The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition - SUCCESS

Media Release

Location: Gars Am Kamp, Austria

Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Subject: The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition

For Immediate Release:

Julian Monroe Fisher FRGS, the Expedition Leader for The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition, is proud to announce that the expeditionary team safely and successfully completed their epic journey along the remote Ugandan Congolese border following a water source down from the glaciers deep within the Rwenzori Mountains, the fabled ‘Mountains of the Moon, to Central Africa’s Lake Albert, which feeds the River Nile.

Following their trek to the altitude of Mount Stanley, at 5109 meters the third highest peak on the African continent, The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition followed water flows down from the Rwenzori glaciers, establishing per the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, a new trail route from the Rwenzori mountain range through the Bukurungu Pass to the Lamia River. The team then followed portions of the Lamia River and the Semliki River until they reached Lake Albert, before they traveled to Murchison Falls where the expedition ended. The waterfalls were named by explorer Samuel Baker in honor of Sir Roderick Murchison, who was one of the founders of The Royal Geographical Society in 1830. Julian Fisher, Expedition Leader for The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition, is a Fellow with The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of Geographers) in London.

As for the outcome of the research work conducted by The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition, Expedition Leader Julian Fisher has concluded that the Rwenzoris are indeed an actual source of the Nile. He bases this assumption the Lamia River drains down from the Gessi glacier within the Rwenzori Range to the Semiliki River which flows into Lake Albert which drains into the River Nile. Lake Victoria, the source of record of the Nile River, is a rainwater reservoir fed by annual rainfall and the runoff from the Kagera River which originates in the highlands of the country of Burundi.

Quoting Julian Monroe Fisher, “If estimates are correct and the Rwenzori glaciers do indeed disappear within the next twenty years, I am confident, after firsthand witnessing the ecosystem within the Rwenzoris, the range will continue to provide ample water supplies to the numerous rivers that drain down both the eastern and western slopes of the Rwenzoris, insuring freshwater for the Bakonzo people living in the Ugandan and Congolese valleys far below. Additional geographic research within the Rwenzori National Park by our team in the years to come as well as other scientific expeditions will allow the Ugandan Wildlife Authority officials to open new areas of the Rwenzori National Park for visitors to experience and enjoy for generations to come.” According to Ms. Euncie Duli, the Director of Tourism & Business Services for the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, the UWA plans to name the new route that the expedition took, ‘The Fisher Ugandan Trail’, in honor of Expedition Leader Julian Monroe Fisher F.R.G.S. and the Ugandan Bakonzo team that insured the success of the expedition.

Better Energy Systems, the producer of SOLIO, the worlds first and award winning solar (hybrid) charger for hand-held electronic devices, (www.solio.com) is the title sponsor of The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition’s. Upon completion of The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition, explorer Julian Monroe Fisher F.R.G.S. presented SOLIO portable solar battery chargers and additional support equipment to the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services as well as to the Ugandan Red Cross for their use in the field.

Pictures can be downloaded at: www.MountStanleyExpedition.com/download

Title Sponsor:

Better Energy Systems and SOLIO Portable Solar Battery Chargers of the United Kingdom and the United States

Sponsors:

Adventure Lights of Canada

Home Hardware of Canada

Costa Del Mar Sunglasses of the United States

The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition is supported in part by products provided by:

Abanya Rwenzori Mountaineering Association of Uganda

Acacia Safaris of Uganda

Adventure Lights of Canada
Adventure Medical Kits of the United States

Alpininst Bergführer of Austria
Benchmade of the United States
Brenig of Wales

Celestron of the United States

Chaco of the United States
Climb On Products of the United States
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses of the United States
Dale of Norway
Eton of the United States
Forty Below of the United States

Fort Motel of Uganda
GSI Outdoors of the United States
Hestra Gloves of Sweden
Hardigg Storm Cases of the United States & Europe
Headsweats of the United States
Home Hardware of Canada

Hotel Margherita of Uganda
Hot Huck’s Foods of Canada

Hunter Wellie Boots of the United Kingdom

Jetboil of the United States

Johnson Outdoors/Eureka/Silva of the United States
Kabold Watch of the United States
Kahtoola of the United States
Kata-Bags of Germany

Kestrel Pocket Weather Meters of the United States

Mamba Point Guesthouse of Uganda
Masters Trekking Poles of Italy
Naglene Water Bottles of the United States
Outdoor Designs Logistics/Lightwave Backpacks of the United Kingdom

Paraa Safari Lodge of Uganda

Peninsula Club of Belize
PowerFilm of the United States
Rite In The Rain of the United States

Rwenzori Mountaineering Services of Uganda

Scarpa Boots of Italy
SteriPen Water Purifiers of the United States
Sterling Rope of the United States
Tender Corporation of the United States
The Pett System of the United States
Thorlos Socks of the United States
Tibetan Aid Project of the United States
TimBuk2 of the United States
Carl Zeiss Cameras and Lenses of Germany

Ugandan Wildlife Authority of Uganda

Westcomb of Canada

Wildplaces Africa of Uganda

The Official Website of The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition is: www.MountStanleyExpedition.com

The Official Website of Expedition Leader Julian Monroe Fisher F.R.G.S. is: www.JulianMonroeFisher.com

Media Contact:

Regina Fisher

Expedition Communications Officer

The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition

Email: info@MountStanleyExpedition.com

Email: contact@JulianMonroeFisher.com

The SOLIO 2008 Mount Stanley Expedition is a NOExpedition Project: www.NOExpedition.com