There are many facts about Mount Elgon and in this article, we shall exhaust in detail some of those facts to give you a more complex picture of what Mount Elgon is all about. Mountain Elgon is an extinct volcanic mountain that last erupted over a million years ago. It is located in the district of Mbale in the eastern region of Uganda on the border with Kenya. Mountain Elgon stands at an elevation of about 4,321 meters above sea level making it the eighth highest point in Africa. It has a large surface area of about 1,121 square kilometers. Mountain Elgon is under the Mountain Elgon National Park managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority on the side of Uganda and in Kenya it is managed by the Kenyan Wildlife Services. The following are some of the facts about Mountain Elgon.

First eruption. Mountain Elgon is an extinct volcanic mountain on the border of Uganda and Kenya. It is believed that the mountain first erupted over 24 million years ago by scientists.

Height of Mount Elgon. Following its formation many million years ago, it at some point had the highest elevation even higher than Mountain Kilimanjaro. However, due to natural forces of erosion for many years, its high elevation was reduced to 4,321 meters dropping to fourth place in East Africa and eighth position on the African continent.

Mountain Elgon has five peaks that range in height with the highest being Wagagai Peak an elevation of 4,321 meters on the Ugandan side, Sudek Peak at 4,302 meters in Kenya, Koitobos Peak at 4,222 meters on the side of Kenya, Mubiyi at 4,211 meters, and Masaba at 4,161 meters in the side of Uganda.

Mountain Elgon has the world’s largest volcanic caldera stretching up to approximately 40 kilometers. This caldera has given meaning to the hiking adventures on Mount Elgon since it is the largest in the world with several rugged peaks.

First ascenders of Mountain Elgon. Elgon was first written in an article by geographer Henry Morton Stanley when he saw it after he had navigated Lake Victoria. However, the mountain was still popular especially to the Arab traders since it was located near the eastern slave trade routes. Joseph Thompson visited the mountain but didn’t climb to the top summits. His visit created excitement in the British government and in 1890 the Imperial British East African Company sent Frederick Jackson who became the first European to climb the mountain.

What are the tourist activities on Mountain Elgon?

Bird watching

Mountain Elgon is home to over 300 bird species scattered across the different ecosystems on the mountain. Among these bird species in Elgon, there is the rare and endangered Lammergeyer. This bird species is very rare and hard to spot in the wild since it is located in few places in the world and Mountain Elgon is among these few places. Other bird species inhabit the mountain and these include black collared Apalis, Jacksons Francolin, Black-shouldered Kite, and Tacazze sunbird to mention but a few.

Hiking/ Guided nature walks

Hiking or guided nature walks are one of the major activities done on Mount Elgon. The guided nature walks take you through the formidable artistic diverse landscape as you explore the exquisite and numerous flora and fauna species that inhabit the mountain. Visitors can also enjoy the several species of birds that decorate the clear skies with their colorful feathers and sweet songs. The sights and sounds on this incredible mountain are surely worth checking out.

Cultural tours

Mountain Elgon offers the best cultural encounters as visitors get a chance to encounter the different tribes of people who inhabit the mountain slopes. The Masamba and Sabiny local people will teach you their private lifestyle and their traditional activities from the music and dances to the dressing code to their economic activities like weaving, planting, and ceremonies.

Rock climbing and Abseiling

These activities of abseiling and rock climbing take place at the Sipi Falls. Visitors will take on a rock climbing adventure to the top of the falls while enjoying the beautiful scenic views of the waterfall and landscape around and also the coffee plantations in the distance. While at the top of the Sipi Falls, will abseil on cables fastened at the top down the waterfall. The diverse landscape of Mount Elgon with the many homesteads of the local people and coffee plantations are some of the scenic views visitors will enjoy as they descend on the cliff rock wall.

Coffee plantation tour

The slopes of Mount Elgon are very fertile since they bear volcanic soils incredibly fertile and favorable for growing Arabic coffee. This is the main crop grown on the mountain slopes and the main cash crop of the local people. Visitors will also check out the coffee processing plants that help process the raw harvested coffee of the local people. Through the trails of the coffee plantations, the visitors will come across the banana plantations of the Bamasaba community land where they will explore the plants and interact with the locals who work in those plantations.

These activities and more you will enjoy as you explore the charted and diverse landscapes of Mountain Elgon and learn the incredible facts of the mountain.