Rwenzori Mountains
I found there wasn't a lot of information about the Rwenzori mountains and climbing Mt Stanley - Margherita Peak. I think this is a major shame since they are the most incredible mountains I have ever climbed in, and truly unlike anywhere else in the world. I was able to climb Mt Stanley at the end of July, and thought I would share my experience and photos on my blog here: http://omutima.tumblr.com/rwenzoris. Please enjoy, and if you get the chance make the trip yourself. You won't regret it.Cheers,
Taylor
1
Nice pictures. I don't climb them myself this year, because I did the Himalaya's twice in the last two years.But it sure looks good overall. Maybe in the future.
2
what a fantastic post, i really enjoyed reading every word!the reason that not many people do the Rwenzori, from a few years living near them, apart from not being a 'sexy' range in the pop climbing circuit is that they are darn expensive. A Mt stanley climb will cost more than Kilimanjaro and unless you've done Kili already, very few people are going to come and climb the Rwenzoris instead, which is a shame. You could even climb Island or Mera peak in Nepal for a very similar price. The Rwenzoris need more of a following and better marketing from the UWA to become the destination they deserve to be. I think a lot of it has to do with their sheer difficulty, with novice, holiday climbers better suited to Kilimanjaro and those going on a trekking holiday preferring Asia.
3
If I go trekking I go to Nepal and not to Uganda. It's got to do with the fact that Nepal offers a wide variety of trekking routes. Look at the Great Himalya Trail for example, lots of options. And you pay less for a long trek (which I like more) in Nepal than a 7-9 day trek in the Rwenzori's. If you go for high peaks they are to be found in Nepal. The fact that Kili is more easy to climb counts against the rwenzori's. But when I look at the pictures and read the stories it's worthwhile to climb anyway. I looked at doing a hike in the Rwenzori's at first, but was knocked down by the price. Combining this with gorilla tracking and other things it is really expensive.It's more like a thing to do when you've seen everything in Uganda/Rwanda and have some spare money left. It takes only 7-9 days so coming to Uganda and only hiking the Rwenzori's is in my opinion an expensive journey.
As said earlier, Nepal has more to offer in hiking and climbing.
Don't know what UWA can do to make this more appealing to tourists. Maybe offer a combination of gorilla tracking and Rwenzori hiking for an interesting package price. I would be one to consider this for sure.
9
ric_howard and treabeard - I think the real appeal of the Rwenzori is it's lack of tourism. It truly is a wild place, unlike Kili or Nepal which are both full of adventure seekers. Trekking and climbing in the Rwenzori's takes you back in time and it is undoubtedly the only place like it in the world. It also offers a spectacular array of vegetation zones that I haven't encountered anywhere else in the world. For me it makes it worth the slightly higher price tag and difficulty, especially since I have climbed in both Nepal and Kili.
