Day by day itinerary for the 6 days margherita peak via bukurungu trail.

Day 1. Korukumi base 1544m  to Kasanzi camp 2354m

Day 2. Kasanzi camp 3290m to Kambeho camp 3290m

Day 3. Kambeho camp 3290m to John matte 3505m

Day 4. John matte camp 3505m to Elena hut 4541m

Day 5. Elena hut 4541m to Margherita peak 5109m and Descend to John matte.

Day 6. John matte camp 3505m to Nyabithaba camp to Mihunga gate 1651m.

Detailed itinerary for the 6 days Margherita peak via Bukurungu Trail

Day 1. From Kasese to Omukorukumi – Kasanzi camp 2354m.

Our driver guide dives you to the starting point in omukorukumi at 1544m where you meet porters, chef and guides for briefing and checking your equipment before the hike.

The trail starts by hiking gentle hills through the community, viewing coffee plantations, local homesteads, schools, churches and interacting with the bakonzo people that lives on the foot hills of the mountains.

The trail will take you to the resting point where you take your packed lunch and a sip of water or juice . then proceed to enter the park through a canopy of the montane forest zone and reach kasanzi camp for overnight. It take 4-5 hours.

Day 2. Kasanzi camp 2354m – Kambeho camp 3290m.

After breakfast in the morning, start a journey to kambeho camp, kambeho means coldness in the local dialect of the bakonzo tribe. The trail takes a short ascend through the forest taking you to join a ridge that takes you to the resting point then proceed on the ridge through the bamboo forest zone before descending in the valley to cross a river then join a gentle walk through the heather forest (Ericathiasis zone). Along this area depending on the luck of the day, you may spot the Rwenzori turaco bird, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and the chimpanzee. Before arriving at the camp for overnight, you will have a view of the next day’s highest point mughule peak standing tall then arrive at the camp for pitching your tents and overnight. It takes 15 km. taking 8-9 hours.

Day 3. Kambeho camp 3290m – John matte camp 3505m

After an early breakfast, start the trek with a gentle walk in few minutes takes you to the network reception to make a local call and trek to cross river Rwigho and the metallic bridge on the river before starting the challenging ascend section of the day.

Along this section you are welcomed by the Rwenzori alpine zone sceneries and reach the mughule peak 3890m where you have a rest, a sip of water, packed lunch and viewing the Virunga mountains on the Uganda and congo border.  Start a descend section on metallic down stairs taking you in the valley to meet the cold mughule lake and trek through the huge heather trees forest where colourful mosses are draped across the mountainside. After this long forest you will cross lamia river on the congo side then join a heather forest taking you to lamia camp at 3580m for a short rest before joining the bukurungu valley to bypass the bukurungu lake and proceed to descend down to the lower big bog and reach the central circuit trail and turn left in 10 minutes to arrive at john matte camp for dinner and overnight.

Taking 8-9 hours.

Day 4. John matte camp 3505m – Elena camp 4541m

After breakfast in the morning, follow the trail dropping down to cross the bujuku river and entering the lower bigo bog, the home of giant lobelias. Crossing on the board walks to reach bigo hut and a short ascend to upper bigo bog board walk before starting an ascend taking you to omwihembe resting point and reach the bujuku lake before you start an ascend to omukendege resting point where you have nice views of Bujuku lake and join a steep ascend to Elena camp for dinner and prepare for the summit.

Day 5. Elena camp 4541m – margherita peak 5109m and descend back to John matte camp.

After packing all your climbing gear early in the morning, you start the climb to the highest peak margherita peak on mount stanley.

To reach the summit of margherita peak, the climb takes about 4-5 hours depending on the weather conditions and the pace of climbing this mountain. This tough walk takes you over glaciers, slippery rock, ice and very areas which are open on many sides.

Climb on the glaciers, cross the stanley plateau and proceed with the ascent. Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and coolly weather scramble up to the summit of margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzori mountains. Then descend back to Elena hut for a hot lunch and proceed to John matte camp for dinner and overnight.

Descend duration: 3-4 hours.

Day 6. John matte camp  – Nyabithaba camp  – Mihunga gate 1651m.

After breakfast in the morning, you start walking down through johnmaate camp, descend through the rocks at Nyamuleju resting shelter and follow the trail dropping you down to Kurt Shafer bridge below the mubuku and bujuku river confluence and proceed to Nyabithaba camp for a quick hot lunch then descend down through the montane forest where there are chances of sighting a three horned chameleon, colobus monkeys and the Rwenzori turaco bird. It will take you 7-8 hours to reach mihunga gate and will be picked by our driver guide.

END OF TRIP!

PACKAGE INCLUDES.

Park entrance fees

Airport pick up and drop off

Hiking fees

Government taxes prescribed in the itinerary

Guides and porters

Meals

Drinking water

Accomodation

Transport