Visiting Mount Rwenzori national park in December

Visiting Mount Rwenzori national park in December: Mount Rwenzori is one of the top tourist destinations in the western part of Uganda. The national park is located on the borders of Uganda and DR Congo where it borders the famous Virunga national park of Congo. Tourists visit this national park for different tourist activities more so mountain climbing at different times of the year.

December happens at a time of the year at the beginning of the dry season when the national park receives a little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The vegetation in the park is still green because of the rainfall from November and this offers the best photography. During the months of December, the hiking/walking trails are dry and easier to walk through which eases the movement of the tourists.

What activities are best done in Mount Rwenzori national park in December

Hiking Mount Rwenzori

December comes at a time when the area is receiving little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. This is perfect weather for the hiking activity as the hiking trails are dry and easier to walk through. The vegetation on the slopes of the mountain is getting short and still green for the best photography. The skies are clear giving a clear view of different attractions on the slopes of the mountain and nearby areas.

The chances of getting to the summit of Mount Rwenzori are high during the dry season because of the nature of the hiking trails. Ascending is always difficult but when the hiking trails are dry then hikers can easily walk through.  Reaching the summit of Rwenzori takes a few days because of the good nature of the hiking trails which hikers easily move through.

On the first day of hiking, tourists will be driven to the park offices where they will meet those people who will teach them the rules and regulations of the hike. Later armed ranger guides will be assigned to lead the hikers throughout the whole hike. Armed ranger guides and hikers will drive to the starting point of the hiking trail to be used. Here they will meet porters who are ready to help those hikers with excess luggage at a fee.

Armed ranger guides will do a simple briefing before the hiking starts and will give hikers walking sticks to help them balance throughout the hike. Hikers go through different vegetation zones seeing different vegetation cover, animals, birds, rocks, caves, rivers, and lakes to mention but a few.

Hiking is done for 7 to 8 hours a day and the hikers rest throughout the night at different accommodations constructed on the mountain. Getting to the summit of Mount Rwenzori which is Margherita peak takes 9 to 12 days and the time taken depends on the speed of the hikers and the nature of the hiking trails.

Hikers will get an opportunity to reach the summit of Mount Rwenzori will be at the tallest point in Uganda. Anyone can record videos or photos of anything they feel like during the whole hike for memories after some time. Hikers are asked to move with all the necessary clothing because the higher you go the cooler it becomes.

After spending some time at the summit of Mount Rwenzori, hikers descend the mountain following the trail with their armed ranger guides. On the slopes of the mountain, the hikers will find different attractions such as lakes, rivers, vegetation, birds, and animals to mention but a few.

Bird watching in Mount Rwenzori

Bird watching is another activity that can be done in December by tourists who are interested in seeing birds that live in Mount Rwenzori national park. Mount Rwenzori national park hosts over 217 bird species living in different areas of the park. Armed ranger guides know the best places to find these birds and will always lead the birders there.

Bird watching in Mount Rwenzori national park is done in the morning or afternoon in different park areas where birders have chances to see bird species such as Augur buzzard, great crested grebe, archer’s robin chat, grey-headed nigrita, mountain yellow warbler, ruppell’s staling, grey heron, scaly spurfowl, brown snake eagle, cattle egret, palm nut vulture, black-capped apalis, red-faced woodland warbler, common sandpiper, northern grey-headed sparrow, regal sunbird, handsome francolin.

African palm swift, barn owl, speckled mousebird, mountain yellow warbler, little grebe, lizard buzzard, tambourine dove, white wagtail, brown crowned tchagra, crowned eagle, dusky blue flycatcher, chinspot batis, olive woodpecker, African marsh harrier, grey cuckoo shrike, montane nightjar, black kite, little greenbul, speckled tinkerbird.

Rwenzori turaco, African shrike flycatcher, bronze mannikin, Eurasian kestrel, white chinned prinia, scarce swift, yellow-fronted tinkerbird, little egret, stripe breasted tit, snowy crowned robin chat, white-winged black kit, shikra, village weaver, ashy flycatcher, golden-crowned woodpecker, and pied cow to mention but a few.

Getting to Mount Rwenzori national park in December

Tourists can get to Mount Rwenzori national park during December using road transport. The journey takes 7 to 8 hours and the total time taken depends on the number of stopovers as well as the speed of the driver. From Entebbe/Kampala, tourists drive through Mityana, Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Fort Portal, and then Bundibugyo where Mount Rwenzori is found.