Members of Eliot Elisofon's trekking expedition reaching snow-capped peaks, Ruwenzori Mountains, Congo (Democratic Republic)

"Lying slightly north of the Equator, the Ruwenzori Range has a maximum breadth of 30 miles (50 km) and extends south-north for 80 miles (130 km) between Lake Edward and Lake Albert. The Ruwenzori Range falls steeply westward to the Western Rift Valley, while its descent to the east is more gradual, leading to the uplands of the western part of Uganda. Unlike most African snow peaks, the Ruwenzori is not of volcanic origin but is a gigantic horst of six separate glaciated masses, reaching a high point in Mount Stanley at Margherita Peak (16,795 feet [5,119 m]). The Ruwenzori Range's largest mountains are separated by passes and deeply cut river valleys that all eventually drain into the Semliki River. Glaciers and small lakes occur in the upper valleys. The mountain summits are often hidden in cloud cover, created periodically by moist airstreams from the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Most of the range is now a World Heritage Site and is covered jointly by The Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda and the Parc National des Virunga in Congo. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from early March 1951 to July 1951.