Hiking Mountain Rwenzori in the rainy season

Hiking Mountain Rwenzori in the rainy season: Located inside Rwenzori Mountains national park, Rwenzori Mountains is very hiker’s dream come true destination. On the borders of Uganda and DR Congo inside Rwenzori Mountains national park is where we find the tallest mountain in Uganda. Rwenzori Mountain is the third tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest in Uganda with its highest peak on Mount Stanely at 5109 meters above sea level.

Mountain Rwenzori experiences two rainy seasons in a year, the first from March to May and the second one from October to November. These months are called the rainy season months because they are characterized by too much rainfall and very little sunshine. Hiking Mountain Rwenzori is called out all throughout the year including the rainy season period.

The rainy season is usually termed as the worst time of the year to hike Mount Rwenzori. But did you know that this cannot stop you from hiking? Rwenzori mountains can be hiked all throughout the year including the rainy season. If you only have time to travel during the rainy season, you can still hike Rwenzori mountains all you need to do is be extra careful and pack the right equipment.

What are the advantages of hiking mountain Rwenzori in the rainy season?

Unique photography. The vegetation on the slopes of Mountain Rwenzori is green and thick. This means that photographers will have a good background in all the pictures taken at altitudes that have vegetation. When the mountain has lots of mist, it means that the pictures taken will be special.

Fewer crowds. Hikers who hate overcrowded places find the rainy season their best time to visit Rwenzori Mountain. Because the weather is not good during the rainy season, a few hikes visit Rwenzori mountains and this is a good thing for tourists who hate overcrowded places. A hiking group on a normal day has 8 to 12 hikers but during the rainy season, the number in the group reduces because of the few tourists in the park.

Hiking in the rainy season is done by a few people and this means that hikers will get an opportunity to hike at their own pace. When the hiking group is large, it means that hikers must stay in the group for safety and security purposes and this forces slow hikers to increase their hiking speed unlike in the low season when hikers do hiking at their own pace.

Reduced package prices. Tourists who visit the Rwenzori mountains for hiking during the rainy season find the tour package prices cheaper. The service providers reduce the process to attract the tourists that are visiting the park and, in the end, the tour operators reduce package prices. This means that a tourist who hikes Rwenzori in the high season is likely going to pay less than a tourist who hikes in the dry season.

Challenges faced during the rainy season

A lot of rainfall. During the rainy season, it can be rainy every day and the rainfall lasts longer which affects the hiking activity. When it rains heavily, the hiking trails become wet and slippery and this affects the speed of the hikers. Going through slippery trails is not an easy task and will reduce the hiking speed which will result into a high number of days taken to reach the summit.

The weather conditions in Mountain Rwenzori national park during the rainy season are worse. Too much rainfall and snow at the summit of the mountain leads to cold temperatures and in the end, hikers can get altitude sickness. During the rainy season, hikers are advised to bring along warm clothes to reduce the coldness.

There is weather uncertainty. During the rainy season, it’s very hard to predict the weather for the day. The skies may be clear in the morning and from now here they can change and it rains when you least expect it and you aren’t ready for it. This is why hikers are asked to come along with rain jackets, waterproof bags, and clothes that easily dry.

Flood and landslides. Just like any other mountain, during the wet season when it rains so heavily there are chances of flooding or landslides on the slopes of mountain Rwenzori. Running water washes away the soils off the land and it also makes some of the rocks and stones on the mountain move. This can be very dangerous for the hikers during the rainy season and this means that hikers need to be extra careful.

Hiking Rwenzori mountains can be done all throughout the year however we don’t recommend climbing during the months that fall in the rainy season. The rains in October, November, March, April, and May are not good for tourists when hiking Mount Rwenzori. These rains make the hiking trails slippery and muddy which increases the number of days taken to hike the mountain.

The long rains also make the skies unclear which makes tourists not able to see some of the attractions around the park and even those on the slopes of Mountain Rwenzori. Too much coldness within the park during the rainy season can lead to sickness which can limit them from reaching the summit.  Hiking during the rainy season needs careful planning and preparation.

What to pack for Rwenzori hiking in the rainy season?

Climbing mountain Rwenzori is a very tough adventure anyone could undertake while on a safari in Uganda. The mountain being the tallest in Uganda means that reaching the summit is not as easy as anyone could ever think. Rwenzori mountain is hard to climb and this means that any hiker needs to pack all the essential things needed for mountain hiking.

The packing list for Rwenzori hiking includes a sleeping bag, backpack, long-sleeved clothes, long-sleeved shirts, body belt, stocks, waterproof hiking shoes, ankle gaiters, sunglasses, hats, gloves, toilet tissue, torch, travel towel, wet wipes, headlamp, insect repellent, sunscreen, drinking water bottle, energy giving snacks, a camera, and a pair of binoculars.