8 Day Mount Speke & Margherita Trek

Trek to Mount Speke & Margherita Peaks

Mount Speke lies in the Ruwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda and is the second highest mountain in this range. Together with Mount Stanley and Mount Baker, it forms a triangle enclosing the upper Bujuku Valley. The nearest peak is Mount Stanley, which is 3.55 km (2.21 mi) to the south-southwest.[1] The mountains lie within an area called 'The Mountains of the Moon'.  This trek will take you through mount Speke and Margherita peak in eight days.

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Day 1: Nyakalengija (1650) to Nyabitaba camp (2650m)

 

Start the day by approaching the Trek Rwenzori Tours reservation officer early evening or morning in order to check on equipment's if so and arrange for guides, chefs and porters at once.  Hiking starts from the park gates of Nyabitaba a distance of 7km takes 5-6 hours and an ascent of 1200 meters.

The trail at the beginning goes through homes and fields progressing through high elephant grasses and dense bush. You will climb over cliffs and bluffs crossing river mahoma then ascending steeply into Nyabitaba camp. Certain animals can be spotted such as the white and black, three horned chameleon and the Rwenzori Turaco birds.

Stay overnight at the Nyabitaba camp.

 

Day 2: Nyabitaba (2650)m to Johnmaate camp (3505)m

 

From Nyabitaba you descend to your right follow the trail that drops down through the forest for a half an hour to the Kurt Shafer bridge, just before the confluence of the mubuku and Bujuku rivers.

The walk is then easy going for a couple of hours passing through the bamboo forest and then becomes more difficult kind of like spelunking, traverse through a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rocks. From the nyamileju rock shelter, Mount Stanley and Speke can be seen before passing into the zone of the giant Heather, lobelia and groundsel. Finally reach Johnmaate camp after passing through the tiring bog. While here, high chances of catching the nice views of Mount Stanley and margherita glacier.

Dinner and overnight at the hut.

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Day 3: Johnmaate camp (3505m) to Bujuku camp (3900)m

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From Johnmaate camp the trail drops down to cross the Bujuku river and enters lower bigo bog, the home of giant lobelias, jumping from tussock to tussock, the bog is finally crossed but rarely without the feet sampling some of the freezing ooze, continuing on to the upper bigo bog you will follow the Bujuku river that sometimes runs underground from lake Bujuku, with views of mount Baker to the South and Mount Stanley to the west. Bujuku hut well located in the shadows of mount Baker and Speke, is set in a narrow valley below stulman pass.

Dinner and an overnight at Bujuku camp

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Day 4: Bujuku camp (3900m) - summit Mount Speke (Victoria Emanuelle peak) and come back to bujuku for dinner and an overnight.

 

Day 5: Bujuku hut (3900)m to Elena hut (4541)m

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Leaving Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing up the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical groundsel gully as it ascends to Scot Eliot pass at 4372m. At the head of the gully a metal ladder takes you over a steep section after which the trail is divided into two. The trail on your right leads up to Elena hut and Mount Stanley on a steep trail over large boulders. while the trail on your left leads to Scott Eliot pass and down to Kitandara lakes, the trail on the left leads those who are not climbing margherita peak. Those climbing up the peak will have their dinner and overnight at the coolly and icy Elena hut.

 

Day 6: Elena hut (4541)m to margherita peak (5109)m and back to Kitandara lakes camp (4022)m

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For those aiming at reaching margherita peak, continue to the base of Stanley glacier. To reach the summit of margarita,the climb takes about 5-7 hours depending on the weather conditions and the pace of climbing this mountain. This tough walk takes you through over three glaciers, slippery Rock, ice and very exposed areas which are open on many sides. Note that this climb is for only physically fit and technical climbers. Climbing on to the glaciers, cross the Stanley plateau and proceed with the ascent. Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and colly weather. Scramble up to the summit of margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzori. Given the high altitude and the tough conditions even if you don't reach the peak, don't get disappointed. Prepare for your return through the Scot Eliot pass where there are spectacular views of the Bujuku lake mount speke, mount Stanley and down the Kitandara lakes. After the trail that passes you through the Alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend passed the Kitandara lakes for dinner and an overnight at Kitandara lakes camp.

 

Day 7: Kitandara lakes camp 4022m to Guyeoman camp 3505m.

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From Kitandara, the trail ascends steeply up the headwall, spreading out from the base of mount Baker and continuing along the Southside of the mountain to fresh field pass 4280m. At this point you can view into the Congo to the west and Mount Stanley to the north. From the pass, take on the long trail passing the rock shelter of bujongolo the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906.

Overnight at Guyeoman camp.

 

Day 8: Guyeoman 3505m to Nyabitaba camp 2560m for lunch and continue down to nyakalengija for transfer to the next destination. 

 

The descend to Nyabitaba takes around 6-7 hours but with an early start and it's possible to make it all the way down to Nyakalengija.

Below Guyeoman, the route descends the cliffs of kichuchu and takes you through the bamboo forest zones down to Nyabitaba for either dinner and an overnight or lunch and continue down to the start of the Trek or Rwenzori Mini gate.