Ruwenzori Mountains

Northeastern DR Congo, DR Congo

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The Ruwenzori Mountains, along the northeastern border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Albertine Rift, form a dramatic, non‑volcanic range that straddles Uganda and the DRC and are often called the “Mountains of the Moon.”

Rising to over 5,100 meters at their highest peaks, such as Margherita on Mount Stanley, they are among the tallest mountains in Africa and one of the few places on the continent that still carry small equatorial glaciers, though these are shrinking quickly. The slopes are exceptionally wet and forested, with a layered belt of montane rainforest, bamboo, and moorland giving way at higher elevations to a surreal landscape of giant lobelias, heathers, and moss‑covered rocks.

On the Congolese side these mountains link ecologically with protected areas like Virunga National Park, creating a rich wildlife corridor that supports forest elephants, primates, and many endemic bird and plant species, while also serving as a key water source for surrounding communities.