9-Day Rwenzori Margherita Peak Trek via the Kilembe Trail

• Depart from Entebbe to Kasese. Overnight at Sandton Hotel on a bed-and-breakfast basis. Approximate driving time from Entebbe is 7 to 8 hours.

• Have a briefing before departure from our base camp, Trekkers Hostel Kilembe, also known as Rwenzori Backpackers Hostel Kyanjuki, with the guides at 8:00 am. Trekkers Hostel is only 12 km from Kasese town, taking approximately 30 to 40 minutes by road.

Hike to Kalalama Camp at 3,147 metres.

• We start by walking up the valley floor through the tall forest trees of the Afro Montane Forest Zone.

This is a steady climb with multitudes of birds and a chance of seeing blue monkeys scampering through the forest. At times, visitors may also see troops of 15 to 20 black-and-white colobus monkeys swinging through the treetops. There are rare sightings of the L'Hoest monkey, which is part of the Bukonzo cultural emblems and is protected by virtue of the King, or Omusinga, and you may also hear wild chimpanzees in the distance.

There is a wide variety of plant species, from forest trees to bamboo thickets, as you enter the Bamboo-Mimulopsis Zone, which is a steep climb with many high steps. In the wet season, the bamboo zone is rather muddy and slippery, making the going slow, though not too difficult if you are fit. However, the atmosphere in the forest is fantastic as you climb to Kalalama Camp at 3,147 metres, which lies in the Heather-Rapanea Zone with many tall heather trees and a good chance to see the Rwenzori Turaco (Gallirex johnstoni), a member of the Turaco family (Musophagidae) with bright crimson wings.

• Hike to Bugata Camp at 4,062 metres.
• After an early breakfast, you set off and today bypass Mutinda Camp, continuing up to Bugata Camp at 4,100 metres. The trail meanders up and over several small knolls along a ridge top, then drops down the side of the valley before climbing again. In doing so, it crosses several small streams and passes close to moss-covered waterfalls. You then climb steadily along the side of a beautiful mossy river that tumbles down over the rocks beneath Giant Heather trees whose trunks are covered in green moss, with old man's beard (Usnea lichen) hanging from the branches.

The trail twists and turns as you climb up the deep valley, which has an enormous variety of plants and flowers. This valley is unique, with many Giant Heather trees creating a beautiful atmosphere often shrouded in mist. The trail here is boggy, particularly in the wet season, but with a little skill you can step from tussock to tussock to make the going easier. We have put several boardwalks across the worst of the bogs and continue to build more to make it a little easier. You cross the Mutinda Valley through tussock grass and everlasting flowers interspersed with many Giant Lobelias before climbing a steep section up to the Namusangi Valley at 3,840 metres, which ends abruptly with sheer waterfalls and fantastic views of Mutinda Peaks. The Namusangi Valley is wide, with many ups and downs and several bog crossings, as the trail climbs steadily to Bugata Camp at 4,062 metres. Bugata Camp is situated high up on Bamwanjara Pass above Bugata Lake, with views across Lake Kopello to Weismann's Peak, which is often covered with snow, and down the valley to Lake Africa, Lake Kanganyika, and the many small peaks towards Mutinda Camp. The area is covered with tussock grass, everlasting flowers (Helichrysum), St John's Wort (Hypericum bequaertii), giant groundsel (Senecio adnivalis), and Giant Lobelia (Lobelia gibberoa).

There are many Red Forest Duiker (Cephalophus nigrifrons rubidus), a sub-species found only in the Rwenzori Mountains. Bugata Camp has good facilities, solar lights, and good toilets and bathrooms, where the guides may prepare some warm water in a basin for you to wash.

Bugata also has a helicopter pad (GPS reading N 18.312 E29 53.457) in case of any need for rescue by helicopter, but be warned that a helicopter in Uganda costs around $10,000 per hour of flying time, which is far more than in other countries, so you need insurance in case of rescue.

Hike to Hunwick's Camp at 3,974 metres.

• Trek to Hunwick's Camp via Bamwanjarra Pass. As you leave Bugata Camp, you pass up a ridge, then drop down slightly before ascending to Bamwanjarra Pass at 4,450 metres, where we have a hut should the weather turn bad. From the pass, on a clear day, you get excellent views of the three main peaks. The trail passes down the valley and around the edge of some bogs and thick evergreen vegetation, moss, giant groundsel, and lobelia. This is possibly the best place in all the Rwenzori to observe the Malachite Sunbird as it feeds on the many lobelia flowers, and it is also a known breeding site. Further on, there are some steep sections before a steady climb up and over a ridge to Hunwick's Camp, which is situated on the top of a deep valley and has good views of Mt Stanley, Mt Baker, Weismann's Peak, and McConnell's Prong.

Hike to Margherita Camp at 4,485 metres.

