Manyara REGION
From Katesh
20 Kigeda
Barbaic name, Also called Antenna Hill
Persons Sam and Peter.
Climbed from Yuno Domo village near Katesh.
This rather inauspicious hill on the outskirts of Katesh, near to a village called Yuno Domo, where we met and were talking to some young people from the school there, rather interested to meet white person. We decided to climb it, on a very wet and cool afternoon, after exploring for the start of the way up to the great neighbouring peak of Hannan. It is just a short hike up through light bush to the summit, where there are several communication antenna. Amongst the bushes at the top we found a local man praying, suggesting perhaps this was a common place for the local people to walk.
And our small hill proved infact an excellend viewpoint, such that, looking out over the cultivated plains to the southwest, it really felt like we were viewing a not insubstantial corner of Tanzania, albeit remembering this is a big country. These were in fact the only views we had from our stay there, for the following day’s climb we made to Hannan the landscape was totally enshrouded,
We looked down over many small hills surrounding Katesh, including two we had been given names for by three girlst from the school, one being Bangua (or Gawali) and another called Labae hills.
21. Hanang Barbaic name. Persons Peter and Sam.
It was a somewhat muddy walk from Katesh village along the tracks to the start of the path, due to rain all the previous night, such that great clods of earth soon accumulated on our shoes. But eventually we reached the Tanzania Forest Service signpost which marks the start of the path up the mountain, just past a house where the lady there told us a party had just passed in front of us, climbing the mountain. A pleasant path then led us through woodland. Then after a while we met a local guide employed by the Forest Service who had come down due to an injury from the upper party, leaving another two guides with them.
After some short climb we were out of the bush into more open country with long grass, and some interesting alpine vegetation – so now it felt we were really on a mountain, though we could see nothing because the mountain that day remained totally enshrouded in thick mist. But the path was good, so there was no worry to proceed. After some time we met another guide bringing down some young people from the forward party who had decided not to continue on. And not so much further we met the bulk of thier party, an American man working in the local hospital and his son, who were resting also about to descend.
Unperturbed by the ‘dire tales’ from these guides as to the steepness of the path ahead, we continued on our excellent path, and were soon passing some open areas where tourist sometimes camped up on the mountain (for I presume a dawn viewing from the summit). We were told we would know we were on the summit when we reached some painted rocks, which we passed, continuing on some way along the path which follows (we supposed) the ridge of the crater edge, and which leads right across the mountain top to another village.
But weather did not permit us to gain much of a view, only of the looking small summits ahead of us, and it was very cold. So we made a very rapid descent, passing on route the Americans and thier guide before we reached the forest, being rewarded lower down by a few tantalising but magnificent glimpses in the lower regions where the mist cleared a little around us, to see the beautiful forest clade slopes (home to many baboons) of some of the fissures and crest od which this mountain is composed.
22 Quarah (Babati Mountain). Iraqui name, after a snmall tribe, now extinct which has since merged with the Iraqui people living here.
Persons Sam, Peter and Emmanuel.
On the first day Peter had recruited a local man, an askari working at the guesthouse in Babati managed by his friend. We walked with him up the road towards the mountain, to the end of it, which was a place called Mrana Juu (Juu meaning summit). Then we took a track behind some houses, to emerge at a Forest Service path, along which were some signboards identifying some important trees, including the Mountain Acacia which we saw many of on the ascent. There seem to be a bit of confusion as to what was meant by the ‘summit’ of our peak. And as the bulk of the mountain above us was mostly enshrouded in cloud, there was no evidence of it, though it was clearly there. And our guide led us to a small local viewpoint, which people clearly came to, from where you could see down through the trees to Babati town below, the lake behind, and the small hills, two of which we had identified as Mount Sinai, and another called Miomboni, to the west of the lake, named after a yellow-barked acacia,
The following day, Peter and I decided to proceed up this route again, exploring further along the path beyond the viewpoint we had reached the previous day. A small path led onwards through the forest for some way, gradually petering out, after which we continued up some further by our own route (leaving marks to secure our return). coming at length to a small summit where were growing some magnificent tall rainforest trees which I was very happy to see – for sure it was a wild place where no person maybe ever went. The mist was still enshrouding beyond, and we clearly determined there was no path continuing to the summit from there so we descended by the same route.
