Mount Gessi- Rwenzori Mountains

Mount Gessi- Rwenzori Mountains, Mount Gessi is next to Mount Emin in the northern part of Mount Stanley, Speke, and Mount Baker. A mountain in Italy was named for a traveler named Romulo Gessi. The mountain is in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park and is split from Emin by a short valley. It has two peaks, Lolanda at 15,470 feet and Bottego at 15,418 feet.

One of the six Rwenzori mountains in the Northern Triangle is Gessi, which is 15,018 feet (4,578 meters) high. The other three are Mount Stanley, Baker, and Speke. Gessi is also the fifth highest hill in Uganda. It is situated in a narrow canyon that goes south from Mount Emin where it splits.

The mountains are also on a rocky axis running north to south, with the highest point facing south. Camps and slope trails can be found on both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ugandan parts of the Mount Gessi trip. From Mutsori in Congo, there is a short road that leads to the top of Gessi. Most of the people who live there are from native tribes and work as porters and guides. Many shanties have been kept alive all over the Rwenzori.

Rwenzori Mountains hiking on Mount Gessi

Hiking up Mount Gessi starts in Mugusu Valley and goes through the forest to Roccato pass. The pass goes through thick greenery and slabs. After that, it takes you to the top between the two peaks. It’s also thought that glaciers that have since melted covered the peak in the past. Duke’s ascent path also melted, and it is now a series of very mossy, steep slabs that are only good for beginners.

Different Rwenzori Mountain Peaks

Up on Mount Luigi di Savoia
Mount Luigi di Savoia is a mountain in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. At 4637 feet, “Sella,” its peak, is the fourth highest in Uganda and the sixth highest in Africa. Mount Luigi is the only mountain in the Rwenzori range that the Duke of Abruzzi did not try to climb, even though he named it.

Like the other Rwenzori mountains, Mount Luigi Di Savoia is a long slope with many peaks, such as Stairs Peak (4545 m), Sella Peak (4627 m), and Weismann Peak (4620 m). The easier way to get to the top is to start in the Fresh Field Pass area and climb the northern face of the Sella top. It is the smallest of the six central mountains, and the first one to see its glacial ice melt.

The Duke of Abruzzi is a famous climber. In 1897, he was one of the first people to reach the top of Mt. St. Elias. He has also trekked high on K2 in the Karakoram and come close to reaching the Bride Peak on Chogalisa. On the Abruzzi Rwenzori trips, people hiked to all of the Rwenzori peaks. He was an amazing soldier who saved a lot of Yugoslav refugees from Albania in World War I. He lived out his last years in Ethiopia, where he was loved by many.

The Mount Stanley

Mount Stanley is in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, which is 16,763 feet high. This mountain is the tallest in both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mount Stanley is in the Rwenzori Mountains. It is the tallest point in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, at 5,109 meters (16,763 feet).

It is also the third biggest mountain in Africa, following Mount Kenya (5,199 meters) and Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters). Like many of the mountains nearby, this one is high enough to hold ice. This mountain is named for Sir Henry Morton Stanley, an author and traveler. Rwenzori Mountains National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Mount Stanley is a part of it.

There are a lot of smaller hills on Mount Stanley. The Duke of Abruzzi, J. Petigax, J. Brocherel, and C. On June 18, 1906, Ollier was the first person to climb this mountain. Mount Stanley is also made up of a high chain of 11 peaks that rise from glaciers. One of these is the Stanley Plateau, which is the longest stretch of ice in the Rwenzori Mountains at almost one kilometer. Margherita is the tallest mountain. To get there, you can walk from the Elena hut to the first rocks. The trail then goes up and down the snow-covered Stanley Plateau to reach the second-highest peak in the Massif, Alexandra.

The most usual way to get to the top of Margherita Peak is to go up a steep valley on the east face of the summit and then up the beautiful Margherita glacier to the saddle between Margherita and Alexandra peaks. Keep going north until you hit a small, steep rock wall that leads to the top. For the badly crevassed glacier and the summit rocks, you will need a rope for the climb. Not only that, but the peak is also a natural border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At 4990 meters, the eastern narrow top of Alexandra top is also a beautiful addition for anyone who likes to walk in the mountains. At 4977 meters, Savoia Peak goes to a different mountain range to the south.

