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Drive from Kampala in the morning and proceed to the western part of the country-crossing Equator and arrive in Kasese town ready for lunch. After lunch carryout snacks shopping together with your guide. Dinner and overnight in Kasese town.
After breakfast head to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park Head Quarter at Nyakalengija, 1.646 m., you will receive the briefing from your guide or the tourism officer. The hike starts through the plantations and homes of the Bakonjo, the people of the mountain, gradually reaching garden plots and elephants grass. You follow the Mubuku river, until crossing the Mahoma river. The trail passes through an open bracken fern slopes and Podorcarpus Forest, up to Nyabitaba Hut, 2.652 m., which is the arrival point for the day. This will take from 5 to 6 hours. From the location, you are facing on the North the Portal Peaks, 4.627 m., in front Mount Kinyangoma. During the day, you might see monkeys, the Rwenzori Turaco and hearing the voices of the chimpanzee, etc.
From Nyabitaba Hut you cross the Kurt Shaffer Bridge, through a muddy area. Then the trail climbs up through the bamboo forest. You reach a steep rocky area, which leads to Nyamuleju Hut. This point marks the start of the giant lobelia and groundsel zone. The way proceeds through a bog full of typical plants along the Bujuku river. The final point is John Matte Hut, 3.414 m. for spending the night. From Nyabitaba Hut to John Matte it can take approximately 6 hours. Enjoy the view of Mount Stanley and snow capped Margherita and Elena Peaks.
From John Matte Hut you cross the Bujuku River and enter the lower Bigo bog, a grassy bog where you experience how to jump from tussock to tussock. You reach Bigo Hut and enter the upper Bigo bog, proceeding to Lake Bujuku, where it is starting the alpine savannah zone of little vegetation. You finally arrive at Bujuku Hut, 3.962 m. This day hike can take up to 5 hours. There you have a view on the peaks of Mount Stanley, Mount Baker and Mount Speke. From Bujuku starts the diversion for whom intends to climb Mount Speke. For climbing Margherita and Alexandra peaks it is advised to proceed to Elena Hut for overnight.
From Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical Groundsel Gully as it ascends to Scott-Elliot Pass at 4372m. At the head of the gully a metal ladder takes you over a steep section after which the trail is divided into two. The trail on your right leads 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. Dinner and Overnight at the Coolly & Icy Elena Hut.
For those aiming at reaching Margherita peak (5109m), continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier. To reach the summit of Margherita, the climb takes about 5-7 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 which are open on many sides. Note that this climb is for only physically fit and technical climbers. Climbing on to the glaciers, cross the Stanley Plateau and proceed with the ascent. Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and coolly weather, scramble up to the summit of Margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzoris. Given the high altitude and the tough conditions even if you do not reach the peak, don’t get disappointed. Prepare for your return through the Scott-Elliot pass, where there are spectacular views back to Bujuku Lake and Mount Speke, up to Mount Stanley and down to the Kitandara Lakes. After the trail that passes you through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend past the Kitandara Lakes for dinner and overnight at the Kitandara Hut. However, basing on the time reached at Ellena hut after margarita, youtalk wit your guide to have another night at Ellena hut which will lead to an extra day.
From Lake Kitandara you climb to Freshfield Pass, 4.282 m., a long flat of high alpine mossy glades, before descending the circuit among rocky and boggy areas. The panorama is dominated by the glaciers of Mounts Stanley and Baker. A muddy trail leads to Kandahi, Bujongolo and Kabamba rock shelters, where starts the Kabamba valley down to Guy Yeoman Hut, 3.261 m. This can take up to 6-7 hours. The hut is surrounded by a beautiful landscape of mountains, vegetations and rivers. This 5 Km stretch also involves ascent and descent. While at Fresh field pass take a view of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In this day you complete the central circuit by going back to Nyabitaba Hut. The trial is attractive along the valley of the Mubuku and Kichuchu rivers, rich in plants and flowers of the heather zone before reaching the bamboo forest. See Kabamba falls on the way. Time to reach Nyabitaba is about 5- 6 hours. Eventually, you decide to terminate the trial by descending directly to Nyakalengija, adding 2 to 3 more hours. Here it may depend on the decision of the client to either make it a one way journey from Guy Yeoman Hut direct to Nyakalengijo or to have an overnight at Nyabitaba
From Nyabitaba to reach Nyakalengija it can take up to three hours. From Nyabitaba you can still decide with your guide to starts the 40 minutes trial to see Lake Mamoha and back to the hut for descending to the Park Head Quarter. Picked by your driver to ovenight I Kasese town
Drive from Kasese with lunch stop on the way that is in Fortportal and proceed to Kampala /Entebbe. End of Expedition and we say bye-bye see you again.