On better information we discovered later that a route to the summit existed from Gallapo village, on the opposite side of the mountain, so after climbing Hannan we proceeded there. Here Peter got talking to people and found us a local man who knew the forest paths to take us to the summit. We duly met him the following morning, his name was Quaru, another younger man accompanying him called Bwai, who came from Engaranaro village where we set off along small paths, first through light bush, and then we began climbing up a steeper open slope, resting on a rock there, which provided the only real views we got from the mountain, in the corner to the north we identified our familliar friends Sangawe, Vilima vitatum, Makuyuni, and also hills in the Tarangine National Park. Down below were other smaller peaks in the plain of the Rift Valley, some of which we named, and others we puzzled over.
From this point on we were in the tall rainforest, which in places had been partially cleared, but still retained a good base of ground vegetation, following small paths, which had clearly been used by local people for collecting bush honey and medicianl plants, and also for hunting. though we gathered only the experienced ventured here, and there was a strong memory of some people having been lost in here fro three days. We were given also another name for this peak which means ‘dark place’, due to the forest cover, and the formidability of our being there.
We crossed several streams and proceeded traversing somewhat to the right, to a place where the vegetaion became quite thick, at which point our two guides began to dissent, and desired to turn back. However we managed to persuade them to continue on at least a little, and it proved by happy chance that we soon gained a clearer path, which seemed to be following a crater ridge, which rose less steeply until we came finally to the summit crater which we partially encircled and then went inside, resting there in the long grass to share our lunch, in the place frequented by elephants, as had left evidence in thier dung.
Fauna also included a close encounter with a bush buck, its brown head and ear poking above the vegetation for a while observing us.
So anyway Peter was very pleased, after our two failed attempts to finally reach the summit of this challenging mountain.
DODOMA REGION
23 Kingasi Mountain, Irangi name meaning ‘grass for the roof’
Persons Peter and Sam
We have now travelled south into the Kongoa Mountains, which form a broken escarpment, rising up from the Rift valley, and I had identified from Google Maps a more distinct peak to the north.
On passing this in the matatu we find a magnificent sight of a five tiered rocky pillar looming over the forest. And the next day we return to Majengo village, from where we take a piki-piki, through Kingasi village, along some paths towards the base. We are dropped off at the edge of the cultivated land and begin our walk up through some really pleasant dry woodland, with leafy trees, and many rocks, making a picturesque scenery, and a feeling of somewhere quite different from the wet rainforest places we had since been in.,
At length we reached the plateau, which is grazed and also cultivated, with many people living here. And from a summit there we looked down on the villages below, one of which we knew was called Bongo.
It was too enticing not to continue along, so we proceeded along the ridge, first to a taller summit, where we gained really excelled view in every direction, becoming aware how this peak is somewhat higher than everything around it. We were able to see back to Babati Mountain and Hannan, and south to directions and ranges we had so far never looked in, and other peaks in the Dodoma region, as yet unknown to us.
The tallest summit we were able to scale too, following tracks and paths passing some high level cultivation, which had not so long before been acquired from the rainforest, with some big burnt stumps still remaining. The very top of the mountain however is still rainforest, with some remarkable huge figs with convoluted windings of the trucks. It is, we found out, a sacred place in the area for the people, which is well visited. And indeed from the top we could hear some drumming and singing from some praying activity, but we did not go along to investigate.
We found a more direct way to descent, again through the dry forest, til we reached the lower land, walking back to Majengo passing some amazing boabab trees of huge size, with amazing patterns of bark.
24 Olo Sukut
Masai name meaning salt springs. It is also called Mzungu mountain, due to an aircraft having once crashed nearby.
Persons Sam, Peter and Odupoi, a boy who came with us to the summit to tell us some names, who was grazing goats there, who came from a vaillage called Engireni at the foot of the hill.
This is just a small hill which we spotted from Kiteto town, one of a number of wooded peaks in the vicinity, which we decided to climb in a window of slightly less wet weather, as had prevailed all the day
From Kiteto town we took the road towards the hill from near the bus statuion, then found a track and small (grazing) paths leading through the bush to a rocky outcrop and then to the summit itself. From the forther gaining view to some of the peaks to the south, quite a number of which our friend named for us, including Masacca Sacca (which means place people look for fruits), Ol Donyo Noyke – red rocks mountain, Ropusi Soito – blue rocks, Oronga Hogi – after a prickly tree, and to the east over the place Lolololuni – hill of small holes, Ol Doroko, after a tree for making ropes, Oloro benek – after the black leaves of a tree. Nearby, clad in forest were the shales of Olo Pongori, meaning crooked hill, and Or Geha meaning crater.
