Combining Kibale chimpanzee trekking and climbing Rwenzori Mountain is one of the most adventurous-packed activities. The strategic location of these two destinations of Kibale and Rwenzori, close to each other, eases this combined adventure. This combined experience highlights Kibale as the top chimpanzee trekking and Rwenzori as a hiking specialty for the climbers.
A combined Kibale chimpanzee trekking and climbing Rwenzori Mountain sees visitors venture through the tropical rainforest of Kibale before hiking the steep slopes of Rwenzori. For a better understanding of this combined adventure, both these adventures are better described individually for an in-depth understanding.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park.
Traversing the dense tropical rainforests of Kibale National Park, looking for chimpanzee primates and staying with them for an hour, is called chimpanzee trekking. This is the best way to have an up-close look at the lifestyle of the chimpanzee primates. Chimpanzees, like other primates, are social and stay in groups called chimpanzee communities. These chimpanzee communities can have over 40 chimpanzees.
These groups are headed by the dominant male chimpanzee. The head or leader of the chimpanzee community is in charge of locating food for the members and reproduction, and defending the community. Trekking is done by 8 people per assigned chimpanzee community per day. This limited number of visitors serves to protect the primates from the stress of having a large group of people that can scare them away the primates. Chimpanzee trekking is done daily on the habituated chimpanzee communities, where visitors have a chance to spend an hour watching these primates.
Kibale National Park is the leading chimpanzee trekking destination not just in Uganda but also in the region. Kibale National Park, often identified as Kibale Forest, is the biggest habitat for chimpanzees in the country. It is situated in the western region of Uganda, stretching across the districts of Kasese, Kabarole, Kyenjojo, and Kamwenge.
Kibale National Park spans approximately 766 square kilometers. The park is generally a tropical rainforest with a mixed vegetation of undergrowth, canopies, and shrubs. With this vast size, Kibale National Park hosts over 1,500 chimpanzee primates. This makes it a top chimpanzee trekking destination, earning it the name primate capital of the world. Kibale National Park hosts a large number of chimpanzees in the country. This park has seen a high turnout of visitors in the years following its establishment as a national park in 1993.
Cost of chimpanzee trekking
Embarking on a chimpanzee trekking adventure in Kibale National Park requires one to have a chimpanzee permit. This permit is a document that grants visitors access to the park to trek chimpanzees and spend an hour with them. A chimpanzee permit costs USD 250 for foreign non-residents, USD 200 for foreign residents, and UGX 180,000 for East African citizens. This chimpanzee permit can only be purchased from the Uganda Wildlife Authority through a registered local company like Monteero Safaris.
Climbing Rwenzori Mountain
Although this hike to the summit of Mountain Rwenzori may seem easy, it’s not even close to that. This climbing experience of Rwenzori Mountain requires both mental and physical preparation. This is because this climb is very demanding and very challenging; thus, visitors are required to have better preparation and the necessary hiking gear. Mountain Rwenzori has relatively steep terrain.
This climbing adventure awards visitors and hikers incredible views. Visitors also encounter a variety of flora and fauna species, mainly primates and birds that accompany the hikers with beautiful melodies and entertaining chants. Climbing Mountain Rwenzori lasts between 8-12 days to the summit. This period is tentative with the experience of the climbers.
This adventure experience gives visitors a journey through different vegetation zones, making it seem as stepping into different worlds. Every zone or level reached on the mountain represents new adventures, views, and challenges. There are designated camps or huts at different heights of the mountain for visitors and hikers.
These camps and huts are put in place for visitors to have designated stopovers for rest, relaxation, and a meal to re-energize before proceeding with the climb. From flowing rivers and waterfalls to crater lakes and flora and fauna species epidemic to the mountain, the Rwenzori Mountain climb or hike is a fully packaged adventure. There are constructed ladders and climbing steps in some zones of the mountain that help visitors to climb.
Mountain Rwenzori is situated in Kasese district on the eastern border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. This mountain is the highest mountain in Uganda and has its peak or summit of Margherita standing at 5,109 meters above sea level. This makes it the third-highest mountain in the region. It has a permanent snow-capped top and is the source of many rivers and lakes in the region. Some scholars, like Claudius Ptolemy, argue that this mountain is the true source of the River Nile. It is no wonder that it is identified by the locals as the Mountains of the Moon.
Embarking on a climbing adventure of Mountain Rwenzori requires a climbing permit that can be obtained through a local tour operator. This permit is used by the climbers as a pass to hike to the summit of the mountain. This money from the sale of these permits goes to maintaining the climbing trails on the mountain and camps, plus the rangers. A percentage is used to develop the communities around as a way to give back to the community.