dry season is the best time to visit Rwenzori National Park because during this time of the year because the hiking trails are dry and more accessible which makes the activity easier than during the wet season when the trails tend to be filled with mud and slippery which makes the hiking more difficult that it already was.
What to pack for hiking mountain Rwenzori?
There are essential items that you should consider packing for your Mountain Rwenzori hiking safari or tour and some of these include waterproof hiking boots. Waterproof Jacket, long sleeved shirts, long sleeved trousers, sleeping bag, hiking socks, a pair or wool gloves, backpack, first aid kit, insect repellant, to list a few.
Mountain Rwenzori is very challenging and needs healthy and physically fit individuals to hike for those that do not trust their fitness but would like to have an experience of hiking Mountain Rwenzori, we can customize for you a short hiking package of about 3 to 4 days where you will not get to the higher summits of the mountain but will have a great experience to tell a bout.