Martin Zwick

Basically that's it and these four topics define what you need. If you have experience with trekking or climbing mountains you will know what you want to bring to Uganda.

I give some personal experience I gathered during two expeditions into the Rwenzoris:

Rain gear is absolutely essential, the probability that you will see rain during a standard central circuit trek is definitly more than 90%. We stayed in the Rwenzori more than 30 days in two seperate years, always in the driest season and had rain on about 25 days. There are stories from people who made the trek without rain, but this is definitly an exception and I would not bet on it! Rain can mean 1 hour or 10 hours per day, you never know. I can happen in the night, in the morning, during the day or not at all.

Depending on the money you want to spend you have to decide what kind of rain gear you want to buy. I pack a rain jacket, rain overtrousers and as a spectacle wearer always a rain cap. I go always for high quality (and expensive GoreTex type) jackets but for much cheaper trousers as the wear on the trousers is extreme in the Rwenzoris. I recommend to put on the rain trousers as soon as you enter swampy areas and the forests. You will jump from tussock to tussock, you will climb over fallen, mossy trees and within a second your trousers will be wet and covered with mud, even if it does not rain. If you are wearing rain trousers no problem, your trekking pants will stay clean and dry! Moreover a rain trousers will protect you during the high altitude parts of the trek from mist and the cold wind. Basically I recommend to wear it on the central circuit from John Matte to Nyabitaba hut.

How cold and how hot are the Rwenzoris and what do I need to protect me from the cold?

In short: from John Matte Hut onwards (second day) it can freeze during the nights and we always had snowfall on Bujuku and Kitandara Hut. If you want to tackle the 5000ers you have to deal with ice anyway.

Bring warm fleece trousers or something similar for the evenings and also a warm jacket made from thick fleece or a duvet. Please keep in mind, the huts are not heated and sometimes drafty, the air is humid and you will be tired. There is nothing more miserable, than arriving after a long wet day during dawn at a hut and you have no dry and warm clothing left.

Of course there are really hot days in the Rwenzoris, it is Africa and it is the equator. But to take clothing off is easy!

Just to be complete, mittens or gloves and a warm cap is an absolute must as well.

gumboots or not - that's not the question

Nothing is more discussed in Rwenzori reports or in trekking forums than what kind of boots should be chosen for the Rwenzoris. To trek in the Rwenzoris without gumboots/wellies is the uttermost stupidity you can do, sorry about my frankness (just for information, I own 4 pairs of mountaineering boots for different purposes and my feet can look back to more than 45 years of wearing mountain footwear. Beginning with simple leather boots for kids to expedition boots, himalaya tested and suited for -45 degrees...)

You may tell me, Goretex is your choice and you cannot walk in steep and rugged terrain in gumboots and you will sweat like hell and you will get blisters and the whole PR machine from modern footwear producers are telling you that there is nothing better than GoreTex for whatever terrain.

Back to a more rational discussion. GoreTex can breath only, if it can "breath". This may sound strange, but in the Rwenzoris your boots will be soakingly wet for days maybe for the whole trek and will be covered in thick mud. No material will be able to "breathe" through a thick layer of mud!

Therefore it just makes sense to wear gumboots / wellies. They are really waterproof, can be cleaned in every creek and will not get heavier when they are wet. GoreTex boots with cordura as an outer shell are hard to clean and the mud will stick to the fibers for days, making the footwear very heavy and very dirty, moreover you will need gaiters, which will be wet and dirty and and and...

Scandinavians, Alaskans, Scots, Canadians, all know about these simple facts and they have no problem to go hiking, climbing, fishing or hunting with wellies, they know why!

As soon as it gets wet from above or teh bottom I wear gumboots in the Rwenzoris. Of course I have light GoreText boots with me and I use them the first two days and around and in the huts. The question is not whether but what kind of wellies should be chosen.

These are the main criterias:

You even can buy gumboots in Fort Portal, the selection is of course very limited. The quality is ok, however we found only boots with a very thin sole with a good grip, which helps climbing but you felt every little stone when you hiked. The RMS rents gumboots too. If you are travelling more often to wet destinations you could consider to buy a decent pair which will last many years, but will have its price. In the Rwenzoris you will not regret it!

Standard mountaineering or outdoor shops have never a good selection as it is not hipo to wear gumboots. Fishing, riding or hunting (online) shops are the better choice. Brands like LaCrosse (canadian) or Le Chemeau (french, even with Vibram climbing sole) have really good boots in their line up.

By far the biggest part of the load will be carried by the porters (even if I repeat myself: For the Rwenzori porters it is good and honestly earned money for hard work in an area where there is nearly no other option to earn money. It is no post colonialistic attitude of a superior race to hire porters. very often the porters are young people earning the money for their education. And it makes your trek much easier)

Therefore your daypack can be as small and leightweight as possible. In 2008 and 2009 we found a simple daypack at decathlon (for europeans ...) with sealed seams and waterproof zipper for little money. Perfect for a wet environment like the Rwenzoris. Any small pack will do as long as you have a raincover for it. A waterproof bag inside will do the trick as well, preferable a good drybag not a simple plastic bag for shopping. It is up to you to have dry or wet spare clothing in your pack!

The porters hardly use backpacks. They use simple but sturdy plastic bags and carry the load not so much on the shoulders but use a traditional head belt. All your luggage, food, climbing equipment, clothing will be loaded in these simple white bags, which are of course not waterproof. Therefore all your stuff should be protected by a waterproof bag, either cheap but sturdy waterproof garbage bags from home or as a more expensive solution by drybags from outdoor or canoeing equipment suppliers. these draybags will last for years. Simple bags will do, if you travel only once to wet environments, however if you are in canoeing or hiking anyway, you should consider decent draybags.

More tips on the next page: Trekking Equipment - my personal tipps for the Rwenzoris II

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