In the heart of Africa lies an icecapped massif with a mythical resonance: the Mountains of the Moon. Explorers, scientists and adventurers have always been fascinated by this last great mountain discovery of the world, on the border of present Uganda and the Congo. Even today there is still a Rwenzori unknown. Added to the scrambled topography and muddy conditions, the abundant rainfall causes a vegetation so rampant that it turns penetration into a real ordeal. Due to its inaccessibility, most parts of the mountains are seldom or never frequented.

The Rwenzori Mountains originated about 10 million years ago by an enormous uplift of Pre-Cambrian rocks, during the development of the Great Rift Valley. The combination of violent upthrust and hard rock gives the Rwenzori massif its serrated alpine character. It was subsequently deeply carved by rivers and glacial erosion. The highest central peaks are covered with snowfields and retreating glaciers. The Rwenzori are a vital water catchment area. They trap the humid air of the Congo basin and are very wet indeed. The upland bogs act as a huge sponge which absorbs and regulates the precipitation. They supply water as well as protection from flooding for the lowland populations.

The afroalpine climate of the Rwenzori Mountains is determined by two geographical factors: they are very near to the equator, and high above sea level with peaks over 5000m. This has some important consequences. As the altitude increases, temperatures drop. The air also grows thinner, provoking intense radiation, even on clouded days. During the day the incoming radiation of ultraviolet and infrared light is fierce, while at night the outward radiation under a clear sky has a considerable cooling effect. The equatorial location dictates marked diurnal variations in temperature, whereas the seasonal differences are less important. As if it were summer every day, and winter every night.

These particular conditons have provoked an extravagant vegetation. While some plants seek refuge from the harsh conditions in miniaturism, others have taken to gigantism. The unlimited availability of water and sunlight have enabled them to grow unusually large. Giant heathers and senecio’s reach up to 8 metres. Their roots and the ground are carpeted with a thick growth of mosses, dotted with small ferns. Where the tree stems and branches are strong enough to support the weight, the heathers are also swaddled by ondulating moss cushions. The fast growing giant lobelia shoots it’s phallic spikes 3 metres high. But this place is much more than a botanist's playground. Only a senseless man could ignore the enigmatic beauty of the afroalpine vegetation and the mystical aura of these mountains.

Note: none of these photographs are digitally manipulated.