Mt Elgon National Park is located in Eastern Uganda on the Uganda-Kenya border. An extinct shield volcano, Elgon is East Africa’s oldest volcanic mountain. At 4,000km2, Mountain Elgon has the broadest volcanic base in the world. It was once Africa’s tallest mountain but millennia of erosion has reduced its summit to 4,321m, lowering it to the 4th highest peak in East Africa, and 8th on the continent.
Other amazing features of Mountain Elgon National Park include Afro-montane forest, Afro-alpine vegetation, caves,cliffs, caldera, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, gorges, animals of Uganda, and over 300 species of birds in Uganda. For the local Bagishu people, Mt Elgon is the embodiment of their founding ancestor Masaba and refers to the mountain by this name.
Mt Elgon as an exciting mountain to climb because it requires no technical hiking experience to reach the top and offers a milder climate, lower elevation, as well as much more reasonable prices.
How to get to Wagagai Peak (4,321 asl)
Trekking to the top of Mountain Elgon is one of the most amazing Uganda safari adventure experiences. Mount Elgon National Park offers generally a less strenuous climb compared to other Mountainous East African safari destinations but offers the same scenic views. It is also accessible throughout the year and the hiking trails are less congested than other trails of East Africa, allowing you to enjoy its stunning scenery without the crowd. Mount Elgon National Park has 3 main hiking trails which vary in length and difficulty:
How Safe is Mt Elgon?
It is very safe to trek Mount Elgon. Mountain trekking is one of the major Uganda safari activities and therefore your safety is guaranteed. You are assigned armed rangers for the duration of your hike to the peak of Mount Elgon to protect you and your guides from wild animals and any uncertainty. Volcano hiking and other activities have been going on for years on Mt Elgon, and your safety is our top priority so you can have an unforgettable experience.
What is the best time to Climb Mt Elgon?
You can visit Mountain Elgon at any time of the year. You are advised to book your Mountain Elgon National Park trip months or weeks in advance for convenient preparation. The best time to climb Mount Elgon is, however, during the dry seasons
between June – August, and December – March though this coincides with the rainy season.
Please note that seasons are unpredictable and it can rain at any time.
What To Pack For Hiking Mt Elgon?
*Sunset Adventures provides gear for all its clients climbing Mt Elgon.
Kampala (Google Map)
You will travel to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) office in Mbale, going through Jinja and Tirinyi. You will spend the night in Mbale to ensure early departure to Budadiri the next day to start the hike.
You will have a briefing and introduction to the guides and chefs.
You will be transported 7km from Budadiri (1,250m asl) to Bumasola passing through and stopping just above the community at 1,770m asl. The hike starts from Bumasola with a 3km walk through the community which offers a glimpse of the agricultural and cultural aspects of the community before reaching the boundaries of Mt. Elgon National Park.
You will climb ladders nicknamed ‘wall of death’ and reach a cliff. You will then enter the montane forest zone and walk for 5km to Sasa River Camp standing at 2,900m asl. The montane forest zone offers chances of seeing the black and white colobus monkey, blue monkeys, and a variety of birds endemic to the mountain.
On arrival at Sasa River Camp you will be served tea/coffee, plus lunch. You can take a tour around the camp. You will spend the night at Sasa River Camp before campfire and dinner in the evening. This day is for rest & acclimatization before hiking to Mude Cave Camp the following day.
After a late breakfast , you will hike for 5km through bamboo forest and heather zone to reach Mude camp. This section has a lot of beautiful flowers and some very steep ascents.
At Mude, you will be served late lunch and tea. Camp will be set up to ensure that you settle in early, have dinner and go to sleep early in preparation for the summit the next day.
This is summit day!
As you ascend to Wagagai, the attractions on the way to the summit include, the Jackson pool, land forms such as craters, Saum gorge, volcanic plugs, Simu valley, crater rim, peaks notably Jackson table & peak (4,165m asl), the Kenya peaks (Sudek – 4,302m on Kenya Uganda border & Koitobos 4,222m in Kenya)
There may be a chance to see the civet cats, jackals, bush bucks and duikers. You will also see afro alpine plants that include the everlasting flowers, lobelia elgonesis, spine globes, heather species, endemic juniper and oleo species.
Once you reach Wagagai, the highest peak on Mt. Elgon standing at 4,321m, you will have conquered the Mountain with the world’s largest mountain caldera. Congratulations!
You will then descend to Mude to camp for your last night on the mountain.
After an early breakfast, you will start to descend off the mountain via Sasa Patrol hut where you will register your exit and hike down to Sasa river camp. You will pass through the heather zone then bamboo forest and montane zone to reach the Mudange cliffs (Wall of Death) The hike will end in Bumasola where it all started.
You will transfer to Mbale from UWA Budadiri office after receiving your certificate of conquest of Mt Elgon. In Mbale you will check into a hotel for a much-needed hot shower, dinner and rest after a brief campfire.
