Mountain Elgon

Mountain Elgon is a Mountain on the eastern side of Uganda in a district called Mbale on the borders of Uganda with Kenya. Mount Elgon is the second tallest Mountain in Uganda after Mountain Rwenzori. Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano rising up to 4321 meters above sea level. Mount Elgon consists of 5 major peaks namely Wagagai peak at 4321 meters, Sudek peak at 4302 meters, Koitobos at 4222 meters, Mubuyi at 4211 meters, and Masaba at 4161 meters.

Mount Elgon is found inside Mount Elgon national park one of the national parks in Uganda. Mountain Elgon is a major attraction within Mount Elgon national park attractions thousands of hikers from different parts of the world all throughout the year. Hiking is the main activity carried out on Mountain Elgon and it’s mainly done by hikers who love to conquer different Mountains.

Hiking Mountain Elgon

Hiking Mountain Elgon is a dream come true for most of the hikers in the world. It takes you to conquer the second tallest Mountain in Uganda and the eighth tallest Mountain in Africa. The Mountain has its tallest point at Wagagai peak which is at 4321 meters above sea level. The extinct shield volcano has other peaks for example Sudek at 4302 meters, Koitobos at 4222 meters, Mubiyi at 4211 meters, and Masaba at 4161 meters.

On Mountain Elgon, hiking is the main activity carried out throughout the year. Hiking is done every day and it does start with a briefing from the park headquarters with a briefing from the park authorities who teach the rules and regulations of the activity. After the briefing, hikers drive to the starting point of the hike together with the armed ranger guides who are to take them throughout the hike. There are different hiking trails on Mount Elgon which include Piswa, Suam, Sasa, and Sipi trails.

At the start of the hiking, there are porters whose role is to help carry luggage for those hikers who have excess. Hikers are given walking sticks to help them balance while hiking and the hike begins. Hiking is done for about 7 to 8 hours a day and then hikers do rest. The whole hiking activity to Wagagai peak takes 4 to 5 days however hikers can hike up to any certain level they feel like.

The slopes of Mount Elgon have different attractions for example animals, birds, vegetation, rocks, water sources, and much more which tourists have an opportunity to see while hiking. When hikers get to the summit of the Mountain Elgon they get to see the largest caldera lake in the world 60km long and 40km wide. Hikers also get to see hot springs which are on the sides of the caldera. Photography and videography are allowed to help hikers remember that they were once hikers on Mountain Elgon.

How much is hiking Mountain Elgon?

Mount Elgon is found in Mount Elgon national park which is managed and controlled by the Uganda Wildlife Authority a government agency that controls and manages all activities of the parks. Mount Elgon hiking is one of the activities that is done after paying a certain amount of money at the park offices or Uganda Wildlife Authority offices in Kampala.

Hiking Mount Elgon costs 50$ for foreign non-residents, $40 for foreign residents, and UGX50,000 citizens of East African member states. This fee is per day therefore tourists pay a price which is equivalent to the number of days they will be hiking. Hikers to Mount Elgon national park need to know that the hiking fee does not include Elgon park entrance fees which is 35$ for foreign non-residents, $25 for foreign residents, and UGX15,000 citizens of East African member states.

What to pack for Mountain Elgon hiking?

When it comes to Mountain Elgon hiking, you must prepare yourself for safety and comfort by packing the right gear. The packing list for Mountain Elgon hiking includes a sleeping bag, backpack, long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shirts, stocks, body belt, waterproof hiking shoes, ankle gaiters, sunglasses, hats, gloves, toilet tissues, torch, travel towel, wet wipes, headlamp, insect repellent, sunscreen, drinking water bottle, energy giving snacks, a camera, and a pair of binoculars.

When to go hiking Mountain Elgon?

The dry season is when hikers need to visit Mountain Elgon for hiking because of the good weather conditions. The dry season happens from June to September and December to February a period which has little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. During the dry seasons, the weather conditions favor the hiking activities on Mount Elgon .

Hikers who come to climb Mountain Elgon during the dry season will find the hiking trails dry and this means walking through will be simple. The vegetation on the slopes of the Mountain is dry and others are short which gives clear views of the different attractions on the slopes and the surrounding areas. The skies are very clear during the dry season which enables hikers to see everywhere they can.

Hiking Mountain Elgon can still be done during the rainy season which occurs from March to May and October to November. This is a period when there is plenty of rainfall and very little sunshine within Mount Elgon national park. It’s the budget hikers who can benefit from Mountain Elgon hiking in the rainy season since that is the period when tour packages are somehow cheap.

Hikers coming to Mount Elgon national park for Mount Elgon hiking should know that there is plenty of rainfall in the area which can even pose the activity, the hiking trails are muddy and slippery which slows down the speed of hikers and the vegetation tends to be tall with unclear views of some of the attractions on the slopes of the Mountain.

How to access Mountain Elgon

Mountain Elgon is found in Mount Elgon national park and is accessed using road transport. The national park is about 240 km away from Entebbe the starting point of most safaris in Uganda. From Entebbe, tourists drive through Kampala, Mukono, Jinja, Iganga, and then Mbale where Mount Elgon national park is located. The is not too long and tourists get to see different the beauty of Uganda on the roadsides.