Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Ptolemy formerly believed the Rwenzori Mountains, which are snow-capped, glacial, and sometimes rise above cloud cover, to be the source of the Nile. These mountains are also known as the Mountains of the Moon or even the Land of Mists. They are not, but it doesn’t make them any less amazing.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, tectonically formed three million years ago, they house Africa’s third-highest peaks (after Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya) and, with respect to plant diversity, sustain a rich and varied environment.

The Rwenzori Mountains are surrounded by rain forest, which lowers down and dwindles into alpine meadows. This supports five different plant zones, which in turn promotes the flourishing of wildlife and birds.

Notable inhabitants of the Rwenzori area include the forest elephant population, several monkey species, the Rwenzori duiker, and mountain-specific bird species. Regrettably, the rate at which glaciers are melting poses a threat to their survival.

What was formerly a peak spanning over seven square kilometers has shrunk to just three (on Mt Stanley). The ripple effect, which is assumed to be the outcome of climate change, continues to be a source of worry.

Trekking in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park is tough due to the amount of rainfall, the humidity, and the rugged terrain, but the views and the superb guiding more than make up for these challenges. Though not technically mountaineering, the climbs are quite difficult.