To the south Ole Kelai, after the name of an ancestor, Kali kali – long ridge, and Il Toroba, after a tribe of bushmen living there
Loingati – wildebeast mountain.
The rain was all the time looming, with deep grey forboding clouds, and our views were soon obscured as the rain proceeded again for our descent. Nonetheless in such weather, despite its proximity to the town this hill still retains a sense of wildness, particularly from its eastern side, which looks over other forested hills.
MANYARA REGION II
25 Kotete Mountain
This is a small hill which we had spotted from Naberera village, and decided to visit on the afternoon we arrived so as to gain a perspective over the surrounding area.
We were taken to the base by Michael, a piki-piki driver, who also climbed up to the summit with us, which involved a short rock scramble on the ascent. And certainly it proved an excelled viewpoint for the nearer hills, clockwiise to one called Ndovo Turk Elephant Tusk hill, with a distinct protruding rock, and another more distant called Le,elope, (a Masai name meaning place without water, Soitonade, meaning red rocks, a pimply peak called Lorbene (meaning cow-skin bag) and round south to the more distant distinct double pyramid of Lendanae (Swahili name), which we knew of but had not previously identified.
And in the very far distance we could see the area we had just come from, with Mount Robo, and another called Kirasi near to Olo Sukat. The plains beyond dotted in trees.
26 Rohianna /Lorkimaita
Masai neame means womans belt, which refers to the whole mountain. Lorkimaita is the name of the main summit peak which is after an ancestor.
We had spotted this moutain from Nabaera village on our arrival the previous day, and been inspired by its rocky surface and the most characterful and challenging of the peaks in the immediate area. With a huge boulder summit which looked maybe impossible to scale.
We set off from Naberera in the morning, walking along tracks after and hour and a half arriving at the village of Kananbo near the base. Here we spoke to some people living in the bomas, and recruited a young boy to show us the way to the path. Though he did not go far with us, expressing a wish to go back after not too far. We proceed on around the foot to the valley between the high summit, and the western summit, first on a path, then making our way by goat tracks (not much used just now in this season, as there is not grazing here just now) to arrive at the base of the great rock which forms the summit. After some exploration we decided it was not possible to scale it safely from this side, so we dropped down to the left and went round the other side finding a small cleared area where people were grazing animals. From here we spotted a possible route up the southern side, and managed by this way to scale the summit to the plateau rock. This proved again a really excellent viewpoint to the surrounding area particularly in the clear weather prevailing that day. To the north we could see Lolkisale, and beyond to Makuyuni, Or Porko, Mount Mero, KLongido peeking out behind and Kilimanjaro. To the east, beyond the peaks we had identified the day before we could now see the Usangi mountains, where we hoped to continue our journey later.
This moutain seemed very special, partly because there was a sense that it was not too often visited. And though it is not so great a size the ascent is something of a challenge. It is also a place of animals – we saw ourselves a good number of clipspringer about the top, and many mongoose burrows. On the return we found we were being observed by serveral rock hyrax living in a rock cave, from thier rocky perch which was striped white by the accumulation of thier droppings. We also saw footprints of hyena in th path near the village, and many birds, which Peter identified for me, inclugding the call of the morning call thrush, many starlings with thier distinct orange wings and blue back, a barbet with a black and yellow-green speckled back and a flash of orange, an several buffalo weaver, mostly white with a black stripe on its head. There were many weaver birds nests too, often neatly hanging from the trees, as if on strings. Today also there were dung beetles busy on the path, rolling perfectly-constucted balls, back to thier burrows, tro provide nests for thier young.
We descended by much the same route, coming round again to the foot, to wonder again at the amazing rocky summit, which it had seemed impossible to climb from below – amazed indeed that we had actually been there.
ARUSHA REGION II
28 Lolkisale
Masai name after a clan called Sali. Persons, Sam, Peter, Olais from Engosipa village.
This modest sized mountain, standing out on the rift valley plain was one we had been contemplating for many weeks already, and speculating over whether we could see it. It was only when we got to Nabarera that we finally decided we had correctly identified it.
The previous evening we had approached the mountain from the western side, towards Lolkisale village, and been impressed with the rocky nature of it, and distinctive outcrops, interspersed amongst the good covering of bush, lending character it was not possible to discern from afar.
