The race to map Africa's forgotten glaciers – in pictures

Project Pressure is a non-profit organisation which has set out to document the world’s vanishing glaciers. A recent expedition to Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo started in burning sun trekking up through rainforest
Photograph: Klaus Thymann

There are still glaciers on each of the three mountains of the Rwenzori. Mount Speke is captured from Mount Stanley in this picture Photograph: Klaus Thymann

Local porters were hired to help carry kit and provisions. Their experience on ice is limited Photograph: Klaus Thymann

Vegetation creeps up the mountain as the temperature rises and the glaciers retreat. The Speke glacier used to reach where the lake now is Photograph: Klaus Thymann

The Elena hut just below the Elena glacier to the right is located at 4,541 metres above sea level. The Coronation glacier can be seen to the left Photograph: Klaus Thymann

In order to get a view not seen for decades, and to establish if glaciers still exist on the western side of the Rwenzori, Project Pressure’s expedition went into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Klaus Thymann, who heads Project Pressure, gives a briefing at the Elena hut Photograph: Klaus Thymann

From the top of Mount Baker (4,844 metres), it is possible to get a clear view of all three peaks. Mount Stanley is to the right, Speke to the left Photograph: Klaus Thymann

View of the Stanley plateau. The figure of a porter gives an indication of scale Photograph: Klaus Thymann

The expedition on top of Stanley plateau with Speke in the background Photograph: Klaus Thymann

The expedition is taking a new route into the Congo, going down the West Stanley Glacier. The few people who come to the Rwenzori never go down on the west side Photograph: Klaus Thymann

The glacier front is photographed and GPS co-ordinates are noted. Once published, Project Pressure’s material will be open source so it can be used for education and research Photograph: Klaus Thymann

The black particles on the glacier absorb more heat, which then increases the melt rate. This form of glacial retreat is not unique to Africa. In Greenland the consequences are very noticeable Photograph: Klaus Thymann

A unique view of the Rwenzori seen from the Congo side. A few days earlier the expedition roped down the West Stanley glacier (left). Project Pressure lead the expedition into Congo using an old disused route going through the burned-down war zone bordering Congo and Uganda Photograph: Klaus Thymann

Some of the glaciers are almost gone. The Moebius on the west side will soon disappear completely Photograph: Klaus Thymann

400 metres below the disappearing icefield, the communities of coffee farmers, who use the glacial water for irrigation of coffee and other crops, say climate change has disrupted rainfall patterns Photograph: Klaus Thymann