You leave Kampala on the southbound road, heading for Kasese. En route you have the chance to see the royal drum makers, stand with one foot on each side of the equator, and bargain at the roadside markets.

In the afternoon you descend into the Queen Elizabeth National Park, keeping a sharp eye open for game.

Today you begin the climb. The hike takes you through banana shambas on the steep-sided foothills, and on past typical Bakonjo homesteads with children waving as you pass.

You follow the trail along the Mubuku River, through landslides and up and down rocks and bluffs, until you reach the Mahoma River.

Crossing the river you climb steeply through bracken fern slopes and Podocarpus forest to Nyabitaba Hut (2650m).

In the morning you follow the trail as it drops down through the forest to the Kurt Shafer Bridge, just below the confluence of the Bujuku and Mubuku Rivers.

Then get ready for a steep ascent through bamboo forest, traversing a long and challenging stretch of slippery, moss-covered rock.

From Nyamileju rock shelter, on clear days, you can catch sight of Mount Stanley and Mount Speke. The final stretch to John Matte Hut (3350m), where you overnight, is across a taxing bog, the first of many for which the mountain is infamous.

Immediately after John Matte Hut, the trail drops down to cross the Bujuku River and enters Lower Bigo Bog, with beautiful giant lobelias. As you jump from tussock to tussock, the challenge is to cross the bog without getting your feet wet!

The Upper Bigo Bog gives way to Bujuku Lake, with views of Mt Baker to the south and Mt Stanley to the west.

Bujuku Hut (3900m), your accommodation for the night, has a spectacular setting in a narrow valley below Stuhlmann Pass, in the shadow of Mount Baker and Mount Speke. Pack your winter woolies as it can be very cold here, even for the Rwenzoris.

Leaving Bujuku, you cross more bog, before the trail climbs the steep slopes to the west of the lake, and you pass through the magical Groundsel Gully as it ascends to Scott-Elliot Pass at 4372m.

At the head of the gully a metal ladder takes you over a steep section, after which the trail splits into two.

The right leads up to Elena Hut and Mount Stanley on a steep trail over large boulders; the left path leads to Scott-Elliot Pass and down to Kitandara Lakes. Be prepared for another icy night at the basic Elena Hut (4541m).

If you are climbing Margherita peak you continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier. Depending on the weather and your acclimatisation, it can be a 4-7hr walk to the summit of Africa's third highest peak (5109m).

This is a tough walk over 3 glaciers, slippery rock, ice and very exposed areas which are open on many sides. It is only for the physically fit and is a technical climb which requires roping up, crampons and appropriate equipment for cold, windy and icy conditions.

It is best to attempt the final climb in a minimum group of 4 - 2 climbers and 2 guides; (a supplement for the extra guide has to be paid for at the time of booking).

You climb onto the glacier, cross the Stanley Plateau and proceed with the ascent. Subject to altitude sickness, fog and weather, you scramble up to the summit of Margherita, crown of the Rwenzoris.

Due to the altitude and the tough conditions not everybody will make it to the summit so do not be disappointed if you do not.

On your return to Scott-Elliot pass there are spectacular views back to Bujuku Lake and Mount Speke, up to Mount Stanley and down to the Kitandara Lakes. You descend past the lakes to Kitandara Hut (4023m) and a well deserved night's rest. (If you do not wish to climb the peak, you can opt for a more restful day, walking from Elena Hut to Kitandara Hut.)

You follow the trail as it ascends steeply from Kitandara up the headwall, spreading out from the base of Mount Baker and continuing along the south side of the mountain to Freshfield Pass.

On a clear day there are views into the Congo to the west and Mount Stanley to the north.

From the pass, the long muddy descent continues, passing the rock shelter at Bujangolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906. You overnight at Guy Yeoman Hut (3260m).

The path down can be slippery and muddy with little to hold on to, and requires careful balancing over the vertical mud or steep rock.

Today you descend gently down the muddy paths to Nyakalengija trailhead (1600m), arriving late morning. After lunch in Kasese you drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, viewing game on the way.

In the afternoon, time permitting, you can float down the Kazinga Channel on a boat cruise, watching wildlife come down to the water to drink.

Following an early morning game drive you depart for Kampala, stopping for lunch en route. You arrive back in Kampala in the late afternoon.