Mountain Rwenzori National Park Uganda Safari
Mar. 31st, 2008 by admin
The fabled ” Mountains of The Moon ” lie in Western Uganda on the Congolese border, with snow-covered, equatorial peaks rising to height of 5110 m and lower slopes blanketed in moorland and rich montane forest with bamboo on the lower slopes and heath and moorland on higher slopes. They cover a total area of 996 sq. km. Most of the park is accessible to hikers with magnificent scenery and 19 Albertine Rift endemics.
Timing : January - February and July - August are the driest months but rain is possible year round.
Time required : 3 days for the shorter foothill hike and 6-7 days for the usual mountain loop.
The most popular activity is mountaineering closely followed by nature guided walks and birding. One must however keep in mind that high altitude and wet conditions can adversely affect un experienced visitors, leading to ailments such as dehydration and hypothermia
There are over 190 bird species to lookout for among which include:- Albertine Rift endemics like; Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Montane (Rwenzori) Nightjar, Dwarf Honeyguide, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Kivu Ground Thrush, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Montane Masked and Collared Apalises, Stripe-breast Tit, Rwenzori Batis, (Grauer’s Cuckoo-shrike ), Blue-headed, Regal and Purple-breasted Sunbirds, Strange Weaver, Dusky and Shelley’s Crimsonwings.
ACCESS
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is accessible by road from Kampala via Mbarara to Kasese, or from Kampala through Fort Portal and then 75 km south on the Fort Portal / Kasese road. The park is 25 km from Kasese town.All hikes need to be arranged through the Rwenzori Mountain Service ( RMS ), an organisation that works in conjunction with the Ugandan Wildlife Authority to control hiking in the area and to maintain trails and facilities-huts.
Good behaviour at the huts and on the trail is appreciated. It is very helpful to always ask your guide on how to conduct yourself.