6 Mount Elgon Trekking & Sipi Falls- Rwenzori Mountaineering
Planning for Mount Elgon trekking experience in Uganda as an extension from Rwenzori trekking either on 7 days Rwenzori or 12 days Rwenzori Trekking tour to explore the great Rwenzori National Parks.Brief facts about Mount Elgon in Eastern Uganda
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda which provides a great opportunity for trekkers to addon from Rwenzori Climbing and Virunga Massif .Although there is no verifiable evidence of its earliest volcanic activity, geologists estimate that Mount Elgon is at least 24 million years old, making it the oldest extinct volcano in East Africa .
The 6 Days mountain Elgon trek trip starts from Kampala Uganda and ends in Kampala. It takes you through Mount Elgon trek up to Wagagai (highest peak) and a hike to sipi falls. The top of the mountain offers beautiful scenery of the Elgon highlands and the surrounding vegetation. Sipi falls are so beautiful to look at and a good spot for taking photos
Day 1. Transfer to Mbale
Our company guide will pick you up from your hotel/airport and transfer to Mbale. This drive will take between 3-4 hours. Dinner and overnight in Mbale town (wash and will hotel).
Day 2. Start the Elgon hike. Bumosola (1770 Meters) to Mude Camp (3500 Meters). (6 – 10 Hours)
After meeting at UWA headquarters in Budadiri (1220 Meters), you will drive to the trail head at Bumosola (1770 Meters). From here it’s a strenuous few hours up to the ‘ladders’, a set of metal staircases that bring us up and into the national park and the rainforest. These first few hours are some of the toughest of the whole trip with a steep incline, rough terrain and often hot mid-morning temperatures. After a rest and snack at the top of the ladders and a refill of our water bottles we hike on wide dirt trails through the forest and to Sasa River Camp.
Here, you will take a rest for tea and coffee and either lunch or snacks depending how you feel or timing. As you continue up from here we move from rainforest to bamboo forest and eventually break through the forest entirely into alpine heather, shrub and giant lobelia. We take a short rest to sign the visitor’s book as we pass the ranger’s outpost before a couple more kilometers to Mude Camp, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
Day 3. Mude Camp (3500 Meters) – summit wagagai peak (4321 Meters) and back to Mude. 5-10 Hours
This is the summiting day, Depending on prevailing weather conditions this is often an early start to get the best opportunity for a clear summit. We leave our gear and porters behind and head for the top. A strenuous day as we cross the 4000 Meters mark and start to feel the effects of altitude slowing us down.
Highlights on the way up are sunrise over the mountain, views of the Simu valley and Jackson’s pool, everlasting flowers, alpine lichen and all the various Lobelia. The summit will give you beautiful view of the Elgon highlands and caldera. It’s so beautiful! From the peak, we descend back to the Mude camp. We get back to camp mid to late afternoon ready for an early dinner and an early night.
Day 4. Mude Camp to Kajere or Tutum Cave Camp. (6 – 12 Hours)
After breakfast at the camp, you will hike to kajere camp. This is the most picturesque day of the trip. The first hour starts the same as day 2 before we take the left hand trail into the Simu Valley and follow the rocky trail and pass old smugglers caves as we ascend into the Caldera. If the weather is being kind we get an incredible sunrise here, a truly stunning part of the natural world! As you climb up the far side of the caldera we pass stunning rock formations and huge vistas that warm the soul.
Dinner and overnight at Kajere cave camp.Day 5: Kajere/ Tutum to Kapkwai/ Sipi Falls. (4 to 8 Hours)
After breakfast at the camp, we traverse the mountain dropping down into, crossing and climbing back out of numerous streams and small rivers, passing waterfalls and seeing an abundance of wildflowers, fungi and a variety of monkeys. As we pass back into the rainforest we descend back towards civilization, and eventually to the Forest Exploration Centre at Kapkwai. From here we proceed with the hike to Sipi falls. You will see the beautiful falls. And then descend to the base.
Dinner and overnight in Kapchorwa, lakamu lodge or similar.Day 6: transfer to Kampala
After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive back to Kampala. The driver will drop you at the hotel in Kampala or airport for your flight back home.