We had been invited to stay at Engosipa village, where we camped beside a house of the boma, and our host offered to take us up the mountain the following day. As there are signals on the top, there is actually a well-made track up the mountain, but we ascended by smaller paths through the vegetation and low bush. The day was misty, so there was no view from the summit when we arrived, but we talked to the three men who lived there looking after the communication masks, who it appeared were mostly complaining about the small amount they were paid.
We descended by the main track, gaining at last some views, north to the northern peaks of Or Porco and other hills, And west to our friend Vilima Vitatu and Lake Manyara.
We could also look out at small peaks we had seen from the foot of Babati, and down to a mini Lolkisale, also harbouring a commumication mask, and forested nestled at its western foot.
Intriging in the distance was another Ol Donyo Sambu, meaining white mountain – the third so far identified by us, which we speculated about travelling to, but were somewhat put off by the gloomy weather.
29 Monduli (North Side)
Masai name meaning rainy mountain. Can also be called Lashainy which means drizzle.
Persons Sam, Peter, Jonas, a ranger from the TFS who accompanied us from the TFS office in Monduli Juu.
This big mountain had so far been something of an enigma, as it was generally enshouded by cloud or appearing only as a shape in the hazy distance. And we did not actually see it from the Southern side until after we had decended when we returned to Monduli village, then gaining a perspective on the several summit peaks and forest clad slopes. But the northern side harbours less forest, just on the upper summits, though still as we found retaining a considerable area for wildlife to keep its presence, as we discovered. This was maybe one of the special things about going there, seeing the evidence of the animals, which included the holes made by elephant tusks in some dry mud, droppings of buffalo, and flattened grass where they had lain, finding too a quill of a porcupine , and eating our lunch on the eastern summit an area which elephants clearly enjoyed to be too. Though there was no view from here due to the trees. We had earlier been shown the small crater lake between the two eastern summits, at that point enshrouded in mist, which contained geothermally heated water, which felt tepid to touch.
We had hoped to ascend the higher summit to the west, and our guide had valiantly set out through the thick vegettion to forge for us a way there, for as he explained, most people he brought up the moutain only came as far as the crater, and it was rare for anybody to trequest to visit the summit. So that any path that had been made previously had been oblitered. But we abandoned the attempt, due to the number of nettled there, some of the giant variety, and Peter was wearing only shorts. So it would have been more feasible in the dry season when the vegetation, now at its greenest and lushest, had died back a bit.
We learnt also the names of quite a number of plants there on the way down from our guide, including the lons paw flower, the black-eyed Susan, the large white lilly, wild marijana, Dracome with its grass-like spines, and bush tobacco.
And thus we returned, back along the track, to reach again the farmland, below the line of posts set there by the TFS, with the maize and barley and beans was grown on the lower mountain slopes.
KILIMANJARO region
30 Sahara Hill
Local name meaning desert
Persons Sam, Peter, Shabani and Simon, two boys from engara Nairobi village.
We decided to visit this area at the western slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in order to explore some of the small hills at the foot of this famous looming peak, which as yet we had not had a glimpse of. So after we had settled ourselves in Engara Nairobi village, which means in Swahili, Cold water, as attested by the perennial stream running beside it which runs off Mount Kilimanjaro neaby, we set off towards a fairly bare but well shaped hill, meeting first two boys who we recruited to accomapny us at tell us some things about the place. The area surrounding the foot is extensively farned, primarily with potatoes, then in purple flower, also with some barley and beans. On route we found also small patches of whistl acacia, along with the yellow-barked variety. It was a gentle and pleasant walk to the summit, from where we could look back on our familiar friends Longido, with Orok appearing behind, with Kerimasi, Gelai, Mundarar hills appearing beside Mount Meru. Nearer at hand the boys identified for us other small hills, including Manyara hill (named after a plant) Ndara(Masai name after a tree that is used to make brushes to clean calabashes), Serengeti Hill, and behind towards Kilimanjaro, the base only of which we could see, a collpsed crater hill called Kilimahewa, Swahibli name meaning windy hill, forested in part, and also with plantations, which I was suprprised to see. For these were pine trees.
To the southwest we could also see Magadhi Lake, presumably where the fish came from which we had seen for sale in the village, and Peter pointed out two cottages neat to Endaraquoi Hill, on the resort here run by an Englishman who lived in the area.
