Famous for its prolific wildlife and some of the world’s biggest rivers (the Nile; the Congo) Africa may surprise with the fact it also contains a number of huge mountains. More impressively is the fact its three tallest mountains – Kilimanjaro, Mt Kenya and the Rwenzori Mountains’ Mt Stanley – all contain remnants of once-huge glaciers. Yep, that’s right, the continent known for its generally hot climate, dense jungles and vast savannah plains also boasts a number of glaciers atop sky-piercing peaks.
It would be easy to see the challenge of trekking up these three separate peaks as too tough. Kili’s Uhuru Peak is 5986m, while Mt Kenya’s Point Lenana – the highest point for trekkers – is 4985m (Mt Kenya’s true summit, Batian, is a lofty 5199m, but it is a climber’s route only). The Rwenzori Mountains are, as the plural suggests, a mountain range, with the highest point of Mt Stanley’s Margherita Peak sitting at 5109m. In other words, none are small, but they are all achievable summits.
You can, of course, tackle each of these summits independently, but the logistical work involved do so – especially in the case of the Rwenzori Mountains, owing to their remoteness (they straddle the Uganda/Democratic Republic of Congo borders) – means the best chance of success lies in going with a highly regarded guiding company, such as World Expeditions, who use local guides and porters to carry most of the heavy gear (including your main bag; you will only trek with a daypack each day).
Even with experienced guides and porters helping you, none of these summits are a doddle; their respective heights are the main challenge, owing to the obvious risk of altitude sickness, but there’s also the fact you move through a number of terrain types during your trek, ranging from the dense jungles of the lowlands to the vast savannah higher up, then the rocky, rugged steepness encountered above the tree-line, before you reach the summit-day push. Don’t let this deter you though; some multi-day trekking experience, trek fitness, a positive attitude and the right gear (well worn-in) will see you enjoying something that most of the world never will: the vast sprawl of the African continent below you as you stand atop its highest peaks.
Don’t be misled into thinking ‘they’re all the same’, as nothing could be further from the truth, in terms of physical appearance, the terrain you encounter and the type of challenges involved. Each of these peaks has its own unique character – and each offers its own memorable trekking experience…
Mt Kilimanjaro
Mt Kilimanjaro is the African continent’s tallest mountain – and it is also the most popular on any serious trekkers bucket-list. The reasons are many; being the highest point on the continent, it is also one of the famous Seven Summits (each continent’s highest mountain), and it is (even though it’s the highest) probably the easiest and most approachable peak in terms of logistics and chance of success, due to its popularity.
Perhaps, surprisingly, the mountain itself is not in the least spectacular in appearance. It has no sharp, jagged spires; it is all about sheer size and pure bulk (of which it has plenty), with a distinctive dome-like appearance. This immense dome hides the mountain’s three volcanic cones – Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira – with the last the true summit point. There are myriad routes up Kili, so you can pick and choose according to your timeframe and budget. Each route differs in length; the best advice is to go for one that is not too short, as a slow, steady ascent is key to avoiding any complications through altitude sickness. The Rongai route is a six-day trek that is also the only route that approaches Kili from the north. It also has a very high success rate and is not too crowded.
Slowly, slowly
One of the first things you learn – very quickly – during a Kili ascent is “poli, poli” – a term spoken by the guides every day and one that roughly translates to “slowly, slowly”, helping to ensure no-one becomes a victim to enthusiasm, and then altitude sickness, by moving too quickly for their bodies to adjust to the thinner air.
The Rongai route begins from a pine forest plantation but soon moves into wilder land where you will spot monkeys, baboons and other jungle denizens. Trekkers then leave the jungle behind, continuing higher and experiencing another terrain change as they move into alpine moorland before reaching Simba Camp, at 2600m. The following day is a big one – 12km and a 1000m ascent – but you will be pleasantly distracted by views of Kili and its eastern ice fields as you follow a narrow, rocky track across alpine moors. You will ascend to 3600m before reaching Kikelewa Camp at the end of this day, and most likely will get that first taste of altitude.