Mount Speke

Mount Speke is the second-highest peak in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. It is located inside the park. There is a triangle shape made by Mounts Baker and Stanley around the upper Bujuku Valley. This is how far away Mount Stanley is from you: 3.55 kilometers (2.21 miles). The Mountains of the Moon area has these mountains. Every mountain in this group has a sharp peak. One of Mount Speke’s (15,000-foot) peaks is Vittorio Emanuele (4,890 meters, or 16,040 feet) high. Other high points are Ensonga (4,865 meters, or 15,961 feet) and Trident (4,472 meters).

The names came from an Italian royal family, but the British Protectorate of Uganda, which was in charge of the area at the time, needed them to be recognized. When Europeans first came to the area to find the source of the Nile, they named this rock after John Speke.

Speke drew the source of the White Nile in 1862, even though he had never been to this point. All of these mountain ranges are named after related travelers who came to Africa in the early days of colonization. Mount Speke is crossed by many streams and rivers, and its foliage looks dense. This is because it rains a lot.

Mount Emin

The mountain called Mount Emin in the Rwenzori Mountains was named for a warrior from central Africa named Mohamed Emin Pasha. The difficult peak with its narrow, rocky slopes is ranked fourth in the Rwenzori mountains and sixth in Africa, even though there is no snow on it. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mount Emin is the second-highest peak. It’s not far from the border with Uganda.

It is part of the six-mountain Ruwenzori range and is the third-highest peak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The mountain was named for a German doctor named Mohammed Emin Pasha, who is known for spreading science and geographical information about Central Africa while he was studying there. The slopes of the mountain are very narrow and sharp. People from Zaire and Mutsori live on the lower plain of the mountain and work as guides.

There are two peaks on the mountain: Umberto (1574ft) and Kraepelin (15,720ft). Both are between the lines of Uganda and Congo, which makes it easier to get to from the Congo side. This mountain in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park is usually climbed starting from the southwest of the Ridge, which is easy to get to from the Mugusu Valley, which goes into Congo. The climb then continues through the grassy sloped steep descent to the path between the two peaks, and finally to the summit. As of 1994, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is part of the Ruwenzori Mountains National Park.

This place is in the northern part of the triangle made by the Stanley, Speke, and Baker mountains. Luis Amadeo de Saboya was the first person from Monta Vista to reach the top of this mountain in 1906. The other peaks of the Ruwenzori Mountains have already been climbed by him. Depending on the time of year, hiking trails to Mount Emin are more likely to be on the Congo side than on the Uganda side. Monumental Expeditions and Safaris can help you get ready for your Rwenzori journey.

Mount Baker

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda is home to Mount Baker. It is 2.8 kilometers from the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At 4,844 meters (15,892 feet), the peak, which is locally known as Kiyanja, is Africa’s sixth-highest mountain. A triangle made up of Mount Speke, Mount Stanley, and Mount Stanley goes around the upper Bujuku Valley.

The closest peak is Mount Stanley, which is 2.26 kilometers (1.40 mi) to the west. These mountains are in an area called “The Mountains of the Moon.” Mount Baker and all the other peaks in the Rwenzori Mountain Range have steep peaks, with Edward Peak being the largest.

An Austrian climber named Rubert Grauer went to the top of Mount Baker in January 1906 with two British preachers named H. W. Tegart Addox and H. E. M. A group of English tourists led by A. A. F. R. Wollaston, B. B. Wosnam, and M. Between February and April, Carruthers explored the same rock-strewn area. In June 1906, a mission led by the Duke of Abruzzi reached the top of Mount Baker.

This group hiked to the tops of the last five highest peaks in the Rwenzori. In June 1891, Franz Stuhlmann saw the mountain on his way into the Ruwenzori. He named it either Ngemwimbi or Semper. Samuel Baker was the first European to see and visit Lake Albert in the Rwenzori Mountains in 1864. Abruzzi named the peak after him. Baker said that he saw “huge mountainous masses far away, south of Lake Albert.”

How the Rwenzori Mountains Look

The Rwenzori Mountains, which are also called the Mountains of the Moon, are in western Uganda, close to the border with Congo. Africa’s third-highest peak is one of the tropical snow peaks. The lower sides are covered with moorland, bamboo, and lush, damp montane forest. Along with huge tree heathers and colorful mosses, huge lobelias and “everlasting flowers” cover the slope, making it look like something out of a fairy tale.

From north to south, the Rwenzori Mountains cover about 120 km and are 65 km wide. The six peaks are Mount Stanley (5,109m), Mount Speke (4,890m), Mount Baker (4,843m), Mount Emin (4,798m), Mount Gessi (4,715m), and Mount Luigi di Savoia (4,627m). Mount Stanley has many smaller peaks, but Margherita is the tallest.

