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        Mount Elgon, a large extinct volcano, forms the boundary between Uganda and Kenya  

Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda is a spectacular ancient volcano flanked by a natural wilderness that will thrill the adventurous. Trekking to the top of the 4,321-metre peak is a testing but rewarding challenge as Reto Kuster reports.

 

'Rose's last chance' or 'Rose's first chance' reads the sign, depending on whether you are viewing it as you head to or from Mount Elgon. For us, it was our last chance to taste Rose's fabulous omelets at her cheap lodgings in Budadiri before we were met by Aron, our guide, along with James and Alex, the two porters.

 

Budadiri, a lovely settlement amidst spectacular mountain scenery at 1,25O metres, is the terminus for public transport in the form of overcrowded minibuses or 'matatus' plying the route from Mbale, the main town in eastern Uganda. It is the starting point for treks up Mount Elgon, and the last place to buy foodstuff. We stocked up on rice, eggs, salt, sugar, and plantains, and headed towards the mountain.

Giant lobelias are common on the foothills of Mount Elgon 

Once past the village, the trail became steep, passing through the plantations of the local Bugisu people. Maize, plantains, coffee, peas, beans, and potatoes grow in abundance, and cattle rearing is also popular. "The soil is very fertile, and farmers sell their produce all over Uganda', commented James while picking some passion fruit. We took a last sip of water before conquering the 'wall of death', once Elgon's most dangerous spot. The passage along a series of steep cliffs has been made a lot easier with the installation of an iron ladder. In the past, swinging branches were not always that reliable.

 

Had we known what awaited us on the first day, we probably wouldn't have started. Facing the steep ridges in Budadiri, we thought it would take us two days to cross them. But towards the end of day one, we found ourselves sitting exhausted and thirsty in high grass, having already passed the green walls, and with worse to come. The trail continued up steep terrain, the ground made all the more slippery by rain.

 

James and Aron preferred going barefoot while carrying 20 kilograms plus their own cooking equipment on their backs. In the late afternoon, having climbed a total of more than 1,800 metres, we reached Sasa river camp at a height of just over 3,000 metres. The bamboo forest growing around the camp seemed impenetrable, but it was pierced by a small path used by locals to obtain forest products long before the first visitors arrived.

                            Harmless chameleons inhabit the forest of the mountain                        

Mount Elgon was gazetted as a national park in 1993, having been a forestry reserve since 1938, and it is the fourth-largest national park in Uganda at 1,145 square kilometres. The mountain provides clear water for a fast-growing population of more than seven million people. It is also a water catchment area for major lakes and rivers in both Uganda and Kenya. Increased agricultural activities, however, are endangering the park's fragile ecosystem. There are other conflicts, too, which have yet to be resolved: We used to collect honey and medical plants deep in the forest', said Aron. 'But in a national park, you can't just pick any plant you want."

 

Early explorer Henry Morton Stanley was, in 1875, the first person to bring news of Mount Elgon to the outside world. In 1890 Frederick Jackson, a British explorer, climbed to the caldera accompanied by 400 men. He reached what is known today as Jackson Summit, at a height of 4, 161 metres. There is an array of peaks looking similarly high and it was only in the 20" century that Wagagai was found to be the highest point at 4,321 metres.

 

Covering some 4,000 square kilometres, Mount Elgon has the largest surface area of any extinct volcano in the world, and geologists believe that this broad base indicates that Elgon may once have been higher than Mount Kilimanjaro. To locals, the mountain is known as Masaba, after the legendary father of the Bugisu tribe living on its slopes.  Wagagai, the highest peak, is named after Masaba's wife in that legend.

 

Climbing Mount Elgon is still a real wilderness adventure in a seldom-visited area. We spotted three chameleons, perfectly camouflaged creatures. Several species inhabit the forests of the mountain, even at 3,000 metres. Locals fear chameleons and believe they bring bad luck, although these reptiles are perfectly harmless. Other creatures are rarely seen, though there are beautiful beetles, butterflies, and
other insects in abundance.

 

Mud Cave camp, at 3,500 metres, is the base for exploring the peaks. The night was cold and rainy, but as we set off early in the morning the sky was bright and blue. Giant lobelias, endemic to mounts Elgon and Kenya, are common at this altitude. As we approached Jackson's Pool, a shy duiker antelope fled in surprise.

 

I had wondered before why Elgon was dubbed the mountain of illusion'. With the sudden change in weather conditions, it became apparent why many explorers lost their way and lost their illusion, too. Gaining height all the time, we continued in the cold rain, walking over rocks barely covered in moss.

 

Every time we thought we had made it, an even higher peak appeared through the mist. I stopped counting the ups and downs as I continued my almost robot-like progress, interrupted only by one short halt for chocolate and tea. The weather made me think of dismal European days, but the scenery was still terrific. Finally, a wooden plate reading Wagagai Summit 4,321 metres' indicated the highest point. Tired, we looked down.

 

Strong wind and rainy weather did not encourage a long break at the top, so we soon started the descent. Just as we reached our camp, a rainstorm pounded down. March to October is the rainy season, but the mountain doesn't care about seasons. It can be wet at any time', James put it while warming up at the campfire.

 

The next morning was freezing cold, and since the last volcanic eruption on Elgon happened about 10 million years ago, there was no hope of warming up the natural way. Park ranger David accompanied us until the end of the trek. 'Sometimes, buffaloes roam the area in search of salt,' he said, an AK-47 gun over his shoulder, 'and then there are poachers who try to kill them.' A few years back, when Uganda was suffering badly after years of civil war,

Mount Elgon was a favourite smuggling route for goods from Kenya. Nowadays, the economy has caught up and smuggling has stopped. 'It no longer makes sense to carry the stuff over the
mountain', explains David.

 

The trail passes through wide plains and a swampy area covered with red orchids. Colobus monkeys watched our passage from the treetops as we neared Piswa Patrol hut.

 

On the ground, other creatures caught our attention: army ants roamed in long processions of sand, protected by big individuals with powerful passage from the treetops as we neared Piswa patrol hut.
On the ground, other creatures caught our attention: army ants roamed in long processions of thousands, protected by big individuals with powerful jaws capable of delivering a Painful bite. “They will eat everything in their way and there is nothing you can do to stop them', warned our guide, removing an army ant from his foot.

 

Tourism is still a low-key affair on the mountain of illusion, and all porters and guides work part-time, making their main income as farmers. Still, visitor numbers grow, and Aron is confident that one day locals may gain more from ecotourism.

 

In the shadow of the famous Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon is still a secret among East Africa's trekking destinations. There are no souvenir shops, no pestering touts, just pure nature during the five-day circuit. Easily reached from the capital Kampala, with no special equipment needed, and away from the mass tourism track, Elgon has huge potential as an ecotourism destination.