“In the Footsteps of the Duke”

The Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the mythical Mountain of the Moon, whose location was debated and sought after for centuries, was discovered by the first European explorer, Henry Morton Stanley in 1878. Earlier, Samuel Baker had been exploring the Lake Albert area and had caught a fleeting glimpse of the majestic mountain range, but nothing was confirmed. Several attempts were made by British envoys to climb the Rwenzories but none succeeded. In 1906, Prince Luigi Amedeo of Savoy, the Duke of Abruzzi, pioneered a scientific expedition into the mountains with the goal of mapping their central region while reaching the summit of the principle peaks, and succeeded! 100 years later, in commemoration of this pivotal moment in history, a joint initiative between Uganda and Italy will retrace the steps of the Duke of Abruzzi, climbing the Mountains of the Moon – an event called “In the Footsteps of the Duke.”

Itinerary

An Italian team will arrive in Entebbe to join their Ugandan counterparts on June 10th. A day later, they will travel from Kampala to Fort Portal, nestled on the slopes of the Rwenzories. Catered to by the Royal House of Omukama of Tooro, the team will then depart for the Rwenzori Mountains National Park headquarters. On June 13th, the team will then commence their climb to Nyabitaba Hut proceeding a day later to the Bujungolo Rock Shelter. On June 15th, they will climb Mount Baker and reach the peaks of Edward and Semper. They will attempt to reach Moore and Wollaston peak before resting for the night in Kitandara Hut. The next day holds no respite for the team as they continue their arduous climb to Mount Luigi di Savoia, Wiesmann and Vittoria Stella when they will return to Kitandara Hut for a second night.

On June 17th, the team climbs to Elena Hut of Mount Stanley. Exactly retracing the steps of the Duke, they will achieve the summit of Alexandra and Margherita, the highest of all at 5,109 metres. Returning to Elena Hut, the team will proceed the next day to Bujuku Hut. On June 20th, they will climb Mount Speke reaching the peaks of Vittorio Emanuele. The following day they travel to Skull Cave. On June 22nd, they will ascend Mount Emin to the summit of Umberto peak and climb mount Gessi and Iolanda in the afternoon returning to Skull Cave for the night. On June 23rd, they will travel to Cooking Pot Hut and then down to John Matte Hut. June 24th is the final day of the climb as they descend to Nyabitaba Hut. They have one day to return to Kampala when on the 25th June there will be a grand reception which will be hosted by the Italian Ambassador. They have two

days to nurse their Italian wine hangover before the team departs on the 27th.

“In the Footsteps of the Duke” is a historical moment for both Italy and Uganda. The partnership exemplified between the two countries in collaboration to commemorate this momentous occasion will hopefully highlight one of the greatest tourist attractions Uganda has to offer, a mountaineers dream - the legendary mountains of the moon.