Mount Rwenzori Packaging list, What to wear in Mount Rwenzori
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Written by:
Ezra
- Published:
- Updated: August 13, 2024
Mount Rwenzori Hike Packaging list.
Mount Rwenzori is often referred to as the mountains of the moon because of its unique outstanding features. Hiking to the top of Margherita, where dreams meet reality, with a spectacular view of the World is a fascinating must-visit destination.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is a snow-capped mountain range located in the Rwenzori Mountains. Almost 1,000 km2 (386 sq. mi) in size, the park has Africa’s third-highest mountain peak and many waterfalls, lakes, and Glaciers.
Trekking Rwenzori Mountains involves hiking through different climatic zones ie from the warm, humid forests and lower slopes to the cold summit zones with glaciers, ice, and snow. Thus, you need to be prepared for all weather conditions i.e. sunny, windy, and rainy.
What determines things to pack on your hike to the Rwenzori Mountains?
Trekking the mountains of the moon can be daunting, thus packing the right gear would help persist in every condition and situation during the trek. But various determinants influence several things to pack before embarking on the hike to the Rwenzori Mountains and these include.
Weather.
The weather conditions in the Rwenzori Mountains differ and thus you need to pack the right packaging for every condition. The weather conditions differ at various periods of the year.
Jan-March, it’s a dry season and a good time to trek the Rwenzori mountains as the conditions tend to be cold.
June –October, you will experience snow.
April-May and Nov-Dec, it’s a rainy season and not an ideal period for trekking.
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Altitude
The conditions differ at each level of Altitude.
At 800m-3000m in the rainforests, you will experience high humidity levels and mist.
At 3900-4200m in the low alpine zone, it’s a semi-arid zone and temperatures can be below zero at night.
In the high alpine zone, the day is hot, and radiation is high whereas at nighttime temps drops to zero.
At 5000m and above, it’s the glacial zone characterized by high-altitude arctic conditions. The solar radiation during the day is high and at night the temps drop to the freezing point as you experience gale-force winds and low oxygen levels.
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Insect Repellant.
While you might already have your malaria preparation done and are not at the risk of catching it, we still recommend that you carry insect repellant that contains high percentages of DEET. This is because mosquito bites are not fun and do hurt some people.
There are other insects as well and this insect repellant will keep them at bay. As you climb higher and the temperatures drop, the insects will become less and less, but the low ranges are very rich with insects.
Water Bottles.
As you climb up the Rwenzori, you will become dehydrated very fast because of the intensity of the activity and you will need to drink water. Beyond quenching your thirst, you will need to drink 2 to 3 liters of water every day as a way of starving off the altitude sickness.
You might choose to carry two 1-litre bottles as they will easily fit into your daypack.
High Energy Snacks.
Energy-giving snacks will give you that extra bit of power that you need to push harder when your body starts to tire. Hiking for several hours every day is not an easy thing to do, and the climbers do need any energy they can get to complete the climb.
Crampons.
To improve your traction – and therefore stability – in the snow, you will need to wear crampons on your climbing shoes. In Rwenzori, crampons are vital as you climb the snow-capped peak of Mount Stanley or Mount Baker.
Crampons marked as C2 and C3 are ideal for mountain climbing and you should keep this in mind as you buy.
In conclusion
For an exciting hike, the above packaging list is very essential as it helps you trek through different altitudes of the mountain
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