Uganda/Congo (5,109 m) – Traditional Source of the Nile River
Mount Margherita is is one of the great, ancient volcanic peaks that dot East Africa. Located close to Lake Edward, the snowmelt from the mountain and its neighbors was for many centuries thought to be the ultimate source of the Nile River, though it is actually just one of several. Mount Margherita is more commonly known as Mount Stanley, named for the explorer of Stanley and Livingston fame, of which Margherita is technically only the highest peak.
Margherita was one of the most storied, mythical mountains in Africa in antiquity. Greek writers referred to the peak and its neighbors as the Mountains of the Moon, based solely on legends, as no known expeditions of ancient times successfully reached the region. Tales in Egypt cited them as the source of the Nile, but this could not be verified until the 19th century when European explorers finally reached the region. Unfortunately, it was confirmed as only one of several sources.
Mount Margherita is once again becaoming near-mythical, thanks to its locations in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Africa. Moreover, thanks to ongoing snow melt, the mountain’s glacier caps, which have been around since pre-historic times, are on the verge of disappearing. However, Margherita is located inside the Rwenzori National Park, 150 miles west of Kampala, for those intrepid travelers willing to make the trek.
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