The
fabled " Mountains of The Moon " lie in Western
Uganda on the Congolese border, with snow-covered, equatorial
peaks rising to height of 5110 m and lower slopes blanketed
in moorland and rich montane forest. Most of the park is accessible
to hikers with magnificent scenery and 19 Albertine Rift endemics,
amongst them;
Rwenzori
Turaco and Shelley's Crimsonwing,
would be ample reward for the intrepid, backpacking birder.
ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN
 Districts
: South Western Uganda, on the edge of the western rift valley,
shared by Rukungiri, Kabale and Kisoro
Districts.
Size
: 996 Km-Sq.
Elevation
: 1700 metres to 5109 metres atop Margherita peak on Mount
Stanley.
Habitat
: Montane forest with bamboo ( Arundinaria ) on lower slopes,
heath and Afro-alpine moorland on
higher slopes.
Status
: National Park since 1991.
Timing
: January - February and July - August are the driest months
but rain is possible year round.
Time
required : 3 days for the shorter foothill hike and 6-7 days
for the usual mountain loop.
Birds
Recorded : 195 species.
BIRD
WATCHING
There
are many bird species to lookout for among which include:-
Albertine Rift endemics like; Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori
Turaco, Montane (Rwenzori) Nightjar, Dwarf Honeyguide, Archer's
Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Kivu Ground Thrush, Red-faced
Woodland Warbler, Montane Masked and Collared Apalises, Stripe-breast
Tit, Rwenzori Batis, (Grauer's Cuckoo-shrike ), Blue-headed,
Regal and Purple-breasted Sunbirds, Strange Weaver, Dusky
and Shelley's Crimsonwings.
Others
to lookout for are; Lammergeiger, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk,
Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, African Long-eared Owl, Western
Green Tinkerbird, Olive Woodpecker, Grey-chested Illadopsis,
Grey-winged Robin, Evergreen Forest and Bamboo Warblers, Lagden's
Bush-Shrike, Montane Sooty Boubou, Golden-winged and Scarlet-tufted
Malachite Sunbirds, White-collared Olive-back, Red-faced Crimsonwing,
Oriole-Finch.
ACCESS
Rwenzori
Mountains National Park is accessible from Kasese. All hikes
need to be arranged through the Rwenzori Mountain Service
( RMS ), an organisation that works in conjunction with the
Ugandan Wildlife Authority to control hiking in the area and
to maintain trails and huts.
|