Despite the open nature of the route we had taken, which was very pleasant and tidy place to been, with a good sense of fresh air. There was, in the forested plains beyond, as the boys pointed out to us, quite a lot of wildlife living. They indeed pointed out some dust in a clearing in the distance which they explained was made by elephants moving about there.
ARUSHA REGION III
31 Esi Lalae and La Silwa
Esi Lalae – Masai name, meaning gum tree. Lo Silwa – Masai name meaning place of eland.
27.5.17
In the morning we took a three-wheeler tut-tut from Mto Wambu, which drove us across country to the foot of Lo Silwa hill, near to a small hill called Na Donyek (which means red-eye hill), the former which forms an outlier to the taller Esi Lalae mountain behind. We climb up over successive rounded hills, the ground here quite dry covered in thick savanna grass with open forest of low trees (many different species of acacias might be found here),and with the yellows and pale greens and the glowing sunlight it was very pleasant going. There were also many types of small orange flower here, surely worthy of botanical study (should one have a book). We saw several clipspringer in the grassland lower down and one bush-buck identified by Peter. Then as we were climbing up a higher slope we heard behind us the heavy footfalls of a group of animals, and looking back we saw a herd of eland crossing the hill behind us. More and more came, coming over from the valley below up to the mountain, and later when we sat upon the summit we could see many of them in the distance, not in the least disturbed or apparently noticing us at all. We were not in fact on the highest summit, which is perhaps a more popular walk, but on the slightly lower eastern summit, which possessed perhaps a certain sense of isolation and pleasant serenity. From the summit, which is more or less bare of trees we had excellent views south to our familiar friends, Lolkisale and the hills nearby towards the mini-pyramid of ol donyo sambu. Both Babati mountain and Hanang were also clear, and we could look down the rift valley as far as the Kingasi mountain.To the west, above Lake Manyara the distinctive shape of Basoda Ouish could be seen, and further north we had excellent views to the Ngongororo crater.
Hence it proved a very pleasant climb that day in the sunny weather, (specially appreciated after so much rainy-season rain we have been experiencing elsewhere), and quite a long day after we had walked back to Mto Wambu the extra two and a half hours across the plains for the return, seeing there many interesting birds in the bush. A total walk of about 9 hours.
28.5.17
Losimingor
Masai name after a small beetle
Persons Sam and Peter.
We took the three-wheeler with the samedriver as the day previous to the same place as the day before, this time walking behind Na Donyek hill and across the flat valley area to the foot of one of the ridges of Losimingor mountain which we had identified as clear of vegetation the day before. It proved a good choice, and an efficient route up, with only some scrambling over rocky gassy ground and light bush – the very best kind of ridge walking. There were paths lower down made by animals, though it was quite grassy higher, and towards the summit, as we were getting more tired the herbaceous vegetation became thicker still with some patches of very tall elephant grass.
We did not see so many animals, as the day before, though there was good evidence of their presence in some fresh dung, and places where the grass had been flattened, and a general sense of animals being here. But other parts of this mountain are quite well forested, it is made up of several ridges, some of which drop down quite steeply to form impressive rocky canyons, steeply covered in forests, places where it seemed people would never venture. Only at the base were signs of people, with some signs of bicycle tracks, and the sound of someone cutting wood – and we were told too that people come here to collect wood, in the taller (and in fact very photogenic forest which resides at the base.
This mountain was a particularly photogenic place I found, with the long grass and trees in places, and many colours which a sketch could not do justice to.
Certainly this mountain has a different character than its more rounded neighbour Esi Lelai, all the same the route we took up did not seem formidable. But we did not venture to attempt to walk along the summit ridge, which was forested for the most part, and we were content just to look at it.
33 La Porco
29.5.17
Masai name, after a clan of that name.
Persons: Sam, Peter and Daoudi Ndari, a Masai from Engarogi village.
This modest sized mountain I had been looking at for some time on google maps, as intriguing by its neat shape and relative isolation from the neighboring hills, and I had long been thinking of climbing it. From Nanya junction on the main road (which was having its market day that day) we took a piki-piki (actually two, as they insisted) over some low hills on tracks to the foot of the mountain, where there is a small village called Engarogi. We were dropped off just before the village itself, and on alighting we met a group of four young men from the village who immediately began questioning us about our intention. Meantime I had begun to draw the mountain, which I had immediately recognised as very beautiful, with its grass and bushy lowerpart, and the upper portion still covered in forest.
