Mount Elgon National Park

What will you see on the mountain itself?

Four named peaks make up Mount Elgon: Mubiyi at 4,210m, Koitobos at 4,222m, Sudek at 4,303m, and Wagagai, the highest, at 4,321m. At the summit sits the caldera: 42 sq km wide, 8km long, the largest of its kind anywhere. Below it, the Suam gorge cuts deep, with hot springs at its base.

What does the vegetation look like as you climb?

The mountain changes character with altitude, and you will notice it. At base level, dense forest with epiphytes, liana vines and lichens; the forest floor carries ferns, orchids and flowering plants, with prunus africana, podocarpus, Cordia, Elgon teak and cedar among the tree species.

From 2,500m to 3,000m the forest opens into woodland. From 3,000m to 3,500m it becomes grassland marked by pink and white everlasting flowers. Above 3,500m, tiny blue flowers, hairy-leafed plants and giant lobelias take over up to the summit.

What wildlife lives here?

Elephant, buffalo, Defassa's waterbuck, spotted hyena, oribi, bushbuck, and leopard all live in the park. Sightings of these are rare. You are far more likely to see black and white colobus monkeys, tree squirrels, and duiker.

Mount Elgon holds over 296 recorded bird species, 40 of them found only here. Look for Hartlaub's turaco, the bronze-naped pigeon, the black-collared apalis, the tacazze sunbird, Jackson's francolin, the moustached green tinkerbird, and the rare lammergeyer.

Who lives around the mountain?

The Bagisu, Sabiny, and Ndorobo surround Mount Elgon. The Bagisu and Sabiny are known worldwide for their circumcision rituals, and the Imbalu festival draws visitors from outside Uganda to watch. Try the Malewa, a traditional Bagisu dish, while you're there. The Ndorobo practice traditional bull fighting.

Is Sipi Falls part of the park?

No. Sipi Falls sits just outside the boundary, along the Kapichorwa road, about an hour from Mbale. Basalt cliffs on the mountain's northern and western sides feed several waterfalls. Simba Falls drops over a cave entrance, Ngasire Falls flows over a ridge, and Bulago, Sisiyi, Chebonet and Wanale add more falls to the route.

Which trail should you climb?

Sipi trail starts at the Kapkwai Forest Exploration Centre, north of Sipi Falls, and takes 7 days. Sasa trail starts in Budadiri, opposite Mbale, with a steep 1,600m climb on day one; it takes 4 days and passes the largest bamboo track on the mountain and Jackson's Pool en route to Wagagai peak.

Piswa trail starts at Kapwata, 30km past Kapichorwa, takes 7 days, begins at high altitude and passes through podocarpus forest. Suam trail is closest to the Kenya border, starting in Suam village and following the Suam river through the steep gorge, past the hot springs on the caldera's eastern side.

When should you go?

Uganda's dry seasons run June to August and December to February. These months give you the clearest wildlife viewing and the easiest trekking conditions.