Mount Sabyinyo is among the eight Volcano Mountains in the Virunga Mountain ranges that run on the border of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Historically, it’s the oldest mountain in the Volcano ranges and it stands at a height of 3,669m above sea level. The name Sabyinyo is derived from a local Kinyarwanda word that means tooth and this is because the mountain has the shape of an old man’s tooth.
One can easily locate Mount Sabyinyo since it’s west of Lake Bunyonyi and North East of Lake Kivu a famous lake that is on the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo among the great lakes. This mountain holds the traditional beliefs of the locals and on the trek, you have a high chance of meeting the locals performing rituals in the mountain. For easy access or hiking this mountain, a tourist must be in Mgahinga national park in Uganda and the summit offers a chance a stand in 3 countries at the same point and time.
This means that Mount Sabinyo is shared between three different national parks and these are Mgahinga national park in Uganda, Virunga national park in DR Congo and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. All the national parks are famous for homing the endangered mountain gorillas with a total of about 600 gorilla individuals. Hiking Mount Sabyinyo is only done in Uganda since the landscape is a bit simpler than in any send of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mount Sabyinyo is located in the wilderness in three national parks which are home to the endangered mountain gorillas. The Slopes of Mount Sabyinyo are home to these primates and the same time apes. This offers a chance for a gorilla trekking experience that will allow trekkers to spend an hour while in their presence taking memorable photos and recording the best moments. Apart from the gorillas, other primates like golden monkeys, red-tailed monkeys black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and much more. The bird species, butterflies, retails, waterfalls, and vegetation cover cowpat be missed.
Tourists who love hiking enjoy 3 different peaks each offering a unique scenic view. This is the main activity taking place on this mountain. The summit also offers a chance to have a great idea of the two lakes and these are Lake Kivu and Lake Bunyonyi. During the hike meet different creatures such as insects, bird species, primates, unique plants and much more. Interestingly, the hike begins at the park offices with a locally-made ladder. Hiking takes about 6 hours which is a half day and this includes 4 hours ascending and 2 hours descending.
Other activities that take place in Mount Sabinyo are bird watching, nature walks, golden monkey trekking, Batwa community trail and the mighty gorilla trekking. All these activities are under the supervision of the park ranger guide. Booking these Activities is prior since they are highly demanded and some have a limited number of permits for the case of gorilla trekking.
When to climb Mount Sabyinyo?
Trekkers are advised to climb Mount Sabyinyo during the dry seasons of December to February and June to September. No one can predict the rains since even in the Dry Season, there are few afternoon spots of rain and this calls to carry strong hiking boots, rain jackets, mosquito repellent, enough drinking water and energy-giving snacks, cameras for photography, binoculars to magnify distant objects and much more.
Do you want to take a hike to Mount Sabyinyo? We are ready to take you to Mgahinga the smallest national park in Uganda where the hike on Mount Sabyinyo starts.
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