Mount Sabinyo

Mount Sabinyo: One of the three mountains in Mgahinga National Park is Mount Sabyinyo. The three-peak mountain, which is 3423, 3537, and 3669 meters high, marks the meeting point of the Virunga Mountains, which traverse Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The majority of the mountain is located in Uganda‘s Mgahinga National Park, west of Lake Bunyonyi, but it is spread throughout all three countries: Rwanda‘s Volcanoes National Park, the Democratic Republic of the Congo‘s Virunga National Park, and Uganda‘s Mgahinga National Park.

This extinct volcano is the oldest of the eight Virunga mountains and is named after the Kinyarwanda term “sabyinyo,” which means tooth, because locals claim that the multi-summited top of the mountain resembles an old man’s teeth. In fact, in some areas, it is referred to as old man’s teeth. The people who reside nearby place a high religious value on this peak.

The unique and endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and various bird species, including the Albertine endemic Rwenzori Turaco, among other forest species, find the ideal home on Mount Sabyinyo, which is covered in rich forest vegetation on the slopes of the Hagenia forest.

Because the mountain is home to mountain gorillas, most tourists who come to Mgahinga National Park typically hike it to see the gorillas. However, hikers can also explore the mountain’s various craters and reach the summit to see the three mount summits.

Mount Sabyinyo is not typically hiked due to its challenging paths; out of the eight volcanoes, it is by far the most difficult to hike, and most hikers choose not to trek on its trails, except from the fact that it is trekked for mountain gorillas.

Even though it’s a challenging mountain to hike, it offers the most rewarding experience of all eight volcanoes. To start, it has three peaks each in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, allowing you to stand at the summit of each country. As you ascend the mountain, you’ll also come across a number of craters, and you won’t forget the lush Hagenia forest. This strenuous but worthwhile trip will be well worth your time because, among other things, you will encounter bushy parts, grass-patched sections, flowery ascents, and the refreshing fresh air. Hiking the mountain will be an adventure of a lifetime for you.

The trek on this mountain typically begins at the Mgahinga National Park headquarters at 7:00 am with a briefing by the authorities. Following the briefing, you are issued hiking sticks and assigned a ranger before heading to the trailhead at Kisoro to begin your ascent.

Depending on your hiking speed and experience, you will hike for around 8 to 9 hours. After the hike, you will return the hiking sticks to the park offices and head to your lodging.

Hikers typically return to their lodgings between 6 and 8 p.m., so it’s best to schedule the entire day for trekking. Nevertheless, there are situations in which hikers must return to the trailhead before reaching the peak. For example, when the weather becomes too bad to continue climbing, particularly during rainy seasons, or when the hike becomes so gruesome that by 1 or 2 pm you have not even reached the first summit, you simply turn around and slope down because you won’t be able to reach the summit before dark.

It’s crucial to remember that despite the mountain’s three summits, most visitors only reach the first one due to the difficult hike.

The hiking trail in Mgahinga National Park has been enhanced with handcrafted ladders at steep sections to enable climbers negotiate the journey a little more easily. This is because the mountain’s trails are extremely tough for novice hikers to follow.

Hikers typically spend 20 to 50 minutes or fewer at the mountain tops before the temperatures push them out, as is the case with all other volcanoes. The temperatures at the summits are not human-friendly, there is less oxygen there, and it is quite cold.

Similar to trekking the other volcanoes, Mount Sabyinyo requires the same gear, which includes, but is not limited to, raincoat, gloves, long-sleeved clothes, waterproof hiking boots, and clothing that is both heavy and light. Always remember to pack water and a lunch or snack to last you the entire hiking trip.

You must hire a porter from the park before you begin your trekking adventure since, even if you are an expert hiker, you will need one to help you carry your bags and support you on the difficult parts of the trail.

Because the mountain trails are less slick and the temperatures are more tolerable during the dry seasons, hikers from Mgahinga National Park make the journey to Mount Sabyinyo throughout the year. The Mgahinga National Park offices sell hiking permits, which cost 85 USD per hiker. To ensure that a hiking ranger or guide is available for you, it is best to schedule a permit at the park offices at least two to three days in advance.