Throughout each day guides will work their way up and down the group, checking to see if anyone has altitude sickness symptoms, and making sure people aren’t walking too fast. For some people (i.e. the egotistical), it boils down to “I am fit, so I won’t have any problems”. Sadly for them the “problem” does not discriminate when it comes to fitness levels; it is all about the individual’s physiology. By day three, the effect high altitude trekking has on your body will be more obvious; everyone will slow down and be happy for short breaks as the terrain changes from alpine grasslands to predominantly volcanic rock, with the track including a number of steep pinches and ridgeline scrambling, before the pretty Mawenzi Tarn (the next camp) comes into sight. Summit night is now not that far away…
The roof of Africa
From Mawenzi Tarn campsite, the following day is relatively short, but does include plenty of terrain changes, including the crossing of a lunar-esque expanse between Mawenzi Tarn and Kibo Hut. Kibo Hut is your summit-night camp and it is here that guides will counsel plenty of rest, plenty of hydrating, and then feed you an early dinner for an early bedtime, all with the aim of being up again at 11pm for an alpine start for the summit.
The summit ascent is the most challenging part of the trek due to altitude gain (you climb 1200m on this night/morning) and the fact you have now been steadily ascending for six days, so your legs will definitely feel it. Thankfully, this mighty ascent is slow and doesn’t go straight up; there are 85 switchbacks in the 1200m-ascent, and you will soon lose yourself in the slow, grind, interrupted by that regular switch in direction. Look up, though, and you get the chance to see what’s probably the world’s longest torch-lit conga line winding up the mountain.
The guides will time your arrival at Gillmans Point (on the rim of the immense Kili crater) for sunrise and it is a spectacular sight; in some ways, even more than that from the summit. Gillmans sits at 5685m – a long way up in anyone’s language – and as you sit and sup on snacks and never-more-welcome hot tea and coffee, it offers a simply brilliant view over the vast African continent below.
Gillmans Point balances this sublime experience with the mental challenge of gearing up for the final 300m of climbing to Uhuru Peak and the true summit. While you can see Uhuru Peak from Gillmans, and it does indeed look ‘just over there’, it is usually two more hours until you are officially at the top of Africa, where the brilliant views are only slightly dampened by the appearance of the diminishing glacier and its sheer ice-cliffs. Even though you know it is there, the sight of ice atop a mountain on what is perceived as a ‘hot’ continent still amazes.
After the high of the summit, the descent on the Rongai Route is a welcome relief for the legs, and another example of the variety of terrain on offer as you pass more open alpine moorlands on your way to the final camp at Horombo Hut at 3700m, before again descending through savannah and the ubiquitous dense jungle (keep an eye out for monkeys again here) before that inevitable return to civlisation. The modern day may soon take over your life, but for those six days on the Rongai, your life is pared back to just you and the mountain, with the memory of that enough to sustain you until thoughts turn to Kili’s mountainous neighbours…
Mt Kenya
Mt Kenya is Africa’s second-highest mountain at 5199m. It is actually comprised of a number of separate peaks rather than one single summit. These shard-like peaks are the result of erosion of Mt Kenya’s original ice cap during two glacial periods. For scientists, its past is of great interest, while for today’s adventurers it is a veritable trekking and climbing goldmine. Trekkers can tackle Point Lenana via eight different routes (including the Chogoria, our choice and more on that later), while climbers can attempt any number of the other peaks, including Mt Kenya’s true high point of Batian (5199m). This is a climber’s route only but if you’re vertically adept, it’s a belter.
Out of all the routes to Point Lenana’s tip, the Chogoria (again, we’d recommend a guided trek) is one of the most popular, but don’t read that as meaning it is crowded. Mt Kenya gets only a fraction of the trekking traffic that Kilimanjaro does, which is part of its immense appeal; campsites where you are the only guided group are quite common.
