9 Days Congo Rwenzori Mountain hiking – Reaching Peak Margherita (5109 m of alt)

rmalities before whisking you off to Mutsora Station at the foot of Rwenzori Massif. It takes 45’ to reach the station from Kasindi. Depending on the time you reach Mutsora, you might enter the bush (40’ walk) to go experience thermal water which is a natural hot water flowing in the rocks at the foothills of Rwenzoris Massifs.

There you will be briefed after paying porters fees and complying with all hiking formalities. From Mutsora you will head to Kyandolirwe which is the hiking starting point (1700 m of altitude). It takes 6 hours to reach the first lodging in Kalonge. During the trek, if lucky you will see chimpanzees or hear their sound. You will spot Rwenzori Turaco, Guerrezzas monkey, Cercopithecus (Red tailed monkeyguenon),… You will see a rare tree called ‘’PIJOUM’’ which under threat from locals as its bark is key to curing prostate and many other diseases. You will spot a couple of rivers during this first day trek to Kalonge. Kalonge means Bamboo and comes from the Nande dialect.

p the Rwenzoris from Kalonge to Mahangu, a total of 1172m of altitude. Mahangu is Nande dialect and means between two hills. As you go up, you will cross Nyamuamba River, your porter will supply water from the river to get you to the summit. During the trek, if lucky you will see chimpanzees or hear their sound. You will spot Rwenzori Turaco, Jackson’s Chameleon which is a three horns chameleon, Cephalof Rubidus (an rare antelopes found only in the Rwenzoris), Green peacock,… The vegetation is pervasively made of purple forest heather and podocarp forests.

Kiondo is Nande dialect and means the mud. You will spot Rwenzori Turaco, Guerrezzas monkey, Jackson’s Chameleon, sunlight birds, Pied Crow,… The vegetation is made of lobelia flowers, Carex Flowers, Immortelle (Ageless flower) As you reach Kiondo, you might go to WASUWAMESO located 262 m up from Kiondo at 4462m of altitude to be precise. Wasuwameso means Pleasure of the eyes. WASUWAMESO is a panoramic area at Pic Maria. From Pic Maria you will see Pic Marguerite (5119m alt) actually called Pic Stanley, Pic Alexandra (5098m alt), Pic Albert (5088m alt), Pic Mobeus and also glacier Stanley. From there, you can spot a gallery of rivers ranging from Semuliki river to Lac Edouard. If the atmosphere is not cloudy, you could even see Nyiragongo Volcano (Boasting the world’s largest lava lake), Beni and Butembo city. The fauna is made Cephalos, Pied Crow, Rwenzori Turaco, Sunlight birds, gallery of lakes (Black lake, Green Lake and Gray Lake). It takes 1h30’ to reach WASUWAMESO from KIONDO.

ill be done; it takes 4 hours in a roundtrip to reach the glacier, Black and Green Lake via Moraine. The trek up is dangerous as trekkers cross the fault with the risk of falling and dying or being injured but it will definitely worth it as you touch the glacier and see the snow. The vegetation here is the same as in Mahangu and Kiondo. Moraine means, a place where there were used to be glacier but it has disappeared. After touching the glacier and drinking natural water from Black and Green Lakes, you will head down to the third Lodging in Kiondo where you will spend the night in basic Hut.

ge in Africa, with its loftiest peaks, Margherita (5,109m) and Alexandra (5083m) on Mount Stanley, both of them are exceeded in altitude elsewhere in Africa only by Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya. On this day, you will climb through narrow ridges. The climb will be a steep one on land of ice. The conditions at this altitude are mostly chilly, with the peaks covered in glaciers on some occasions. After surfing and enjoying pic Margherita, you will head down to Moraine in a 3 hours descent. The descent will go up to Kiondo (4200m alt) if the group does not bump into so many crevasses in glacier. Most of the time, trekkers will spend the night at Moraine (4350m alt).

Descending will be easier compared to the challenging hike. You will spend the night at the second lodging all the way from the fourth lodging (Moraine).

s around the park in Mutwanga village and its surroundings, Mutwanga is home to the Nande who live in the foothills of the mountain where you will learn about their daily activities like farming, animal rearing, taste their traditional dishes, visit traditional healers, craft shops and engage in entertainment such as traditional dances, music, dramas which make your visit rewarding. In the evening, you will be brought back to Kasindi Border Post for drop-off.