Mount Elgon – Wagagai Peak

By Caro McPherson, June 2012

The climb of Mount Elgon was a great experience, which I could recommend to all visitors to Uganda, and Ugandans interested in seeing different parts of the country. In our four day journey, we passed through a lot of different and beautiful scenery, culminating in breathtaking views from the 4,321m peak of Wagagai.

The hike should be accessible for any one with a basic level of fitness. You can hire porters to carry your bags, and can take frequent rest stops. In fact, the porters, guides, and cooks were one of the highlights of the trip. They were informative about the mountain, and organized with good food throughout.

This trip would best be done in a group of about 4 people. Try to choose some friends who are of approximately the same fitness level as you, then you can all enjoy the hike to the fullest. You will probably be one of the only groups in the park while you are hiking, so you can enjoy a peaceful hike, with no disturbances.

Overall, this was a wonderful adventure. For anyone who is looking to do something a bit different in Uganda, I can recommend climbing Mt. Elgon!