Anyway, after quite a lot of talking between Peter and the Masai there, the chief of the village was called, and he arrived in a large car with some other elders. But anyway it started to look hopeful when we were escorted by an older man to the village itself, and soon we found ourselves being welcomed in to the garden of the well-appointed house of the chief himself, where we sat, some ten of us in the party on chairs made of wood and cow hide. A lady in a more modest house nearby then brought a bucket full of yoghourt, which was delivered out by two of the older men (with somerelish on thier part it seemed to be eating it). Which turned out to be a well-known Masai dish, as it contained also peices of maize in the bottom of the cup.
Having partaken on this hospitablity, there was some negotiation with the chief as to how much we must pay for a local guide to take us up the hill – he being a man it seemed who was well versed in business, and we found out later that he lived also in Arusha and had a business dealing in gem stones.
Our guide was a young and fit masai man, who was clearly happy to take us up the hill, wearing the traditional masai sandals made of peices of motorcycle tyre, with someexpertise.
It was not a difficult climb up, as the mountain is not too big, which was fortunate as it was already afternoon before we had got started. It was also fortuitous that people did venture up to the summit here, through the forest which was of the moss-lichen zone, so not overly tall trees, with the sunlight filtering through to us there, and some viewsdown to other parts of the mountain appearingthrough the trees, so it was very pleasant being up there. The forest paths were mostly muddy, made primarily by warthogs it seemed, with much sign of buffalo too in the droppings andflat areas where they rested. On the way up in the vegetation there was quite alotof wild marijuana, and in the forest a good number ofnettles which had to be avoided. Wereached the higher summit,and continued on beyond along the narrow ridges that form the bulk of the mountain, gaining more of a perspective ofthis very beautiful mountain which is well forested on all its slopes.
There were views too, a slightly different perspective on our familiar friends Kerimasi, Ketumbeine and Gelai than we had seen higherto, and goodviews over to Monduli, the size of which could really be appreciated from here. The plains below and footslopes of Monduli were particularly picturesque just now as much of the land is covered in yellow flowers, coming along with the green.
It really was a wonderful place for taking photographs that day.
KILIMANJARO REGION II
34 Shana Hill and Pari Mountain (exploration)
23-24/5/17
35 Kindoroko 1.6.17
A Pari name after a plant.
Persons: Sam,Peter and Ernest,a motorbike mechanic from Kwakoa village.
This mountain which we had spotted fromKwakoa village, and is formed of a series of hump-backed peaks on either side of a valley, culminating in a smaller forest-clad peak, which intriged due to its natural nature set in the otherwise quite well utilised area.
The walk up proved somewhat idyllic,first along the valley with the sound of the running stream nearby. With many mangoe trees growing here lushly (though notin fruit in this season). There weremany different kinds of butterfly here, including a most unusual one of colours purple and orange, and a larger black and white emperor. After some time we began climbing on steeper paths to reach the cultivated higher area where many people were living. There were a great many bananas growing here.
KILIMANJARO REGION II
North Pari Mountains
34 Shana Hill, and Mamba viewpoint – (exploration)
This small rocky hill lies just behind the town of Mwanga, and rather invited to be climbed, not least to obtain a view. We ended up climbing it twice, though the weather was somewhat overcast and wet, so that all but the nearby hills were mostly obscrured. Nonetheless it gave a satisfactory viewpoint from the rocky perch of the summit, such that we felt already well away from the civilisation below. On the way up we had met several local people, walking there who greeted us, and there is much grazing near the base. The vegetation is light, but sometimes prickly bush, with notably some aromatic herbs growing here, or bushes with pleasantly aromatic leaves, and many bushes with red berries. On route we saw a baby chamelion, there were also many butterfies here, and also dragonflies. There are views from here out to the plains, where, that day we were able to identify the prominenty hill with the communication mast, we found out was called Milima Voda, with the smaller Kilima Shule Migro to its right. We also saw Lake Nyumba Yamunga beyond.