Step inside another land
The Chogoria starts at the village of the same name and it’s a short 4×4 journey that brings you to the Chogoria gate entrance of Mt Kenya National Park. It is here that you’ll indulge in the first – and last – semblance of luxury accommodation, in the form of cottages just inside the park entrance.
One of this trek’s big appeals is the varying terrain and this is evident from the get-go; walking through forest initially, you will soon be higher and out into more open grasslands as you head toward the brilliantly located campsite at Lake Ellis. On this first full day, you will also experience just how hard the porters work; large dining tables, massive kitchen/dining tents, chairs and a couple of eskies are just some of the gear they carry, secured via basic rope harness systems – at a pace appreciably faster than trekkers with daypacks. Each day allows for around 500m of ascent, mixed with a couple of short, higher ascents and descent to a lower point for camping each night.
The first of these ‘extra’ ascents is Mugi Hill, which sits at 3600m, and gives you that first taste of high altitude. It offers great views over grazing zebra herds and other wildlife on the plains below, as well as glimpses of Mt Kenya’s distant peaks. The camp at Lake Ellis is one of the most picturesque on this trek.
Gorge on the scenery
The steady climb continues the following day, moving through high moorlands on the way to a higher ridgeline that offers glimpses of rocky escarpments ahead. You will notice the vegetation changing; giant rosetta plants become prevalent along with flowering lobelia. The size and shape of these rosetta plants – when seen silhouetted against the surrounding craggy mountains – suit the landscape’s prehistoric appearance.
The Gorges Valley is today’s highlight, and as you make your way to a high ridge of around 4000m you cop the full monty of Africa’s unknown mountainous landscape. There are craggy spires all around but even more amazing is the view below of the Gorges Valley itself, a seemingly endless chasm chewed into the earth. Vivienne Falls is near here, as is the next night’s campsite of Lake Michaelson. The beauty of this campsite is jarring; nestled against the bottom of the immense cliffs you have to descend to reach it, and with the expanse of Lake Michaelson beside it. The lake is big, but dwarfed by the rock amphitheatre that surrounds all but its far shore . You may also spot some ‘locals’ here, in the form of groups of hyrax – small, furry (and fat) mammals that are similar in appearance to a large rat but are, amazingly, more closely related to elephants.
The next morning’s scramble up past rushing waterfalls to the ridge above Lake Michaelson provides a great reminder of just how high up you are – and again, it’s a reminder to take it slowly as altitude starts to have more of an effect. The top of this scrambling track opens up the grandeur of what’s ahead; with the many surrounding peaks (each one a climber’s dream with their spire-like appearance) and more barren terrain underfoot, you have definitely entered the alpine zone. Amazingly, this high, the seemingly rugged and barren area also contains some of the region’s leopards, evident by the oft-spotted leopard scat that can litter the track itself.
In alpine terrain, things often look a hell of a lot closer than they are – and this definitely proves the case as you start the slog up to Simba Tarn – the high camp – but once you take the last step over the edge and onto the flat basin that is Simba Tarn campsite, it is a relief, accompanied by a sense of achievement as you look back down the valley to see just how far you’ve come – and just how close you now are to the summit of Point Lenana.
Alpine starts are never fun: getting up way too early, fumbling around under headtorch-light getting dressed, unpacking and repacking the backpack you know you loaded up properly the night before, and actually taking that first cold step outside your warm tent. As with all uncomfortable endeavours, though, the end result is worth the discomfort and the trek up to Point Lenana is the perfect case in point. It will take you roughly two to two-and-a-half hours before the arrival of pre-dawn light to guide you on that last, short scramble to the top.
To say the view is spectacular is a serious understatement: the impressive Batian stands what seems like only an arm’s-length away, slowly being lit up by the rising sun and forcing your mind to trace imaginary climbing routes up its flanks. Incredibly – on a clear morning – you can even see Mt Kilimanjaro’s distinctive hump across the vastness of Africa below (it is more than 300km away), along with the rugged spires of the Gorges Valley and the many lakes you’ve passed by to this point. It’s an awesome reward for your hard graft.
