Rwenzori Mountain Climbing

Get up early, have breakfast and head to Kyanjiki Hostel, 12 kilometers from Kasese via Kilembe. The walking experience starts at 8:00 AM if you can start at 10:00 AM. There you will meet your guide and begin the 2.2 kilometer trek to the UWA Ranger Station at 1,727 meters above sea level. Here, the park ranger will inform you about the day’s activities and rules. The walk today will be 8.6 kilometers long and should take 5 to 6 hours to complete. It will start at an altitude of 1,667 meters and rise to 3,171 meters. The first two kilometers uphill lead you into the mountain forest, where you can see tall trees covered with thick undergrowth, various bird species and primates. You will continue to follow a steep climb to the main ridge with few rocks and solid footing unless it rains heavily. 

There you can find pristine forests with a diverse variety of trees and plants. Groups of 15 to 20 black and white colobus monkeys can easily be seen among the trees at our meal site. After lunch, we will hike another half kilometer to a small cave that was once a hideout for poachers. Many birds and insects make dense bamboo their home. Slowly approaching the 3000m mark, the rather lovely bamboo gave way to huge heathers covered in beard moss. At the end of the day’s hike, stop at Samarila Camp for panoramic views of the foothills of Lake George and Queen Elizabeth National Park, with a clear view of the town of Kasese to the left.