Rwenzori Mountains National Park Uganda
February 27, 2008
RWENZORI MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
The remarkable landscape was referred to as the Mountain of the moon by Alexandrine
a Geographer Ptolemy in AD 150. He also claimed that it was the source of the Nile since it had snow-capped range on its peak.
However, over along period, the snow faded away to form a mythology. The name (Mountain of the moon) was assured when John Speke found the existance of the Nile from Lake Victoria.
In1889, it was proved by Henry Stanely that the mountain existed. He then local named it Rwenjura (rain maker) on its map.
Mountain Rwenzori lies between Uganda and Congo border, then passes through the highest peak of Mt. Stanely. The landscape is surrounded by Virunga National Park in Congo and Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda.
Beneath the highest peak along the Bujuku and Mobuku valley on which the trail meanders for 7 days on its explore, a tough trek is created although there are short distances terrain weather and altitude when combined.
The Ptolemy’s mountains were explored by the mountaineers and found that they are in the high Rwenzori glaciers and snow peaks, despite being just miles North of the equator, and the highest springs of the Nile are represented by the melt waters from the snow peak.
A 2500mm of rain/year twinkle downwards into a u-shaped glacial valleys and form great soggy bogs when they saturate the floors of the broad valley.
These rain and mist form specimens of Africa’s bizarre, vegetation of high altitude and stunted trees.
A lay out of the Rwenzori peak was established by the Italian Duke of Abruzzi in 1906 during his attempt of June and July. He photographed, mapped and scaled all the main peaks of Rwenzori Mountain after succeeding Stanely.
Access:
Rwenzori is 4000m above the Albertine Rift valley floor, few kilometers North of the equator. From Kampala to Nyakalengija park via Fort Portal from the North is 375km. Another route is passing through Mbarara and Queen Elizabeth using the Southern Route, its 450km.
Nyakalengija is 25km North of Kasese town and 17km off Fort Portal road.
Charter flights can as well be arranged from Kampala or Entebbe to Nyakalengija.
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