Sky Above, Earth Below, Peace Within
Photo Credit: Trekking Team — Left to right: Dan, Srinivasa Reddy, Mahesh Karki and Vikas Kumar
You can sum up a good trekking experience with the famous quote: “The sky above, earth below, peace within….”.
And if you are a trekking novice on your first expedition, you can also add one more item to complete the picture: A strained body.
When starting out to conquer the 4321-meter Wagagai peak of Mount Elgon in Uganda, we, a group of four, had only enthusiasm in abundance. Nothing much else. Two of us were absolute novices. The other two had the experience of climbing half of 5109 meter Margarita Peak of Rwenzori mountains.
After six hours of drive from Kampala, we reached the Sipi River Lodge in Kapchorwa. By 8.30 am the next day, we were at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) offices in Budadiri, a sleepy town midway between Mbale and Kapchorwa.
After registration at the UWA offices, two tourist guides, Alex and Simon and a handful of porters joined the team.
Memorable Trek Through the Beautiful Bugisu Villages
By 10 am, we were ready for our long trek from the Bumasola village, right at the foot of Mount Elgon.
We waded through the rocky terrains of beautiful Bugisu villages growing banana, potatoes, coffee and several other crops. As we climbed up a few hundred meters, we could see short strips of land in the slopes, with onion crops ready to harvest.
We moved on steadily, though feeling tired. It did not take time for some of us to realise that we had not prepared ourselves physically for the trek. We crossed many villagers — men, women and children- running downhill carrying bags of onions weighing up to 50 kg on their heads. We felt a bit ashamed of our fitness level.
In two hours, we reached the base of the Wall of Death. The steep mountain looked intimidating. Bad news followed: UWA had not replaced the iron ladders meant to save lives. Floods had washed them away some time back. It looked as though the Wall of Death could claim its first victim of an inexperienced trekker in a desperate climb.
But we soon realised that we had Alex and Simon, two very dedicated guides, to bail us out. We survived to continue our trek.
Sasa Camp, 2900 Meters
The brilliant, diverse greenery and the occasional sights of birds encouraged us. We sighted turaco, white-tailed flycatchers, pigeons, and several other birds. A few duikers looked at us from far and ran away.
After a 13 km walk, we reached Sasa Camp, at 2900 meters above sea level.
The camp facilities were less than basic, except for the people that endeavoured to make our stay smooth. The camp screeched neglect.
COVID-19 has slowed the flow of trekking enthusiasts worldwide. We were the only third group in 2021 in Mountain Elgon pursing the Sasa trail. With such thin tourist visits, it must be a challenge to keep the facilities up to date.
Mude Cave Camp, 3500 meters
The next day, after an 11 km walk from Sasa Camp, we reached the Mude Cave Camp at 3500 meters. The temperature was falling, and the oxygen was thinning.
The facilities at Mude camp were like those in Sasa. The camp serves food to the visitors in an open area. If it rains in the evening, you will end up eating your dinner in a tiny tent. But the friendly staff at the camp took good care of us.
Trek to Wagagai Peak
It was a six-hour trek from Mude Cave Camp to Wagagai Peak. The trail in most parts was steep.
We treaded through the narrow trail covered by grass and bushes. At that height, trees with trunk and branches did not have a chance.
At 4000 meters, we passed Jackson’s pool lying in the shadow of Jackson’s peak. In a short while from the pool, we reached caldera, the world highest. Despite its intimidating reputation, the caldera looked like any other.
By then, we also felt a mild headache and a slight numbing of the fingers, both signs of high altitude. But, before the altitude sickness could overpower us, we were close to reaching the Wagagai peak.
By 2.30 pm on the third day of trekking, we had reached the peak.
Try Wagagai For A Good Start
If you are excited about trekking and looking for a good start, Wagagai peak of Mount Elgon is an ideal choice. Wagagai will prepare you for bigger peaks like the Kilimanjaro.
The beautiful green landscape and the lovely people of Uganda will motivate you all the way.
