Rwenzori Mountains Central Circuit

Information

Distance

58.0 km

Duration

7–9 days

Max elevation

5,109 m

Country

Uganda (UG)

Difficulty

Strenuous to very strenuous — extremely muddy terrain throughout the route, dense tropical rainforest at lower elevations; the ascent to Margherita Peak requires crampons and an ice axe; no technical rock climbing

Best Season

June–August, December–February

Permits & Fees

USD $35 per day UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) entry fee; a guide and porter are mandatory, arranged by official operators in Kasese

Description

The Rwenzori Mountains — historically called the Mountains of the Moon — form a 120 km range straddling the Uganda–DRC border, crowned by Margherita Peak (5,109 m) on Mount Stanley, Africa's third-highest summit. Unlike the volcanic cones of Kilimanjaro and Kenya, the Rwenzoris are a complex crystalline range with six permanently snow-capped massifs sitting almost exactly on the equator. The classic Central Circuit departs from Nyakalengija and takes 7–9 days to traverse the main ridge and summit Margherita, crossing five distinct vegetation zones: lowland rainforest, bamboo forest, giant heather, moorland, and glaciated rocky summit plateau. Above 4,000 m trekkers enter a surreal landscape of 6 m tree heathers draped in beard lichen, 3 m giant lobelias, and groundsel trees that conjure a prehistoric alpine garden. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, the Rwenzoris harbour extraordinary biodiversity and one of Africa's last remaining equatorial glaciers.

Trail Highlights

Margherita Peak 5,109 m (the third highest in Africa after Kilimanjaro and Kenya), permanent snow and glaciers right on the equator, endemic giant flora (6 m tall tree heather, giant lobelia, giant senecio), the Nine Lakes Valley, 6 main peak massifs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site