It ain’t over til…
The descent is fast. Returning to high camp is easy and quick thanks to available daylight, and after breakfast the big slog downhill begins. It is steep and (if wet) can be slippery but don’t forget to look back at where you were at sunrise. The track down passes Shiptons Camp (named after Eric Shipton, a British mountaineer and explorer who climbed Nelion and Batian in the 1930s); at 4200m this is often the last night before summit attempts for those using the Sirimon route, and also serves as a basecamp for those tackling Batian’s 20 pitches of climbing. From here you follow creeks and small waterfalls down to Old Moses Camp (at 3000m) in what is a big day. The following – and last – day on the track down Sirimon Valley is less strenuous and allows you to keep a keen eye out for wildlife, including baboons, monkeys and even elephants, if you’re lucky. You will also get the chance to stand on either side of the equator as it passes through this part of Mt Kenya NP.
In many ways, Mt Kenya is more of a quintessential African trekking experience than Kili (although they are both so different it’s not really fair to compare). Mt Kenya encapsulates what adventure is all about: taking you through the heart of a wild country, experiencing the full gamut of landscapes and wildlife on offer, and topping it all off with a magnificent mountain summit. There is, however, another African peak that also offers all that – but in a far wilder way…
Mt Stanley: The secret of Africa
The Nile River, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Mountains of the Moon – it reads like an adventure story writ large, and it is; these near mythical locations are part of what defines the ascent of Mt Stanley’s Margherita Peak, the highest point of the remote and seldom visited Rwenzori Mountains, and probably the most well-kept secret of Africa, in terms of treks. Located in the wild heart of the African continent, the Rwenzori Mountains (a.k.a. the Mountains of the Moon) are contained within the national park of the same name, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which contains six glaciated mountain masses. The Rwenzoris’ peaks sprawl across the Uganda/DRC borders, hiding more than 30 glaciers (Mt Stanley’s is the largest but is, like the others, shrinking each year) and are the most challenging of Africa’s Triple Crown to access and to summit. For those after that adventure with a bit more ‘edge’, combined with the chance to see a part of the world that, today, remains relatively unspoilt and still wild (including the chance to traverse an equatorial glacier), this trek is it.
The remote location and logistics involved mean the ascent of Mt Stanley’s 5109m high-point of Margherita Peak can be done independently but, for optimum enjoyment (and a chance to garner plenty of history and culture along the way), it is best attempted with a guided operator. And don’t worry, it won’t spoil that sense of adventure; the Rwenzoris’ ruggedness and remoteness ensure that doesn’t change, nor does the fact that it’s a 10-day trek, considerably longer – and with less chance of success – than Kili or Mt Kenya. Don’t let this put you off; if you’re fit and up for a challenge, your efforts will be repaid innumerable times over once you’ve experienced this wild walk.
World Expeditions claims the Rwenzori Mountains are “easily one of Africa’s best kept secrets” and that’s hard to argue with. Despite the fact this mountain range contains what is regarded as the majority of Africa’s remaining permanent ice fields (also one of the sources of the Nile River), it is relatively unknown outside the serious trekking world. Not so secret is the Kilembe route’s challenges on the way to Margherita Peak; the volatile weather (this mountain range has the highest level of precipitation in eastern Africa) means plenty of muddy terrain to go with the steep tracks. Each day on the Kilembe is notably shorter than on other treks, too; some days involve just four kilometres in covered distance but can take up to five hours. Toughness aside, the Kilembe does offer plenty in the scenery department, with constant companions on the ascent including the quintessential lobelia, giant heather, massive ferns surrounding the track and distant craggy mountains above countered by dense rainforest below.
