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Richard came in at 7 AM to make breakfast. As usual, he prepared tea and a plate of buttered brown bread, then cooked some fried eggs with onions. Through the window, I could see the sun shining brightly on the forested ridges across the river. The ridges looked so thin, they appeared to be made of cardboard.
We left the hut at 8:45, with Joel and me in the lead. After climbing a little, the trail headed steeply down, following the river. The terrain was rough, with lots of rocks and roots and mud. The rocks were big, with huge gaps underneath, similar to the ones on the second day. Soon, the trail began to descend much more steeply, following a cascade down into a seemingly bottomless valley ahead.
This was often more like climbing than hiking, and the water made the mossy rocks very slick in places. A fall could be a disaster here. I proceeded cautiously, and the porters passed us. We also met some porters on the way up. They were with a German couple on a 17 day expedition. The bottom of the climb was especially steep, and dusty. My porters were resting at the bottom, talking to some of the porters going up. The German couple had an incredible number of porters, it seemed.
From here, the trail became flat but boggy, so progress was still slow. In fact, we encountered some of the wettest bogs yet, with mud up to thigh level (judging from probing with my walking stick, not actually stepping in it). We saw a large waterfall far up the Mubuku River in the distance, back toward the mountains. Overall, todays terrain was probably the most difficult on the circuit. We spent a lot of time balancing on logs and roots over deep mud and streams, and climbing up and down rocks and roots. The trail actually followed the stream bed occasionally, with some pools that could not be avoided easily. The vegetation grew thicker, as we descended from a heather forest into a bamboo forest.
I met the German couple whose porters we had been seeing for some time. They were going clockwise, because they preferred to climb up the steep section today (the steepest part of the circuit) rather than down it. Joel pointed out a side trail to Lake Mahoma, which I saw yesterday from Freshfield Pass. This meant we were getting close to Nyabitaba Hut, the end of the first of the two stages we were combining today. I was looking forward to this, since today's walk had been unexpectedly difficult.
We arrived at 12:45, much later than I expected, since the distance we covered wasn't actually that great. Richard brought me the last of the eggs and a cup of weak Milo. It was comfortably warm now, 68o F, and sunny. Joel and I continued on at 1:15, with me in the lead. The rest of the trail would be familiar from the first day. The trail conditions on this "tail" of the circuit were generally good, possibly because it gets twice the traffic of the rest of the circuit. Also, it is not muddy here, and there are no major obstacles. The scenery on the ridge below Nyabitaba, as well as the general trail conditions, reminded me of the Smoky Mountains at home (aside from the jagged Portal Peaks to the left, which were now hidden by clouds). I told Joel this, so he would have an idea of what my home looked like.
As we walked into mid-afternoon, the equatorial sun was merciless through the moist air. The vegetation often shielded us, but the exposed sections were uncomfortably hot (as is true of the Smokies in the summer). I was glad we were on our way down. We met a man and his porters climbing up. I told Joel I thought they should try to get an earlier start on these treks, to avoid the afternoon heat.
Large banana trees started to appear, and we eventually made it down to the Bujuku River. I saw a blue monkey scamper overhead, and attempted a quick photo before it disappeared into the foliage to join another monkey. Later, Joel pointed out another blue monkey in a banana tree. This was the first wildlife (aside from mice) I had seen on the trek.
We paused for a picture at the park entrance, then walked back into town. Joel knew almost everyone, it seems. He pointed out a man who he said was important, who was leading a group up the river. A group of four children, two of them naked, were playing with large yellow flowers in front of one of the mud houses. They all ran up to us, speaking rapidly in the local language. There were a lot of trees with bright red fuzzy flowers. I asked Joel what they were, but I didn't understand his answer.
We came to the Rwenzori Mountaineering compound at 3:45, an hour later than I originally expected, due to the wet conditions of the first stage today. We would have been later, but we made excellent time on the last stage. I signed in, and said the staff did a fine job. The porters had arrived a while ago, so everyone was here. My equipment porter asked for my address, and I got his. We never met much on the trail, and I hadn't learned his name, which turned out to be Zepharaiah. I gave Joel my rubber boots that I had brought for the bogs, but not used. He appreciated this. They are nice boots, but somewhat heavy, with steel toes.
Joel and I boarded a van back to Kasese, along with a number of locals. It was a slow, bumpy ride, with lots of stops. At one stop, a group of children wearing only tattered shirts ran up and waved. At another stop, police with bright blue uniforms and automatic rifles stood outside. We arrived at Hotel Margherita, the last stop, just after 6.
I couldn't get my valuables immediately, because the manager would be out until 6:30. I picked up my laundry, which cost $13.50, and stored bag, and checked into my room. I told the man at the desk that I had just climbed Margherita, which was pictured in a couple of photos behind the desk. He said I was very brave, and that he started going into the Rwenzoris once, but turned back because it was too cold. I offered to buy Joel a beer while we waited on the verandah outside the bar, but he said he doesn't drink, so I bought soft drinks. Then, the manager arrived and I retrieved my valuables.
I gave Joel 50,000 shillings (about $50) to share with the porters. He wanted to know when I would return, but I said it was unlikely, due to the great distance. He also asked if I could send him a sleeping bag, but I said this was also unlikely. It is unfortunate that Rwenzori Mountaineering does not provision their guides better. Before Joel departed, I asked the man at the desk to take our picture on the verandah.
I went to my room and took a much needed shower, thankful that this hotel had a good reliable hot water supply. Then I checked to see if Catherine had called. She may not know I am back, since the Ibanda and Kasese branches of Rwenzori Mountaineering don't always communicate, and I returned rather late. I had the man at the desk call Jumbo Nature Safaris, but it was now after 8, and they were closed.
I went to dinner, and the waiter, the large man I had met there before, welcomed me back. I told him I had climbed Margherita, and he asked how cold it was, since he had heard that temperatures decrease with elevation, though he had never been to the mountains himself. Like most people here, it did not make sense to him that people would want to go to such cold places.
I was disappointed to learn that there was no beef today. I had really been looking forward to a steak at the end of the trek. I thought of ordering goat kebabs, but they were fried, not broiled, and that didn't sound appetizing. I decided to get roasted chicken with fries. I received half of a rather small, gamey chicken. It was acceptable, but I could have eaten more tonight. The fries were excellent, as usual, and there were avocado slices as well. I tried another Ugandan beer, the Nile Special, which was extremely bland but came in a big bottle.
After dinner, someone came to my room asking me to pay for the soft drinks I had with Joel this afternoon, since I forgot about them when the manager arrived and left without paying. I washed most of my dirty hiking clothes in the tub afterward. On the nearby hills, large rings of fire were blazing to clear fields. I had been watching these during dinner, and attempted a photo from my room. I went to bed after midnight.
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| Previous: February 14 | Journal Contents | Next: February 16 |