Elgon Trekking Services was founded by John Hunwick who has a passion for mountains, the bush and nature, first visited and climbed Mt Elgon in 1993 and was inspired by it’s stunning forests, open high altitude moorlands, vast caldera, hidden caves, and rich cultural heritage. With deep roots in the Australian bush and love of Uganda’s amazing wilderness we created this service to share the mountain’s quiet magic with the world. Our mission is simple: offer authentic, safe, and sustainable treks that uplift our communities and protect the natural beauty we call home. Every step taken with us supports local guides, porters, and conservation efforts. Mt. Elgon isn’t just a destination—it’s where our story begins.

John Hunwick from Australia is the managing director with many years’ experience in tourism and travel particularly in the wilderness and mountainous areas and a keen conservationist. It is his life passion to conserve nature and protect wildlife that drives him to accomplish these new trails and even at the age of 76 is often in the mountains himself sometimes for weeks at a time. At the age of 15 he climbed his first mountain, the east face of Mt Barney in Queensland Australia and has climbed many more mountains since and has travelled widely developing a passion for nature and the wilderness.
John is also driven by his desire to empower Ugandans in conservation and management of the trails so they continue to operate long into the future.