On the 24th we climbed up further, making our way through the bush to the adjacent ridge, from where we had a view over the far side down to the village of Lamba, and beyond to the peak called Mount Kaili. We had hoped to climb this, by traversing around the ridge. But found the vegetation too thick, so we dropped down to Lamba village where Peter asked a man about the way up. However we were soon approached by some others, who told us we must get permission from the village office before we could climb it. Unfortinatly the chief there was no conducive to us, telling us we must first seek permission from the District Council in Mwanga. So we abandoned this, and contined walking along the road, in the hope of gaining some view of the area. We then too a matatu to Kiquene junction, from where we gained a view of Mount Kamel, (another peak we had been told about) partially enshrouded in mist, and walked a little way from there, then took a path up through a banana plantation, and then followed a track leading up towards a small hill above Mamba village containing a communication mast. On route we looked back and saw a most intriguing view to intriguing mountains further south arising from the plain. We asked a woman in a house there what they were, and she told us they were near to a place called Buttu, kindly inviting us to climb up into her garden plot so that we could gain a better view.
23-24/5/17
35 Kindoroko 1.6.17
A Pari name after a plant.
Persons: Sam,Peter and Ernest,a motorbike mechanic from Kwakoa village.
This mountain which we had spotted from Kwakoa village, and is formed of a series of hump-backed peaks on either side of a valley, culminating in a smaller forest-clad peak, which intriged due to its natural nature set in the otherwise quite well utilised area.
The walk up proved somewhat idyllic,first along the valley with the sound of the runningstream nearby. With many mangoe trees growing here lushly (though notin fruit in this season). There weremany different kinds of butterfly here, including a most unusual one of colours purple and orange, and a larger black and white emperor. After some time we began climbing on steeper paths to reach the cultivated higher area where many people were living. There were a great many bananas growing here.
36 Ol Donyo Moite (hill) 2.6.17
Masai name meaning crater.
Persons: Sam, Peter and Jacob Kinyamuesi, chief of Nadumoro, the masai village near to the mountain.
We had actually intended climbing the mountain called Ndea, which we had seen first from Mamba, and been told it was near Buttu. On further information we discovered it’s real name, and in the morning had taken a piki-piki from Kwakoa, where we had been staying across country to the nearby village of Nadumoro. Here we were welcomed by the chief, who Peter had already been put in contact with, as being a friend of Ernest, the motorbike mechanic we had walked with the previous day. In the village we were greeted also by several of the elders, conversing beneath a shady tree, and we were offered tea and a plate of meat, which others were partaking off at that time.
The chief meantime had explained that Ndea was not a mountain anybody climbed, and though it was grazed til part way up, you would need to cut your way up to gain the summit through the upper bush. He therefore suggested we climb the smaller hill behind the village, called Ol Donyo Moite, offering to accompany us there himself.
So the three of us set off to the foot, some half hour walk through the open acacia forest. Once there we climbed up through the bush, to gain the summit. The top itself was obscured by trees, but we dropped down a little to a rocky perch on the south side, and from there had a wonderful view down to the wooded plains of the Mikomazi National Park, and the surrounding peaks, including Motoroz (meaning place of geese), Ol Donyo Gol (hard mnountain), OD Ngurunga (inner mountain) and east over to the border with Kenya, where we could see the Foi Mountain, and Ol Donyo Wasc, and into the Tsavo National Park. Lake Jipa (half in Kenya and half in Tanzania) could also be seen from here.
Indeed, even though it is not so high, this small peak proved an excelled viewpoint, partly because it is not obscured by other mountain, being the easternmost outlier of the range,
On the walk we saw many yellow and purple butterflies, Peter also saw a mongoose, and a lesser kundi. We were also told about the elephants here, which often stray from the national park into the area around the villages.
37 Ol Donyo Didi 3.6.17
Person Sam and Peter
We were given a lift to the base by a local man called Samuel, a friend of Joseph from Naduromo, the short distance from Pangaro village (on the main road south) to the base of the second summit of the ridge. From here we climbed directly up to the ridge, then contined on up the open slope to the grassy summit of the ridge we had seen from below, which retrains a small patch of bush. The higher summit was still misted at this point, but we could see that the way ahead was quite well forested, and unlikely to be easily penetrable. So we dropped down and decided to skirt round to try to ascend up an adjacent valley, finding an overgrown path through the vegetation taking us round. Our attempt to ascend through the forest however proved unsuccessful, (apart from that we gained some perspective of the still wild and rampantly green forest remaining here) and indeed would have required more determination that we possessed. Peter then suggested we ask some of the local people – for there were houses up there, for the area by the adjacent ridge was well cultivated with maize and beans and other crops. A lady there directed us along paths towards the ridge where we found a good track leading up to the communication mast which graced the higher summit (which due to the mist we had not seen until there). We contined up here, greeting and having some conversation with some women working in the fields there, passing through the area of high forest still remaining at the summit. There was no view from there, due to the trees, which stretch down and clothe the steeper slopes to the south and west. But we had already gained some rather wonderful ‘alpine style’ view on the ascent and the traverse out over to the blue-tinged mountains surrounding the small valley plain behind Pangaro village, which we had travelled through the day previous. From the first summit, on the return, we also gained our ‘prize’ views back over the plains to our erstwhile friend, the twin pyramidal peaks of Lendanae, looming surprisingly close (it seemed) from here. I was very happy to have climbed this mountain, which preserves rather different facets, for though it is cultivated and inhabited high up on the eastern side, on the west, as seen from the road it looms up, with its several jagged ridges dropping down in spectacular forested cliffs, retaining thus its wilder aspect.
