Rwenzori mountains national park

About Rwenzori mountains national park

The Rwenzoris were christened the “Mountains of the Moon” by the Alexandrine geographer Ptolemy in AD 150.

The explorer Henry Stanley placed the Rwenzori on the map on 24th May 1888. He labelled it ‘Ruwenzori’, a local name which he recorded as meaning “Rain-Maker” or “Cloud-King.”

The park was gazetted in 1991 and was recognized as a World Heritage site in 1994 and Ramsar site in 2008.

Highest point: 5,109m above sea level on Mt Stanley’s Margherita Peak. Mt. Stanley is bisected by the border with DR Congo. The oldest recorded person to reach Margherita Peak was Ms Beryl Park aged 78 in 2010.

Unlike East Africa’s other major mountains, Mountain Rwenzori is a block of rock up-faulted through the floor of the Western Rift Valley.

The Rwenzoris – the fabled Mountains of the Moon – lie in western Uganda along the Uganda-Congo border. The equatorial snow peaks include the third highest point in Africa, while the lower slopes are blanketed in moorland, bamboo and rich, moist montane forest. Huge tree-heathers and colorful mosses are draped across the mountainside with giant lobelias and “everlasting flowers”, creating an enchanting, fairy-tale scene. The region’s glaciers, waterfalls and lakes make it one of Africa’s most beautiful alpine areas

Rwenzori Mountains National Park protects the highest parts of the 120km-long and 65km-wide Rwenzori mountain range. The national park hosts 70 mammals and 217 bird species including 19 Albertine Rift endemics, as well as some of the world’s rarest vegetation.

The Rwenzoris are a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination. A nine- to twelve-day trek will get skilled climbers to the summit of Margherita – the highest peak – though shorter, non-technical treks are possible to scale the surrounding peaks.

For those who prefer something a little less strenuous, neighboring Bakonzo villages offer nature walks, homestead visits home cultural performances and accommodation, including home-cooked local cuisine.

 

EAST AFRICAN OFFICES

Plot 10 Kanjokya Street,

Kampala – Uganda

+256 200 900-983

+256 783 664 664

UK OFFICES

86-90 Paul Street London England – United Kingdom

+447542602446
DUBAI

Eta Star House, 1st FloorSalah Al Din Road, Deira Dubai, UAE

+971 50 804 4975

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