Planning a hiking safari to Mount Elgon
Planning a hiking safari to Mount Elgon is a once in a lifetime trip. It’s an adventure that people dream about for some years and then have it on their bucket list. Hiking safaris to Mount Elgon are available all throughout the year to give tourists an opportunity to explore the extinct volcano and see all it has to offer.
Mount Elgon is one of the famous mountains in Uganda being the second tallest in the country. The mountain is 4321 meters tall with the highest point being Wagagai peak on the side of Uganda. Thousands of tourists dream of climbing this mountain and if you are among those planning to hike it soon this article will help you in planning.
Things to consider when planning a hiking safari to Mount Elgon
Booking with the right tour operator
Hikers especially first time hikers planning to hike Mount Elgon need to get a local tour operator. Even those who have hiked or visited Uganda before still need a good tour operator who can help in booking all that is necessary for the hiking to be successful. The tour operator books with the right service providers in the park, and does transport to and from hiking.
To get the right tour operator for your safari to Mount Elgon national park you can google and look out for those that are licensed to carry out tourism in the country. About 3 tour operators are enough and you can send them your inquiries to see what they offer. The best tour operators reply in time, have a fair fee, and offer the best of the safari.
Booking in advance
Your Mount Elgon hiking needs to be booked early enough to enable yourself to prepare as well as the tour operators. Mount Elgon hiking safaris need to be booked 3 to 4 months in advance to enable the hikers to do enough physical exercises and preparation for what to bring on a safari. The local tour operators also need enough time to organize transport, and booking with the best service providers in the park
Knowing the right time to hike
It’s good to know the best time to hike Mount Elgon so as to go at the right time and have the best of the activity. Dry season June to September and December to February is when tourists need to hike Mount Elgon because of the good weather that is characterized by little rainfall and too much sunshine.
During the dry season, the hiking trails are dry and passable which eases the hiking activity. The vegetation on the slopes of the mountain is short and scattered giving clear views of attractions on the slopes of the mountain and then the roads leading to the park are in good condition which makes movement to the park easy.
Hikers who get time during the rainy season can still hike Mountain Elgon for the activity is carried out all throughout the year. Tourists should however know that the rainy season from March to May and October to November is characterized by too much rainfall and little sunshine which affects the activity.
Too much rainfall makes the hiking trails muddy and slippery affecting the speed of the hikers, the roads leading to the park are impassable and the vegetation on the lower slopes of the mountain is tall with unclear views of some of the attractions. The rainy season favors budget travelers who get discounted tour packages.
The duration of the safari
A hiking safari to Mountain Elgon can be from 3 days to 7 days and the number of days is determined by how much time travelers have on a safari, physical ability, and the travel budget. Getting to the summit of Mount Elgon takes 5 to 6 days but we also add on the days of travel to and from Mount Elgon national park.
Getting the right hiking gear
Planning a hiking safari to Mount Elgon will make you think about what to pack for the activity. After confirming your hiking safari, next will be looking for different items that are required during hiking. Each hiking gear is of importance at some time and they make the hiking easy all throughout the exercise.
The hiking gear for Mount Elgon climbing includes a hiking bag, day backpack, sleeping bag, rain jacket, long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shirts, gardening gloves, pairs of gaiters, long cotton stocks, umbrella, waterproof hiking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellents, headlamp, toiletries, a camera, a pair of binoculars, energy giving snacks, and drinking water bottle to mention but a few.
Exercising
We normally ask our hikers intending to visit any mountain in Uganda to start doing exercises at least 2 months before traveling. Training prepares one to be ready for the activity since hiking to the summit of Mount Elgon has never been easy. Exercises can be done from home, gym and others can run up and down the mountains near homes.
Hikers who have done training for Mount Elgon hiking have a high chance of reaching the summit without any difficulty but those who have not trained very well will find a lot of difficulties while climbing the mountain. Hiking to the summit of Mount Elgon is not about age or physical appearance it’s about physical fitness.
How to get there?
Mount Elgon is found in Mount Elgon national park in the northeastern part of the country. The mountain is best accessed using road transport which takes a single day. Most safaris start from Entebbe/Kampala and getting to Mountain Elgon takes 5 to 6 hours. From Entebbe, tourists drive through Kampala, Mukono, Jinja, Iganga, Mbale, and Kapchorwa where the mountain is found.
