Mountain Climbing

Mountain hiking adventures in Uganda are accelerated by the hyped landscapes which raise up to over 5,109m above sea level. Mountain climbing features among the thrills offered for adventurous travelers closely to wildlife, gorilla trekking, and chimpanzee tracking. The natural terrain across the country which is characterized by rolling (inflate) landscapes displays various hiking suggestions for first-time hikers and advanced.

The country is placed in the middle of both the Albertine and the Eastern Rift Valleys ideally makes it exceptional. At the mentioning, there are various hiking options in the Pearl of Africa that can be undertaken across the country, as well their continent featuring options in Africa among which include Mt. Rwenzori hiking Africa’s 3rd highest peak (Margharita peak), Mt. Elgon world’s largest mountain caldera, the Virunga Volcanoes of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Sabinyo, Muhavura, and Gahinga), Mount Murongole, and Mount Moroto and a number of mountains to consider for hiking.

Notable mountains in Uganda

Hiking Mountain Rwenzori

Africa’s 3rd mountain comes after mountain Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya. The mountain is located in western Uganda placed within the great Albertine rift valley and situated along the borders of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is Africa’s mystical mountain clothed with glaciers on its highest peak branding it “the Mountain of the Moon”, it’s among the three UNESCO world heritage sites in the country.

These mountain ranges in geographical terms were formed due to uplifted block crystalline rocks that formed about 3 million years ago. The Rwenzori is a chain of ranges with major ones including Mt Stanly (Margharita 5,109) Mt. Speke (4,890), Mt. Baker 4,843m), and Mt. Emin (4,798m), Mt. Gessi (4715m), and Mt. Luigi Savoia (4,627m).

Though it’s Africa’s 3rd highest peak, climbing to the top of a glacier Margarita peak suggests Africa’s most challenging hiking experience. However, there are many various trekking trails that range from hours to one day up to 7 days of hiking mount, Stanly.

Hiking Mountain Elgon

Mountain Elgon is Uganda’s 2nd highest mountain with the highest peak Wagagai being raised at 4321m high, 4th East African, and 8th African highest peak. The Elgon is an eminent world’s largest mountain caldera measuring 50km by 80km and an extinct dormant volcano. Mount Elgon – the Volcano that was once Africa’s tallest Mountain until one-third of its top blew off a few million years ago.

Climbing Elgon is not a one-way trek, rather accompanied by a variety of fascinating wildlife and landscape scenery. The differing vegetation covers shelter likely a number of species that one would encounter along your trek. Great features of waterfalls, caves, and fascinating sceneries accompany you on your trek to the summit.

There are various hiking trails that can range from 1 day to 5 days, and the most fascinating trails are the 4 to 5 days trials. The Sasa trail (Budadiri trail) which is accessed from Mbale is more direct to the peak through large bamboo areas.

The Virunga Volcanoes

As well-known as Virunga Massif (chain of volcanoes), of seven major mountains which is shared among the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC. The Virunga Massif is a wondrous chain of tropics only known to be the endemic habitat for mountain gorillas. However, there are 3 major Mgahinga volcanoes ranges that have straightly posed to suggest an incredible trekking experience amidst gorillas trekking and golden monkey tracking. The 3 Volcanoes include; Mount Sabinyo, Mount Muhavura (Muhabura) and Mount Gahinga make a splendid mountain climbing adventure to southwestern Uganda.

The Mgahinga Volcano hiking trail all is of a one-day trek, as well as varies in the hours to trekking in accordance to which trail was undertaken. The most famous hiking trail of the Mgahinga (Virunga) volcanoes is Mount Sabinyo (3669m) which is a walk of 8hrs covering 14km to and from. The Sabinyo volcano is situated at the borders of the 3 mentioned countries and standing at its summit, it’s a broad oversight of the three countries. Mount. Muhavura highs at 4217m a trek covering 12km hiked in 7hours to the summit walking off the beaten path thru ladders, swampy, and bamboo covers. Mount. Gahinga is a relaxed hiking trail to the height of 3474m, the trail covers only 8km trekked in at least 6hours.

Mount Morungole

Mountain Murungole lies within the Kidepo valley National park northeastern Uganda, neighboring the border of Uganda and South Sudan. Mountain Morungole is the 2nd highest peak in the northern region of the country raised at an elevation of 2750m, and the mountain became famous for dwelling people the unfamed Ik People who lived on top of this volcano. Climbing mountain Morungole is one of the limited adventures which can be done in this African remotest reach. This hiking trail is not for the heart faint certainly in the category of off-the-beaten-paths places in Uganda covering about 8hrs in the accompaniment to the Ik people’s cultural encounter.

Mount Moroto:

Mountain Moroto proposes the highest point in the northern region of Uganda at an elevation of 3083m still in the Karamajong sub-region.  The mountain can easily be accessed from the Mount Elgon – Sipi Falls- Pian Upe Game Reserve along the way to a Safari to Kidepo Valley National Park. Climbing Mt. Elgon through the off-the-beaten-path can be combined with cultural encounters in one day.