10 Days Gorilla and Rwenzori Mountain Safari
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe | Gorilla and Rwenzori Mountain safari
Gorilla and Rwenzori Mountain Safari: On this day, you will be welcomed and picked up from Entebbe by our safari guide and transferred to the hotel for refreshments, dinner, and overnight.
Overnight at Santa Maria Hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Pick up from the hotel after breakfast and make a transfer to Rwenzori Mountains National Park. You will have some stopovers during the drive as you fancy your eyes with amazing features. Arrive in Kasese in the late evening, and check in at the lodge of your choice for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation at Ruboni camp
Day 3: NYAKALENGIJA (1615m asl.) – NYABITABA CAMP (2651m asl.)
The central circuit starts at the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services offices at Nyakalengijja. You need to arrive in the morning to allow ample time to rent equipment and meet your guides and porters. The trail begins by passing through farmland to the park boundary beyond which it follows a thick forest along the Mubuku River, crossing its Mahoma River tributary before starting a long, steep climb up onto a massive ridge to reach Nyabitaba hut. During this part of the trip, you may hear chimpanzees and see black and white colobus, blue monkeys, and the brilliantly colored Rwenzori turaco.
The hike takes an average of 6 -7 hours.
Day 4: NYABITABA – JOHN MATTE CAMP (3505m asl.)
From Nyabitaba follow the trail that drops down through the forest to the Kurt Shafer Bridge, just below the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. Passing through the bamboo forest, traverse through a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rock. From the Nyamuleju rock shelter, Mount Stanley and Mount Speke can be seen before passing into the zone of the giant heather, lobelia, and groundsel. Finally reach John Matte Hut after passing through the tiring bog, for dinner and overnight at the hut.
The hike takes an average of 7 – 8 hours.
Day 5: JOHN MATTE – BUJUKU CAMP (3962m asl.)
From John Matte Hut the trail drops down to cross the Bujuku River and enters Lower Bigo Bog, the home of giant lobelias. Jumping from tussock to tussock, the bog is finally crossed but rarely without the feet sampling some of the freezing ooze below. The upper Bigo bog gives way to Bujuku Lake, with views of Mt Baker to the South and Mt Stanley to the West. Bujuku Hut, well located in the shadow of Mount Baker and Mount Speke, is set in a narrow valley below Stuhlmann Pass. This camp is good for acclimatization for clients attempting the summits of peaks Mount Stanley and Mount Speke. Dinner and overnight at Bujuku hut.
The hike takes an average of 4 – 5 hours.
Day 6: BUJUKU – ELENA CAMP (4541m asl.)
Leaving Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical forest of Groundsel Gully. Turn to your right up to Elena Hut and Mount Stanley on a steep trail over large boulders, while the trail on your left leads to Scott-Elliot Pass and down to Kitandara Lakes the trail on the left leads those who are not climbing Margherita Peak to Kitandara Hut. Those climbing the peak will have their Dinner and overnight at the Coolly and Icy Elena Hut.
The hike takes an average of 5 – 6 hours.
Day 7: ELENA HUT – MARGHERITA PEAK (5109m asl.) – KITANDARA CAMP (4430m asl.)
Very early in the morning, you attempt climbing the highest peak, Margherita of Mount Stanley. To reach the summit of Margherita, the climb takes about 4 -5 hours depending on the weather conditions and the pace of climbing this mountain. This tough walk takes you over three glaciers, slippery rock, ice, and very exposed areas that are open on many sides. Climbing onto the glaciers, cross the Stanley Plateau, and proceed with the ascent. Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness, and cool weather, scramble up to the summit of Margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzori. The descent from Margherita Peak back to Elena Hut will take you about 2 – 3hours.
After your lunch at Elena hut, descend to the Scott-Elliot pass (4372m asl.), where there are spectacular views of Bujuku Lake and Mount Speke. After, the trail passes you through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend past the Kitandara Lakes for dinner and overnight at the Kitandara camp.
The descent takes an average of 3 – 4 hours.
Day 8: KITANDARA – GUY YEOMAN (3261m asl.)
From Kitandara, take on the trail that ascends steeply up the headwall, spreading out from the base of Mount Baker and continuing along the south side of the mountain to Fresh Field Pass 4282m asl. At this point, you can view the Congo to the west and Mount Stanley to the north. From the pass, take on the long high alpine moss. Thereafter the descent through steep rocky trails and the rock shelter at Bujongolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906, and then an overnight at Guy yeoman camp.
The hike takes an average of 6 – 7 hours.
Day 9: GUY YEOMAN – NYABITABA – NYAKALENGIJA (1615m asl.)
Below Guy Yeoman, the route descends the cliffs of Kichuchu. Beyond Kichuchu the muddy path crosses the Mubuku River twice through a bamboo forest before climbing downwards to Nyabitaba to complete the circuit.
Continue descending Nyabitaba Camp and complete your trek by the evening at Nyakalengijja, the base camp.
The descent takes 7 – 8 hours
Overnight at Gorilla Ruboni camp
Day 10: Transfer back to Entebbe
Have your breakfast at the lodge and meet your guide for your transfer back to Entebbe for your overnight at Santa Maria Lodge. Enjoy the enroute views during the transfer and lunch and check in at the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.