The Longest Hiking Sasa Sipi trails on Mount Elgon
Hiking Sasa Sipi trails on Mount Elgon National Park is the longest section but also the most rewarding for hikers. It should be noted that Mt. Elgon has the largest Mountain Caldera in the whole world, with a diameter of 8kms and an area of 40sqkms. It’s surrounded by a number of peaks both on the Kenyan and Ugandan sides.
We invite you to one of the best hiking safaris in Uganda. Through hiking the Sasa Sipi trails, you will witness the different Vegetation zones;
1. The Montane Forest.
This is the first vegetation zone of Mt. Elgon. It covers 48% of the total park area, with various tree species, birds, and animals. It extends up to 2,600Masl.
2. Mixed bamboo Zone.
This ranges from,2,600 to 3,300Masl, covering 21% of the park area. The second vegetation zone has extra plant species like Prunas Africans, Mountain bamboo, some birds, and animals too.
3 . The Heather Zone.
This vegetation zone ranges from 3300 to 3800 Masl. Covers 15% of the park area. It’s dominated by wild Cat family animals like African Civets, Serva cats, and the duikers, among others. Birds like the Alpine Chat, Jackson, and moorland Francolins, also dominate with shrubs and trees like Erica species, Scenesio and Lobellia Elgonesis, and Everlasting flowers.
4. The Moorland.
This zone covers 16% of the park area and ranges from 3800 to 4321 Masl. It’s characterized by Groundsels, Ladies Mantle, Everlasting flowers, and Rocky areas with water bodies (Crater Lakes- like Jackson’s pool and others) It’s also in this zone that we find the Suam, Simu, and Lwakakha gorges.
Below is the Days Hiking Sasa Sipi trails on Mount Elgon
Day 1: Budadiri-Sasa Camp
Start the hike starts from Budadiri by motorcycle or if you have a raised and 4-wheel vehicle you can use and drive for 7kms to Bumasola, here you enjoy a ride or drive uphill and community way of living and have a stop at the above village. From here the motorcycles can’t any further, and a real hike starts through the community for 3 km and finally reach the boundary. In this zone, you will enjoy agro-tourism and cultural tourism. After you climb the ladders nicknamed the wall of death a wonderful experience to reach the top of the cliffs standing at 2290m above sea level finally enter the montane forest zone and walk for 3 km to Sasa river camp for the first night. In this zone, if chance you will see monkeys such as black and white Columbus, and blue monkeys among others, a variety of birds such as hurtlab’s Turaco endemic to the mountain among others, and a variety of plants of both cultural and medicinal value to neighboring park community. The day including the ride is 14kms and in total takes 5 hours. BOOK NOW
Day 2: Sasa Camp -Mude Cave.
On the second day, a hike starts from Sasa to Mude cave camp for a second night for 5.5kms and takes 3 hours through the bamboo forest and finally into Heather zone with a variety of beautiful flowers and is so interesting as it’s a delicacy for the local community with so many other uses.
Day 3: Mude Cave.
Today starts from the Mude cave camp at 3500m above sea level in the Heather zone through the Jackson pool water in between the peaks to the caldera realm and finally reach Wagagai peak the highest peak of Mount Elgon. It’s an 18 km hike to and fro to Mude taking 7-9 hours. The spectacular features are the Jackson pool, the largest mountain caldera, beautiful standing rock plugs, and unique endemic plants like lobelia elogenensis among others.
Day 4: Mude Cave-Tutum cave
The fourth day starts from Mude to Tutum cave camp a descending hike to 2667m above sea level from Mude a distance of 37kms taking 9-10hours, it looks long but if you cannot make it to Tutum cave, you can walk to Kajeri campsite which is 21kms from Mude.
Day 5: Tutum Cave – Kapkwai gate
On the fifth day, you walk for 27 km to Kapkwai gate at 2057m above sea level and mark the end of the trip. The spectacular features on these two days are the unique smuggler’s caves, the plugs of Mubiyi peaks, Tutum cave the largest cave where no one has ever reached its end, and a variety of flowers, and beautiful gorges among others.
Includes:-
-Return transfers by Moto bikes to your trail heads from Budadiri offices- (roads are impassable by cars). – Accommodation in a tent and meals for 4 nights.
-Hire Camping materials and tents (sleeping bags and mats).
-Porters (each must have 2 porters).
-Professional cook.
-Bottled drinking water.
-Ranger/Guide fees.
Excludes- Pre-night in Mbale, Expenses of personal nature like Visa, drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, personal insurance, and tobacco.
We do have more adventure safaris just for you including Hiking Mount Sabinyo, and Muhabura in MgahingaNational Park. The park is also home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Uganda.