Height gain: 510 m

Distance: 5.1 km

Approximate hours: 4 to 6

• From Hunwick's, we pass down and across the valley floor to Lake Kitandara, which is very stunning with deep water and beautiful vegetation. From here, you climb up Scott Elliott's Pass and then up the ridge to Margherita Camp at 4,485 metres, which is situated between some huge rocks and offers some shelter from the strong winds. This is the very spot where the Duke of Abruzzi camped when making his climb to Margherita Peak in 1906.

• Summit Margherita Peak at 5,109 m, then descend to Hunwick's Camp. Height gain: 624 m, then descend 1,134 m. Distance: 3.8 km to the top, then 8.9 km descent.
• Wake up at 2:00 am and have an early breakfast before heading off to climb Mt Stanley at 2:30 am.
• This is necessary because the weather has changed a lot, and often, even during the drier season, the mountain is closed in with heavy clouds and snowfall from 1 pm to 4 pm. This can happen within a short period of 10 to 15 minutes as the clouds rise from the extensive Congo rainforests.

During January and February 2017, clients were closed in and unable to walk during heavy snowstorms, which previously were not heard of during the drier season, and arrived back at Margherita Camp well after dark, with one group returning at 11 pm totally exhausted. Due to this change in weather, we have set a turnaround time of 10 am, so if you do not reach the peak before then, you must turn around regardless of the disappointment, in the interests of safety.

Margherita Glacier has also suffered from global warming, and as the outer edges of the glacier recede, the ice is becoming steeper, with one section of about 200 metres at more than a 60% grade. Combined with this, much of the black ice has melted underneath, causing caves under the ice, and as it gets thinner, it eventually caves in. So it is necessary that clients understand and take the guides' advice on where to pass.

For those clients with less mountaineering experience, we suggest that you stay on Stanley Glacier and climb up to a good vantage point on a rocky outcrop on the southern edge of Alexandra Peak to enjoy fantastic views over Congo and the lower mountain ridges.

After ascending the peak at 5,109 metres, you then descend directly to Hunwick's Camp at 3,874 metres.

• Approximate hours: 4 to 6 to the top, 3 to 5 back to Margherita, and 3 to 4 to Hunwick's.

Descend to Kiharo Camp at 3,430 metres.

• From Hunwick's Camp, we start the day by climbing up a ridge towards McConnell's Prong, where you get the best views of all three peaks and Scott Elliott's Pass before reaching Oliver's Pass at 4,505 metres. The distance from Hunwick's Camp to the top of Oliver's Pass is 3 km. The trail then cuts across below Weismann's Peak to the confluence of the Nyamwamba River, which flows down through Kilembe and Kasese to Lake George in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• If you wish to climb Weismann's Peak at 4,620 metres from Oliver's Pass, you may do so at an extra cost of $20 each. On a clear day, you get fantastic views of Margherita and Mt Stanley, Mt Speke, and Mt Baker.
• After crossing the confluence, the trail meanders down the valley to Kiharo Camp, which is situated in a deep valley with high cliffs and dense vegetation. On the way down the valley, after each bog, you will climb over a ridge of stones and earth which seems out of place, but was actually pushed there by slow-moving glaciers that eventually stopped moving, melted, and left a pile of rocks and debris in front of where the glacier once stood.

• Descend to the base camp at 1,450 m.

  Distance from Kiharo Camp to the park gate is 12.2 km, and another 2.8 km down to Trekkers Hostel. Walking time is 5 to 8 hours, so those who need to connect to flights back to Kampala or travel on to other activities need to leave Kiharo early.

  The trail down the Nyamwamba Valley is mostly downhill and absolutely stunning, with beautiful views, moss-covered rocks along the river, cascading waterfalls, deep valleys, and forests that are possibly the best in the Rwenzori Mountains. This part of the trail took us six years to find a way through and a route easy enough for tourists to use. In 1937, the explorer and geologist McConnell tried to find a way up this valley but failed and had to turn back and search for another route up the mountain, but now you can experience this truly beautiful valley.

  A few kilometres from Kiharo Camp, the path turns off to the right to pass along the river. In the clear areas, you may catch a glimpse of a duiker quietly feeding in small clearings as you pass along the river. If you wish, you may prefer to walk down the river itself, hopping across the rocks as you go. A few kilometres farther down, the river becomes very steep with multitudes of waterfalls, so we have to move away from the river and follow a narrow ridge to bypass the steep sections. At the bottom, we again meet the river, where there is a huge rock shelter and a place to rest for a while. After crossing a small stream, you climb up a gentle slope before turning back down to the river to avoid another set of waterfalls which are impassable. The forest along this section is magnificent and full of life, with many birds, primates, duikers, and hyrax. It is a great experience and a fitting ending to a fantastic trek. Transfer to Sandton Hotel for dinner and overnight.

• After breakfast, transfer to Entebbe, where you shall be dropped off at Sandton Hotel, Entebbe. The drive takes approximately 8 hours.

End of services.