Uganda · Trekking

7-Day Rwenzori Trekking Tour on the Kilembe Trail to Mt Stanley

7 Days Round trip from Kampala Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Spot L'Hoest monkeys and colobus monkeys in the Bamboo Zone
02 Trek through moss-covered valleys, waterfalls, and giant heather forests
03 Stay at Bugata Camp with views across Lake Kopello to Weismann's Peak
04 Climb toward Margherita Camp on the historic route of the Duke of Abruzzi
05 Ascend Mt Stanley at 5,109 metres with glacier gear and alpine scenery

Embark on this 7-day journey along the Kilembe Trail in the Rwenzori Mountains, starting from Kilembe at 1,450 metres and trekking through forest, bamboo, heather, and high alpine landscapes. Along the way, look out for L'Hoest monkeys, colobus monkeys, rare birdlife, moss-covered waterfalls, giant lobelias, and dramatic valleys. The route passes through Mutinda, Bugata, Hunwick's, and Margherita camps before the ascent of Mt Stanley at 5,109 metres. This trek combines challenging mountain hiking with spectacular views of lakes, glaciers, and the prominent peaks of the Rwenzori range.

This trek combines challenging mountain hiking with spectacular views of lakes, glaciers, and the prominent peaks of the Rwenzori range.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 7 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Kampala, Kasese, Mount Stanley, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Kampala to Kalalama Camp through the Forest and Bamboo Zones

Meet your tour guide and start by walking up the valley floor through the tall forest trees of the Forest Zone. This is a steady climb with multitudes of birds and a chance of seeing blue monkeys scampering off through the forest. At times, visitors may see troupes of 15 to 20 black-and-white colobus monkeys as they swing 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, or you may hear a wild chimpanzee in the distance. There is a wide variety of plant species, from forest trees to bamboo thickets, as you enter the Bamboo Zone, a steep climb with many high steps. In the wet season, the bamboo zone is rather muddy and slippery, making the going slow, but not so bad if you are fit. However, the atmosphere and the forest are fantastic as you climb to Kalalama Camp at 3,147 metres in the Heather Zone, with many tall heather trees and a good chance to see the Rwenzori Turaco with its bright crimson wings.

Day 02

Mutinda Camp, Namusangi Valley and Bugata Camp

After an early breakfast, you set off as today you will bypass Mutinda Camp and continue 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 and, in doing so, crosses several small streams and passes close to moss-covered waterfalls.
Climb steadily alongside a beautiful mossy river that tumbles over the rocks under the Giant Heather trees, whose trunks are covered in green moss with old man's beard hanging from the branches.
Climb up the deep valley, which has many 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 bit of skill, you can step from tussock to tussock to make the going easier. Several boardwalks have been put across the worst of the bogs, and more continue to be built to make it a little easier. You cross the Mutinda Valley through the 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.
Enjoy the Namusangi Valley, which is wide with ups and downs and crosses several bogs 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 Tanganyika, and the many small peaks towards Mutinda Camp. The area is covered with tussock grass, everlasting flowers, and Giant Lobelia. Bugata Camp will be the spot for the night, with good facilities, solar lights, 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 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. Hence, you need insurance in case of a rescue.

Day 03

Bugata Camp to Hunwick's Camp via Bamwanjarra Pass

Get to the top of this magnificent Mount Rwenzori. You will leave Bugata Camp and pass up a ridge, then drop down slightly before ascending to Bamwanjarra Pass at 4,450 metres, where there is a hut should the weather turn nasty. From the pass, on a clear day, you get excellent views of the three prominent peaks.
Enjoy the trail, which passes down the valley and around the edge of some bogs, 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 is a known breeding site. Farther 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, and Weismann's Peak.

Day 04

Hunwick's Camp to Margherita Camp

Pass down from Hunwick's and across the valley floor to Lake Kitandara, which is very stunning with deep water and beautiful vegetation.
Climb up Scott Elliott's Pass, 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.

Day 05

Early Ascent of Mt Stanley and Return to Hunwick's Camp

Wake up at 2 am and catch an early breakfast before heading off to climb Mt Stanley at 2:30 am. This is necessary as 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, and this happens within a short period of 10 to 15 minutes as the clouds rise from the extensive Congo rainforests. This is a very hectic day and the highlight of this whole trek.
Make full use of your hiking boots, fit on your crampons from time to time, and make good use of your ice axe, plus your headlamp and glasses when it shines so that the glittering glacier does not affect your eyes.
Climb up to the peak of this mountain. This climb takes the route advised by the guides. After ascending the peak at 5,109 metres, you then pass directly down to Hunwick's Camp at 3,874 metres.

Day 06

Hunwick's Camp to Kiharo Camp via Oliver's Pass

We start the day from Hunwick's Camp 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 Elisabeth National Park.
After crossing the confluence, the trail meanders down the valley to Kiharo Camp, situated in a deep valley with high cliffs and dense vegetation.
On the way down the valley, after each bog, climb over a ridge of stones and earth that seems out of place but was pushed there by slow-moving glaciers, which eventually stopped moving, melted, and left a pile of rocks and debris in front of where the glacier once stood.

Day 07

Kiharo Camp Descent through the Nyamwamba Valley

Enjoy the trail down the Nyamwamba Valley, mostly downhill and stunning, with beautiful views, a moss-covered river, cascading waterfalls, deep valleys, and forests that are possibly the best in the Rwenzori Mountains. This part of the trail took six years to find a way through and an easy route for tourists to use. A few kilometres from Kiharo Camp, the path turns off to the right to pass along the river.
Catch a glimpse of a duiker quietly feeding in small clearings as you pass along the river in these precise areas. If you wish, you may prefer to walk down the river itself, hopping across the rocks as you pass down. A few kilometres down the river, it becomes very steep with multitudes of waterfalls, so you have to move away from the river and follow a narrow ridge to bypass steep sections.
At the bottom, meet the river, where there is a vast rock shelter and a place to rest for a while.
Climb up a gentle slope before turning back down to the river to avoid another set of impassable waterfalls. The forest along this section is magnificent and full of life, with many birds, primates, duikers, and hyrax. It is a great experience and an excellent ending to a fantastic trek.