Sipi Falls

Sipi Falls was actually a series of three tall waterfalls all plunging along the lower slopes of Mt Elgon (the 4th highest peak in Africa shared between Eastern Uganda and Western Kenya). The name of the falls was often associated with only the main falls in the literature, but I was able to explore the area with a guide and see the other two impressive waterfalls as well.

It turned out that visiting all three waterfalls involved a rather difficult 7km loop hike that was full of steep ascents and descents, flimsy ladders, flimsy catwalks, lots of farms, and lots of mud. This was especially the case since it had rained during the start of my hike.

Although it might have been possible to visit the other two waterfalls through a combination of driving and shorter walks (something I would find out during my long hike), I would imagine just doing the big walk would probably be easier logistically (especially for the vehicle driver as expensive petrol wouldn’t have to be further wasted).

Julie and I were able to see the main drop of Sipi Falls (which also happened to be the tallest tier at about 100m) from the eco-lodge called Lacam Lodge, where we stayed. It was visible from numerous positions around an amphitheater with views downhill towards the valley below with Mbale in the distance. There were also a handful of other lodges built around this amphitheater so I’d imagine if you were staying there instead of the one we were at, it would be just as easy to see and photograph the main drop of Sipi Falls.

After coordinating with and paying the local guide at the lodge, I embarked on a hike that he guided. It began by descending through some local farms before descending further towards the base of the main falls. It had rained during this descent so that made it a bit tricky as soon as the steps gave way to the steep, slippery, and muddy dirt trail. It was because of this muddiness that I didn’t go right in front of the base of the waterfall as it didn’t seem to be worth the trouble.

Beyond the base of the falls, the trail then climbed steeply towards a small cave with a view back at the main Sipi Falls. From this unusual vantage point, I was able to get similarly angled views of the falls that I was able to get from the lodge except this was now from the other side.

As we continued the hike, the trail then went through a farm and back onto the tarmac road eventually reaching another property where we followed a trail uphill to a flimsy catwalk leading to views of the second Sipi Falls.

This second waterfall was said to be 75m tall, and it consisted of some upper cascades before making its big plunge. The guide led me around a faint path took us to a tiny cave right behind this middle waterfall.

Continuing with the hike, we climbed up some more steep and muddy sections until we made it to the top of this middle waterfall. The view from this vantage point allowed me to appreciate how cultivated the western slopes of Mt Elgon were as undoubtedly its rich volcanic soil must’ve been very fertile land for farming.

Next, we went through some more farms before ascending more slippery tracks. It was a good thing the guide was there to help pull me up on sections where I felt like I would lose traction with each muddy step that I took. In any case, we’d ultimately reach the base of the uppermost of the Sipi Falls.

The walk between the second and third falls seemed like a long way, but seeing that third waterfall made it well worth the effort. Like the other two waterfalls, this 85m falls was tall and columnar. Given its height, we were able to see it from pretty far away as we were making the final approach.

We ended up following a path that took us real close to the falls where we could really appreciate its height as well as the vigor of its flow as it spewed mist all over the place. It was a result of this mist that we did see faint rainbows from the partial sunlight that momentarily broke through the overcast skies.

After experiencing this last of the Sipi Falls, the hike was pretty much all downhill as we would eventually rejoin the tarmac road near the Lacam Lodge, where the hike ended. In total, the overall hike took me about 3 hours and 15 minutes, which might have been a little faster than average. If I were to plan a trip involving this waterfall, I’d count on allocating at least 4 hours to do this hike at a very leisurely pace.