You need to know these things about Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park is in the western part of Uganda. It covers almost 100,000 acres and is the main part of the Rwenzori mountain group, which has Africa’s third-highest peak, Mount Margherita (5,109 m). The area has some of the most beautiful alpine scenery in Africa, with its glaciers, rivers, and lakes. In 1994, the Rwenzori Mountains National Park in southern Uganda was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2008, it was named a Ramsar site. Also, the Park is a great place to see wildlife at its most beautiful. It has thick tropical rain forests, bamboo forests, montane cloud forests, and high-altitude plants. The scenery is beautiful. Above 4,500 meters, snow and glaciers add a unique touch to the stunning views in this untouched mountain area.

The park is home to 70 animal species and 217 bird species, including 19 bird species that are only found in the Albertine Rift. It also has some of the strangest plants in the world. The Rwenzori Mountains are famous all over the world for being great places to hike and climb. Expert climbers can walk to the top of Margherita, the highest mountain, in nine to twelve days. Shorter, less difficult climbs to the nearby hills are also possible. For those looking for something a little less strenuous, the villages around Bakonzo offer nature hikes, trips to farms, cultural performances, lodging with home-cooked local food, and cultural performances.

Things to do in Rwenzori Mountains National Park

One of the least known and least visited places in Uganda is the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. Because it is so beautiful, the park is one of a kind in the area.

Going up the Rwenzori Mountains

Some of the best mountain climbers in the world have been to the Rwenzori Mountains. There are world-class rules for how the park’s mountain climbing is set up. People who have never hiked before might find it hard to reach the top (Margherita). If you don’t want to hike all the way up to the snow-capped peaks, you can plan shorter, easier hikes around the mountain.

There are two different climbing trails that lead to the top. The first one is the Central Circuit Trail, which starts in Mihunga and goes on for seven days. Rwenzori Mountaineering Services is the only company that can set up hikes along this path. The second trail is the Kilembe path, which starts in Kilembe, close to Kasese town. Hiking services in the Rwenzori mountain range run this brand-new trail. It takes 5 days to get to one of the peaks.

It takes at least nine days to visit the three highest peaks. By climbing to the top of Margherita, you can see snow-covered hills and lush alpine plants. As you go down the mountain, you’ll be able to see the farmlands, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and the Virunga hills in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a longer time. In the Alps, climbers will also find beautiful lakes and rivers.

Bird watching

The Rwenzori Mountains have been named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The African Long-eared Owl, Archers’ Robin-chat, Barbets, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Blue-headed Sunbird, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Collared Apalises, Crimson wings, Dusky and Shelley’s Crimson wings, Dwarf Honeyguide, Evergreen Forest and Bamboo Warblers, Flycatchers, Golden-winged sunbirds, and Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbirds are just a few of the species that live in the park and its mountains.

Cultural tours for the community

You can connect with one of the native groups that live at the base of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park and learn about their culture. In the village of Ruboni, tourists can learn about the past and daily life of the Bakonzo tribe. The Bakonzo people put on dance events that show off their culture and teach about their past.

The Bulemba-Ihandiro Cultural Trail is another great way to learn about other cultures. This route lets people learn about Bakonzo’s interesting society. You can go to the area to see traditional doctors and blacksmiths. People come to the area and learn how to make fires and weave baskets. The Bulemba-Ihandiro Cultural Trail can also be used to get to the Bakonzo Traditional Museum. The nearby museum has many cultural and historical items related to the Bakonzo (Rwenzururu) people, including artworks and clothes made in the area.

Nature walks with a guide

Firms like Rwenzori Mountain Services (RMS) and Backpackers in Kilembe can set up nature walks close to the park’s edges. The main route zone used for mountain climbing is often followed by RMS-organized walks. The area around where mountain hiking begins is wooded and beautiful, with views of Lake Mahoma and the Buraro monkey forest. More places to visit when you’re outside.

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park: How to Get There

By Road
If you want to drive to the park, you can go from Kampala to Fort Portal via Mubende. The trip is about 300 kilometers long and takes about 4 hours. This is the second way to get from Kampala to Kasese. It goes through Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, and Kasese. It is about 350 kilometers long and takes about 6 hours. This path might be more exciting because it goes through Lake Mburo National Park to get to the beautiful Queen Elizabeth National Park. However, it is long, so people should plan to stop somewhere along the way.

By Air
A chartered flight can be rented, and the ride to the Kasese airstrip only takes 30 minutes. From there, it’s only a short distance to the park.