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Best Travel Guide To Mount Kinyeti Climbing and Hiking In South Sudan
Best Travel Guide To Mount Kinyeti Climbing and Hiking In South Sudan
Mount Kinyeti is the highest peak in Eastern Equatoria and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding hills and valleys. Hiking up to the summit of this mountain is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences you can have in Torit.
About Mount Kinyeti:
Mount Kinyeti is located in South Sudan. It is the highest mountain of the Imatong ranges of Eastern Equatoria, near the Ugandan border and same extending to northern Uganda. It stands over 3,187 meters (10,456 ft) above ground.
Imatong Mountains:
Imatong Mountains are a series of majestic mountains in the state of Eastern Equatoria. These mountains are famous for their unique flora and fauna, and visitors can hike the trails while appreciating the natural beauty of the area.
The lower parts of the mountain are covered with forests, grasslands, bamboo thickets swamps, and woodlands while the upper parts are rocky with shrubs.
The mountain has several Rivers and streams that drain its slopes such as the Veveno River, the Sobat River which flows into the White Nile, the Aswa River, and the Koss River which flows between the Imatongs and the Dongotona Hills.
The mountain has abundant wildlife such as Colobus and Blue monkeys, Warthogs, sub-bushbuck, Elephants, Buffalos, Duikers, Hyenas, and Leopards.
The mountain surroundings such as forests and swamps are home to several bird species such as Hornbills, Vultures, and many others. The area is also a resting place for European migrating birds routing their final destinations in East Africa.
The mountain offers one of the best places for any hiker in the world. The mountain surroundings are also host to villages and settlements mostly inhabited by Nilotic people such as Lotukos, Acholis, and Langis who live on the plains at the foot of the mountain and very are rich in culture. They practice subsistence farming and animal keeping.
Getting to Mount Kinyeti:
The Imatongs are best accessed via Katire, an old British forestry station. Katire is accessed by a recently graded dirt road from Torit, the capital of Eastern Equatoria state. The journey will take 1.5-2 hours in a 4x4. You can catch local minibusses infrequently from opposite the main market in Torit. Torit is accessed from Juba, the capital, via a recently graded dirt road. The journey takes 3-4 hours and you can catch minibusses to Torit from the main river bridge in Juba.
Juba is accessed overland from Uganda, or by air from Nairobi, Kampala, and Addis Ababa. The only real time to travel is in the dry season; Nov - Mar each year, otherwise roads can become impassable.
Getting Visas and Permits:
South Sudan Visas are available at the airport on arrival for $100. Permits for the Imatong Mountains are available from the Ministry of Wildlife, Conservation, and Tourism in Torit, near the main market.
Camping and trekking:
There is an excellent campsite in Katire on the site of an old colonial house. It has a clean long drop and a stream of water close by.
On the trail to Mount Kinyeti, there are streams every 2-3 hours, with excellent clean water. There are good campsites that can be cleared with machetes within 5 5-minute walk of each stream.
You will need local guides for the trail to Kinyeti, who can be hired at Katire, where several people speak good English. The forest is very dense once past the old plantation forest and local paths will have to be followed.
Climbing Time:
It will take fit trekkers 3 days to summit Kinyeti and return to Katire, the majority of people will need 4 days. There is a good blog article describing the trek here
Arrange with ULTIMATE WILD SAFARIS for this unforgettable experience.
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