Where the wild things are
The lights, shops and colour of Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport are soon forgotten once you go from there to Fort Portal then, after a two-hour drive, arrive at the trailhead at Kyanjuki. The first day is dominated by vast grasslands and then dense forest as you climb higher. The forest is home to numerous primate species so, again, keep your head up and focus on what’s around you. Sine Camp itself sits at 2580m and has a hut that offers brilliant view of nearby Enocks Falls. (Accommodation on the Mt Stanley ascent is hut-based, a nice change from the tents commonly used when you are trekking Kili and Mt Kenya.)
The next few days include traversing through what is referred to as ‘the bamboo zone’, with more mud to tackle, as well as a few small water crossings on the way to the second night’s digs at Mutinda Camp (3668m), which is nestled beside a river. For those keen to continue their acclimatisation the nearby Mutinda Lookout (3925m) is worth the three-hour return journey, offering brilliant views that encompass nearby Lake George and more of the Rwenzori mountain range itself.
There are a few more days of hiking through typical African alpine terrain, such as tussocks and muddy sections, as well as long sections of peat in the Namusangi Valley (offset, again, by cracking views of waterfalls and snow-covered peaks). Trekkers who’ve already completed Kili and Mt Kenya may be pleasantly surprised by Bugata Camp (day five) and its hut with toilets and a bathroom, but will more likely be focussed on the upcoming traverse of Bamwanjara Pass. The climb up the pass sees you surrounded by tussock (again) and giant lobelia, and also provides some great chances to look back from where you came, way down below, and spot the many lakes this area boasts. Once you’re at the top of the pass itself, the scope of this trek – and the sheer brilliance of the landscape you are walking through each day – is laid out in front of you. Mt Stanley itself is clearly visible from here, as are other neighbouring peaks in the range.
The drop down off the Bamwanjara Pass sees you firstly pass through the beautiful Kachope Lakes area before making the final ascent to Butawu, a ridge-set camp that sits above the river of the same name, and with the prominent peak of Mt Baker nearby. From here, folks, you are definitely getting very close to the big one – the summit attempt itself – with a shorter day crossing Scott Elliott Pass, before reaching Margherita Camp and then psyching yourself up for the impending early alpine start by taking in the views of Mt Baker and glacial-capped Mt Stanley.
Mt Stanley, I presume
The first recorded ascent of Mt Stanley was in 1906 by Duke of the Abruzzi Luigi Amadeo who, unsurprisingly considering that era of colonisation, named its highest point of Margherita Peak after Italy’s Queen Margherita. Since then, there have been a number of successful summits, but by no means as many as Kili or Mt Kenya, making it still a definite bucket-list adventure in Africa. The summit attempt itself is technically more challenging on Mt Stanley; from Elena Hut (4540m) the rest of the ascent is primarily over ice, requiring crampons and – in more technical, vertical sections – ropes, with harnesses a must once you reach the beginning of the glacier and are exposed to some crevasse danger.
Fixed ropes assist trekkers during the traverse of Margherita Glacier, while ladders alleviate the pain of the steep gradient. A final exposed section is followed by a ridge traverse before you stand astride both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with views of nearby peaks, and the jungle-smothered valleys far below. The most mind-blowing thing, though, is that you’re seeing this from atop what you’d think would be impossible: a glaciated mountain range in Africa. Yep, it’s awesome.
A return to the less-real world
The descent from the summit takes three big days and follows a different direction after the first post-summit night at Bugata Camp. Trekkers will explore around Lake Bugata and then climb to the meeting point of two valleys – the Namusangi and Nyamwamba – before descending boggy terrain and dense forest to, firstly, Kiharo Camp, and then further down, the following day, to Samilira Camp on the 11th day. This is reached after weaving through giant lobelias and a surprise last epic view (at Kyalavula) over Queen Elizabeth National Park. Samilira Camp itself is beautiful, located at the top of a number of waterfalls dropping down the valley.
The last day is straightforward: through bamboo and montane forests before reaching the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger station and the undoubtedly sad return to Fort Portal. Here, a shower and bed await, but we reckon most people who’ve spent 11 days on this wild walk will wish for another night outside.
