Two Day Trek To Hunwick’s Camp & Return Via The Dirigana River Loop

Our Two Day trek is a truly amazing trekking experience climbing up past the base of a 61 metre high Dirigana Falls, then continue climbing up to the top of the falls and along the Dirigana River before ascending to the Mukoola Ridge which has incredible views of the valleys and communities below.

Cost Trekking fees $140 inclusive of guides, porters, accommodation and meals plus the park entrance fee of $35 paid directly to Uganda Wildlife Authority UWA

Meals are quality with a hearty continental breakfast, lunch bread rolls with sliced ham or chicken, tomato, onion and cheeze with tea or coffee and fruit juice & an apple or orange. Evening meal is, fresh soup of the day, main course and desert. Tea or coffee or filter coffee for those who want the real taste and flavour of Mt Elgon Arabica freshly ground filter coffee.

For East Africans or anyone who may desire, you may elect when booking for a more suitable breakfast of Katogo a Ugandan dish usually at breakfast (matoke and meat with tomato & onion) or Githeri a Kenyan dish. Lunch, bread-rolls with sliced ham or chicken with cheese, tomato and onion, tea or coffee and fruit juice. Evening meal of soup, followed by matoke, boiled rice or posho with stewed goats meat or beef plus desert.

Note it is difficult to prepare mixed European and East African meals for different people on a trek, so must be either one or the other for all and must be advised at least two days before any trek starts so we can purchase the necessary items.

The Two Day Trek and Nature Walk, you climb up through the community then up alongside the Dirigana River beneath towering cliffs and across the bridge directly below the 61m Nabunyifu Falls which is an amazing experience. You then climb up the escarpment into the montane forest above. After a few kilometres you find our lunch spot nestled in a bend in the river to enjoy a heathy lunch as you listen to the gentle flow of the river. From here it is a gentle climb up to the Mukoola Ridge to Hunwick’s Camp at 2, 882m with fantastic views of the communities below and across the hills to Mbale city. There is cellular network at Hunwick’s Camp.

Day 2 After a hearty breakfast you continue climbing up through the forest for a kilometre before branching and walking down to the Dirigana River. The trail follows closely to the river with several rapids and small waterfalls before meeting the day from day one where you then pass back down to base camp past the falls.

Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1

Trek starts at Elgon Trekkers Base Camp and crosses through coffee plantations

Day one is a 7.1km walk with an altitude gain from Elgon Trekkers Base Camp above Bugiboni at 1,720m to Hunwick’s Camp at 2,882m giving an altitude gain of 1,162 metres (if you slept in Mbale City at 1,150m the altitude gain in one day would be 1,732 metres) 4 to 5 hours.

The trek starts at Elgon Trekkers Base Camp and crosses through coffee plantations to the Gasawa steel ladders just above Bugiboni Village with some steep sections above the ladders. It then flattens out to pass through the community where the main source of income is coffee, onions, potatoes and maize.

Or if it is not raining you may save a bit of energy and time to enjoy more of the national park, you may get a boda boda up to 2,070 metres to start your hike. From here it is a steady walk up to the park boundary directly below Dirigana Falls with a height of 61 metres flanked by sheer cliffs. We have constructed switchbacks in the trail to make it a easier to reach the top of the escarpment. This is a completely new trail which has never been accessible to tourists before and a great addition to the Sasa Trail. The trail climbs up along the Dirigana Valley and the base of the cliffs where there is a large rock shelter in case you need shelter when raining to the base of the falls where you stand below the falls to get fantastic photos before continuing to the top of the escarpment where you are treated to awesome views across the valley. The trail crosses above the falls as you enter the montane forest with huge Podacarpus trees and thick vegetation. You continue up the Dirigana valley for some distance before there is a bridge and a lunch spot near the river. After a short break you continue up a steady climb to Mukoola Ridge where you will get fantastic views of the valleys below. After enjoying the views you walk not the one kilometre to Hunwick’s Camp at 2,882 metres.

Day 2

Steady climb up through the montane forest on the edge of a 400 metres cliff to a view point

You first take a steady climb up through the montane forest on the edge of a 400 metres cliff to a view point about one kilometre. After enjoying the view you slope down through the forest to the Dirigana River where you then walk down alongside the river until up meet the main trail up. From here you walk back along the trail to Base Camp at Bugiboni.

Rates

$140 trekking fees per person plus $35 park fees paid directly to Uganda Wildlife Authority TOTAL $175 all inclusive.