4 days Rwenzori hike
Day 1: Nyakalengija (1650) to Nyabitaba camp (2650m)
Start the day by approaching the Rwenzori mountaineering reservation officer
early in the morning in order to hire equipments if so and arrange for guides, chef
and porters at once hiking starts from the park gates to Nyabitaba a distance of
7km takes 5-6 hours and an ascent of 1200 meters.
The trail at the beginning goes through homes and fields progressing through high
elephant grasses and dense bush. You will climb over cliffs and bluffs crossing river
Mahoma then ascending steeply into Nyabitaba camp. Certain animals can be
spotted such as the white and black colobus monkeys, three horned chameleon and
the Rwenzori Turaco birds.
Stay an overnight at the Nyabitaba camp.
Day 2: Nyabitaba (2650) m to Johnmaate camp (3505) m
From Nyabitaba you descend to your right follow the trail that drops down through
the forest for a half an hour to the Kurt Shafer bridge, just before the confluence
of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers.
The walk is then easy going for a couple of hours passing through the bamboo
forest and then becomes more difficult kind of like spelunking, traverse through a
long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rocks. From the Nyamileju
rock shelter, Mount Stanley and speke can be seen before passing into the zone of
the giant Heather, lobelia and groundsel. Finally reach Johnmaate camp after
passing through the tiring bog. While here, high chances of catching the nice views
of Mount Stanley and margherita glacier.
Dinner and overnight at the hut.
Day 3: Johnmaate camp 3505m – Bujuku camp 3900m and return back to
Johnmaate for the 3rd night
From Johnmaate camp the trail drops down to cross the Bujuku river and enters
lower bigo bog, the home of Giant lobelias, the bog is finally crossed but really
without the feet sampling some of the freezing ooze, continuing up to the upper
bigo bog you will follow the Bujuku river that sometimes runs underground from
lake Bujuku, with views of mount baker to the south and mount Stanley to the
west, take on the right as you reach Bujuku Lake up to Bujuku camp 3900m in the
shadows of mount speke, Stanley and Baker, take photos of the Bujuku valley and
return back to Johnmaate camp 3505m for the 3rd night.
Day 4: Johnmaate camp (3505) m to Nyabitaba camp 2650m and back to
nyakalengija 1650m by early retracing out route back to the park gates.
This 7 km Walk usually takes 2-3 hours. Descending through Mubuku river and through fields to the park entrance gate. Dinner and overnight at any lodge of your choice.
End of the tour.