Rwenzori Mountains Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) plus their Answers

There are several Rwenzori Mountains Frequently Asked Questions that need answers for mainly propsective climbers or hikers. This questions include the fiollowing:-

  • Why is Mountain Rwenzori called Mountains of the Moon?

Mount Rwenzori is referred to as the Mountains of the Moon came to be called so by the Greek explorers as they attempted to locate the source of River Nile. A Merchant called Diogenes stated that the source of the Nile came from a collection of mountains which the traditional dwellers of the named the Mountains of the Moon due to their snow-capped whiteness. The Rwenzoris were named the “Mountains of the Moon” by the Alexandrine geographer Ptolemy in AD 150.

  • Why is Mount Rwenzori snow capped?

The Rwenzori Mountains are at heights of 5,109 meters (16,761 feet). These mountain together with Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro are the only permanently snowcapped mountains on the equator in Africa. However, the word “permanently” is put in quotations for the fact that for global warming is slowly causing the Rwenzori Mountain glaciers to dissolve. The snow-capped nature of the Rwenzori Mountains is due to air pressure that reduces with elevation. Whereas warm air increases, so does the rising air expands and cools. This process creates greater amounts of moistness in the air. More moisture means more rainfall and at the very top of a mountain, more snow is created.

  • Is Rwenzori a volcanic mountain?

Mountain Rwenzori is not volcanic like the some other mountains in East Africa.  Rwenzori Mountains is a block of rock up faulted through the bottom of the Western Rift Valley.

  • What type of mountain is Rwenzori?

The Rwenzori Mountains is a rigid, rocky mountain range ensuing from the stirring caused by tectonic activities accountable for the creation of the western rift valley. The Rwenzori has an old basement multifaceted rocks that were extruded from the nearby plains by the time the western rift valley was shaped.

  • What is the highest peak of Mountain Rwenzori?
  • Which mountain is known as Mountain of Moon?
  • Who discovered mountain Rwenzori?
  • What is the cost of climbing Mount Rwenzori?
  • Why is Mountain Rwenzori called a range?
  • Where are the Mountains of the Moon in Africa?
  • Which is the tallest mountain in East Africa?
  • How did the Rwenzori mountains form?
  • Where are the Rwenzori Mountains located?
  • When is the best time to visit and climb Rwenzori Mountains?