Mount Elgon National Park was gazetted to protect one of the oldest and largest Volcanic Mountain in East Africa. The Mountain standing at 4,000m has the largest caldera in the world covering 40km² making it one of the best hiking destinations. Located in Eastern Uganda along Uganda-Kenya border, it forms an extensive trans boundary conservation area which was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO covering a size of 1,121km². Mount Elgon’s highest peaks are formed by high points around a jagged rim enclosing one of the world’s largest calderas, which is 40km long and 8 km wide. The tallest peak is the 4,321m Wagagi, followed by Sudek (4,303m), Koitobos (4,222m) and Mubiyi (4,210m).
Mt Elgon which is an extinct volcano is one of the Uganda’s oldest physical feature and its believed to have last erupted around 24 million years ago. It was once Africa’s highest mountain exceeding Kilimanjaro’s current 5,895m, but it reduced because of continuous erosion to 4,321m making it the 4th highest in East Africa and 8th in the world. In addition, the park hosts over 300 bird species including the endangered Lammergeyer.
The neighboring communities is composed of the Bamasaba and the Sabiny who are both farmers and most of the communities largely depend on the forest near the park which has caused a lot of erosion and has resulted into land and mudslides.However,the government of Uganda has tried to resettle them in other parts of the country to reduce pressure on the mountain.
Tourist Activities include the following:
Volcanoes Climbing; Most Tourists in this area come to hike Mt Elgon with the ultimate goal of reaching the peak and also reaching the biggest Caldera in the world. The climb does not require any technical experience or special equipment and most travelers in east Africa prefer to climb Mt Elgon compared to other mountains. The UWA ranger guides will lead you on this 5-day hike and you will also need to hire cooks and porters while on this hike. There are 3 major trails which include; Sasa trail starting from Bumasola Village, Sipi trail starting from Kapkwai Exploration Centre and Piswa trail starting from Kapkwata. The trails lead you to caves, viewpoints and waterfalls, with the option of camping overnight on the mountain slopes.
Cultural Encounters; The park is surrounded by the Bagisu and Sabiny who have a rich cultural history. The Bagisu have a man adult hood cultural initiation ceremony called Imbalu where boys above 15 years are locally circumcised to iniate them into manhood who will be recognized in society. Its treated with a lot of cultural importance. Its always done every eventh year during August and September. This cultural event attracts many travelers around the world. The Sabiny used to practice female genital mutilation to reduce women’s libido but the government abolished it because it was considered inhuman. However, you can meet them for story telling about it.
Community walks; The Bagisu are farmers who practice Arabic coffee farming on the sides of mt Elgon They are popularly known to be the ones producing the finest washed Arabic coffee in Kenya and Uganda. You can talk a community walk to coffee plantations to learn about its growing, harvesting and coffee processing plants to learn how its processed locally into a fine product. You can also take a community walk on mountain sides to enjoy the views of Sipi Falls, the Walls of Death and the African sunrise across the Karamoja plains on these peaceful walks just outside Mt Elgon National Park.
Mountain biking: Mountain biking trails runs from Sipi trading center to Chema hill in Kapchorwa town. It takes between 1-2 hours and provides views of various waterfalls
Rock climbing: Rock climbing takes place outside the park at Sipi. There are 14 routes which require various levels of rock scaling techniques. The toughest is a 35m climb while the easiest is 15m.
Visiting Sipi Falls: The northern and western sides of Mount Elgon rise in a series of massive basalt cliffs, often several kilometers in length, over which the mountain’s rivers plunge as beautiful waterfalls. The best known are the three waterfalls at Sipi on the Kapchorwa road, just outside the park. The lowest of these falls is the most spectacular as it cascades over a 100m cliff. The second, known as Simba, plunges 69m over the entrance to a cave. Visitors can stand in the cave and enjoy a view of the back of the falls. The third waterfall, also known as Ngasire, gushes over an 87m high ridge. Easily accessible waterfalls are also found at Sisiyi, Bulago, Chebonet and Wanale and many more are scattered across the mountain, offering spectacular views.
