Things I wish I had known before hiking Mount Elgon

Things I wish I had known before hiking Mount Elgon: Hiking Mount Elgon is an amazing experience that you will live to always remember. Doing some research and looking for things other hikers wish they had known before the climb will enable you to prepare and have a successful hiking journey. Researching will enable you to learn a lot of things before you hike and it will lead to a very successful hike.

This guide is going to show you most of the things climbers wish they knew before climbing Mount Elgon. Mount Elgon is a popular mountain in the eastern side of Uganda rising up to 4321 meters above sea level. This mountain is the second tallest in Uganda after the snow-capped Mount Rwenzori on the western side of Uganda.

Things I wish I had known before hiking Mount Elgon

Time taken to reach the summit?

It takes 4 to 6 days to reach Wagagai peak the last peak and the summit of Mount Elgon. Wagagai peak is at 4321 meters above sea level and whichever hiking trail used will get you there in 4 to 6 days. Hikers who use Sasa trail and Sipi trail reach the summit within 4 to 5 days while those who use Piswa trail reach the summit in 5 to 6 days.

Choose the hiking route wisely

There are three main routes to the summit of Mount Elgon namely Sasa trail, Sipi trail, and Piswa trail. Some routes are difficult while others are easy to use while ascending the mountain. A good tour operator will help you to use the best hiking trail so that you face a few difficulties while climbing. The best hiking trails are Sasa trail and Sipi trail which are not so hard and take a few days to reach the summit.

Go slow

One of the common things you will hear from the armed ranger guides is “move slowly”. Mount Elgon is 4321 meters high and hikers don’t have to rush to get there. When climbing Mount Elgon, it’s very important to move at a very slow rate. The slower you hike, the more oxygen you will get for your body and the more energy you will have.

The last day to the summit is the hardest

As you get close to the summit of Mount Elgon, the nature of the terrain changes and becomes very steep. Apart from the terrain being steeper, the air becomes thinner and very cold. Hikers should prepare for the day before reaching the summit and come knowing that the closer one gets to the summit the more difficult and challenging it becomes.

Prepare for cold and wet

Although Mount Elgon is located a few kilometers from the equator, it is cold at some levels of the mountain. It’s a very tall mountain at 4321 meters above sea level which means that it can create its weather partners. Hikers are asked to prepare for the hot and cold weather by packing all the necessary equipment needed for hiking.

When there is too much rainfall, hikers will need items like a rainy jacket, long stocks, an umbrella, waterproof hiking shoes, long-sleeved clothes, and much more. When the weather is too hot light clothes might be needed. It’s from here that we recommend travelling in the dry season because that is the time when rainfall is little but in the rainy season it can even rain every day which makes hiking less enjoyable.

Tipping

Tipping is one of the ways hikers can show that they have appreciated what the service providers have offered but it’s not mandatory. During Mount Elgon hiking, a team of armed ranger guides, chefs, and porters play a very big role in making sure that you reach the summit and come back safely. Tipping them would be a really good thing because of the jobs that they do every day.

The armed ranger guides show you the right hiking trails to use and make sure you are safe throughout the activity; the chefs make sure you eat every day and the porters help in carrying excess luggage. Tipping these people is very important because of the things they do. How much to tip them can be between 10 to 25 dollars per day.

Can I do a safari after hiking

Yes, tourists can plan to explore more of what Uganda has to offer after Mount Elgon hiking. There are activities organized in Mount Elgon national park that hikers can do after descending the mountain but again there are so many other places to visit in Uganda. What to do after hiking depends on the number of days one has on a safari and their budget. One can go for wildlife viewing, chimpanzee trekking, bird watching and even mountain gorilla trekking if time and budget allow.

Be ready to drink water

While hiking Mount Elgon, you will have to drink too much water all the time so as to keep hydrated. Hikers are asked to bring a big water bottle and those who can can even bring more than one. Armed ranger guides will advise you to drink water every time you feel thirsty to make your climbing easy.

Hiking is easy but training is a must

Before hiking Mount Elgon, you need to have trained very well and made sure that your body is fit enough for the activity. Hiking to the summit requires a certain level of fitness which can only be acquired after so many times of training. Training can be done from home for about 2 months before the hiking activity. You don’t have to be an experienced hiker to get to the summit all you need to be well prepared and trained.

Carrying the right gear

Even if you go mountain climbing well prepared physically but without the right hiking gear you will face a lot of challenges. Bringing the right hiking equipment increases your chances of reaching the summit because you will be having all it takes to get there. The hiking gear can be googled or you can ask your local tour operator to help you with the list.

Some of the hiking gear includes a hiking bag, day backpack, walking stick, sleeping bag, rain jacket, long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shirts, warm gloves, neck gaiters, ankle gaiters, long cotton stocks, umbrella, a pair of gaiters, waterproof hiking shoes, sneakers, sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellents, headlamp, toiletries, a camera, a pair of binoculars, energy giving snacks and drinking water bottle to mention but a few.