UWA starts New Tourist Activity in Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is a major trekking mountain in East Africa. The famed Mount Elgon is a huge volcano with the largest crater peaks in Africa and famously known as one of the major trekking mountains in East Africa. It is less crowded with a few people on the slopes so there are great chances of spotting wildlife, waterfalls on the slopes, and hot springs to soak in inside the crater.
However, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has introduced mountain bike riding in Mountain Elgon National Park as a new tourist activity to enable tourists who visit the park to relax as they enjoy being part of the park activities. The assistant warden at the national park, Mr Stephen Nyadru, while speaking at the launch on Friday, said the move is aimed at attracting more tourists. He said activities will include traversing of rocks, washouts, and steep declines, on dirt trails, logging roads, and gravel roads that wind along lazy streams through forested valleys or trails that climb up steep mountainsides; and other unpaved environments.
“This is the first time we are introducing this form of tourism. We feel that after climbing the mountain, usually tourists remain dull during descending so this will be able to give them another exercise down the hills as a modern form of tourism in Uganda,” said Mr Nyadru.He also said that the new activity complements other old tourist’s attractions. They include scenic peaks, gorges, hot-springs, magnificent waterfalls, caves, and flora & fauna.
Others are the talking tree along in Kapkwai, and the caldera and crater lakes/pools. The Mt. Elgon area conservation manager, Mr Adonia Bintorwa, said on the first day of launching, the park earned Shs12 million from Ireland bikers – Concern Worldwide – who were on a tri-adventure of Mt Elgon. Mr James Mcmanas, the expedition leader of about 17 bikers from Concern worldwide Ireland, said mountain bike or mountain bicycle (MTB) created for off-road cycling, makes Mt Elgon now a place to go for all bikers.
Climbing the mountain is an experience not soon forgotten and when you combine it with biking it becomes more interesting. If you enjoy mountaineering, Elgon is a place to be.