11-Day Rwenzori Cheptegei Peak, and Coffee Farm Experience
Included
Porterage.
Park fees.
All activities (Unless labeled as optional).
All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade).
A professional driver/guide.
All transportation (Unless labeled as optional).
All Locals taxes/VAT applicable to tour.
Roundtrip airport transfer.
Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section).
Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section).
Coffee farm visit.
An all-inclusive mountain adventure to the Rwenzori Mountains - the Mountains of the Moon. Shroud in mist, and legend, the Rwenzoris, Africa's third-highest, after Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya, remain largely unexplored. This allows your trek in this UN World Heritage Site of surreal plants, animals, and tropical glaciers, to leave a small environmental footprint. The trek will take you across tropical glaciers before you summit Cheptegei Peak. After the trek, visit a coffee farm.
Excluded
Entry Visa.
Personal Travel Insurance.
Domestic flights unless listed in final itinerary.
Rescue fee.
International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour (unless listed in itinerary).
Tips and Gratuities.
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.).
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees.
Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day itinerary).
Laundry.
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Uganda!
Your adventure begins today when you arrive into Uganda. Your guide from Nandi Adventures will warmly welcome you at the airport before you transfer to your accommodation tonight. Entebbe sits on the shores of Africa's largest (and the world's second-largest) fresh water body, Lake Victoria. Depending on your arrival time, you could explore some of the areas around the lake or the town before settling down for the night.
Day 2: Transfer to the Rwenzori Mountains
Transfer by road to the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda. The mountains the locals call the rainmaker. Since ancient times, these mountain ranges and their permanent glaciers on the equator have enchanted travellers and explorers. Little wonder ancient and modern explorers have called them the Mountains of the Moon.
The Rwenzori Mountains are characterized by dramatic peaks, deep valleys, and glaciers, making them one of Africa's most stunning and unique mountain ranges. The highest peak is Mount Stanley, which reaches an elevation of 5,109 meters (16,763 feet) and is the third-highest peak in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. Compared to Kilimanjaro, the Rwenzoris are unexplored and there are no crowds so a minimal environmental footprint. More so, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to the number of peaks.
Day 3: From Basecamp into the Mountains of the Moon
Transfer to the Kilembe base camp at 1,450 meters (4757ft). Your mountain guides will brief you on the trek. From the base camp, you trek 2.2km to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park entrance. Here you will get a briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority wildlife rangers on rules and responsibilities while in the park. Start at Trekkers at 1,450 meters and sleep at Sine Hut at 2,596 meters being a height gain of 1,146 meters. This is a steady climb with multitudes of birds and a chance of seeing blue monkeys, troupes of black and white colobus monkeys, and rare sightings of the L’Hoest monkey which are part of the Bukonzo cultural emblems. You may also hear wild chimpanzee in the distance.
Day 4: Bamboo Zone and Mystic Heather Trees
Hike to Mutinda camp at 3,582 meters (11,752ft), giving you a height gain of 992m (3,255ft). The trek ends in Mutinda Camp, which sits near a small waterfall. You will be staying here for the night. You can now wash, refresh and simply enjoy being in the Mountains of the Moon. Or if you do have what it takes, climb up to the Mutinda Lookout -3975m (13,041ft) - which is one and a half hours up, and one hour down. You will be rewarded with great views of Kasese town and on a clear day, even Lake George in the savanna plains farther away in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. This afternoon trek is also good for acclimatization.
Day 5: Everlasting flowers and giant lobelias
Hike to Bugata camp at 4062 meters, with a height gain of 412 meters through the valley of amazingly unique beautiful plant species, streams and waterfalls while we head to Bugata camp at 4100 meters. The trek gets tougher and exhausting with the steep ridges, mud and boggy sections, high steps but the rewards are enormously beautiful.
Day 6: Malachite sunbirds, glacial lakes, snow-swept peaks
Start out at 8.30am after a hot breakfast. Hike to Hunwick’s camp at 3,874meters (12,710ft) via Bamwanjara pass at 4450m(14,600ft). This altitude will give you excellent views of the main peaks. Hunwick's Camp has good views of Mt Stanley, Mt Baker, Weismanns Peak and McConnell’s Prong. The trek goes through nature’s garden of everlasting flowers, giant groundsel and giant lobelia. The garden is a favorite of the scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird, which is common and endemic to the Rwenzori Mountains.
Day 7: Step into royal history of the Margherita Camp
You could call this a historic trek as you walk across small rivers, through beautiful landscapes up to the Scott Elliott Pass and then on to Margherita Camp at 4,485m (14,715). In 1906, Italian Prince Luigi Amadeo di Savoia, the Duke of the Abruzzi, set up camp here on his way to the top of the Mountains of the Moon. His expedition, the first ever to the summit, had biologists, surveyors, a geologist and a photographer. Climbing through Scot Elliot pass to Margherita camp is approximately 3 to 5hrs of trekking. Yes, the summit day is tomorrow, so early to bed, early to rise!
Day 8: Summit Cheptegei Peak 4907m like a Champion
This is the day every summit climber looks to. After an early breakfast set off between 4:30 to 5:30am from the base of the Stanley Glacier we climb until the end of the glacier. Our target is Cheptegei Peak 4907 meters (16,099ft). The ascent to Cheptegei Peak is non-technical and involves minimal rock scrambling, making it feasible without the use of ropes. However, for safety reasons, we carry ropes on this climb. The peak offers stunning views of the valleys on both the Ugandan and Congolese sides, as well as excellent views of Alexandra Peak with Margherita Peak behind it, and the Stanley Glaciers below.
Day 9: Back from Uganda's rooftop, the Rwenzori Mountains
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. Descend to Kiharo camp at 3,430 meters through Oliver’s pass. Overnight at Kiharo camp set in a deep valley with high cliffs and dense vegetation.
Day 10: So long Beautiful Rwenzori - the Mountains of the Moon
It is time to say goodbye to Africa’s greatest secret and botanical garden. Enjoy the sunrise before breakfast and the trek back to base. The trail down the Nyamwamba Valley is absolutely stunning with beautiful views, moss covered rocks along the river, cascading waterfalls, deep valleys and forests. The forest along this section is magnificent and full of life with many birds, primates, dikers and hyrax. A great experience and ending to a fantastic trek. Transfer to a charming coffee farm nestled in the rolling hills just after Fort Portal city. You will be spending the night there.
Day 11: Savor Uganda's fine organic coffee before your transfer
Savor a delicious breakfast and a cup of freshly brewed Ugandan coffee. Embark on a comprehensive Coffee Tour at the farm, learning about the bean-to-cup journey. Enjoy a tasting of the farm's unique coffee. After a memorable safari experience, depart the coffee farm and transfer to Entebbe Airport for your departure to the next destination.
Optional activities like a safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park; Chimpanzee Tracking or Gorilla Trekking can be arranged on request.
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