South Pari Mountains
38 Mtwangwa Sangu (Hill) 4.6.17
Persoms Peter and Sam
This is one of several small hills that can easily be ascended from Same town, and it proved a very accessible and pleasant place for a short walk on the Sunday afternoon. We walked first past the busy market, which was going strong that day – Sunday being market day in this town. and found a good path leading up towards and past the communication mast which graces the lower part of the hill, all too soon gaining the summit, where we gained our views, over to the surrounding mountains, of which we gained some names after two young boys appeared (they lived in the village below and were looking for two stray cattle that wandered). It was one of them, with a bit of throught, told us the name of the mountain. From here we looked south to the larger hills of Chogoboro (meaning baor mountain) and North to the forested slopes of Same Mountain. We could also see back into the Miko Mazi National Park, lending a different perspective to that we had gained from OD Moite.
In character this is a rather beautiful mountain, as the surface is well specked with large boulders, in between is growing a healthy mixture of different types of vegetation, in different colours of green, with some tall darker tree cactus, and the paler long grasses, between other kinds of bushes and trees. As we walked we saw many small scarlet red flowers in the vegetation, being the predominante colour of the flowers in that place.
29 Chambogo Mountain 5.6.17
Persons: Peter, Sam amd Ernest Kazoku from Samesafari tours, for part of the ascent, who we had met in the town earlier that morning.
As we could see from below, this mountain through grazed on some of the lower ridges still retains its forest cover in the higher summit area, and most people we spoke to in the town through that it was not possible to gain the summit, though we were also told it might be possible from a village called Mwenga at the other side of the mountain. However in the morning, as we were debating about transport, Peter got talking to Kazoku, a local man running a tour company who was able to give us quite a lot of information about the local peaks, including Rune across the plain, . He was game also to accompany us, and try to ascend from the Same (south side), so we set off with him.
It was about an hours walk to the base, after which we in due course found a good path leading up the grazed area of the slope, which had been cut into a grove by people dragging wood – for much wood is being taken out from the higher forest (it seems ilegally) by the local people just then. Indeed we passed a large group of women carrying down bundles of long branches on thier heads. And when we reached the forest we heard the sound of wood cutting, and Peter spoke to the people there, who told us it may be possible to reach the summit, but there was no path.
Meantime our (busy) friend Kazoku had left us, as he was due to meet a client from America at Arusha airport that evening, so we contined without his company for the ascent up through the forest, which was not too difficult, as the ground was fairly dry and there was not too much ground vegetation. People had been there too, making small paths, particularly in the lower section where we found several heaps ready prepared for charcoal burning, and one that was already smoking away.
It was very pleasant forest up there, and enjoyable walking, and with a bit of persistance we finally gained the summit area, and sat there to eat our lunch, enjoying the greenery (albeit without any view), soon to be visited by a curious bush-buck which came quite near, but was soon frightened away after I had greeted it. We also saw many butterfles that day, on route through the open area, many white and yellow, amongst others, at one point I disturbed a whole raft of them resting upon a rocky and was for a while surrounded by theie fluttering shapes.
We were very happy to have reached the summit of this mountain, being, as it were something of an unknown, as to wether it was possible.
North Pare Mountains
30 Same Mountain (South summit) 6.6.17
Named after the adjacent town
Persons Sam, Peter, Joseph Mnjokave, a friend and colleage of Kazoku who had accompaned us the previous day, who generally worked in Dar-es-Salaam as a singer and composer.
This mountain we were told (by the director of the Elephant Motel which we had been welcomed to visit by Kazoku the day previously) was much more interesting to climb that its neighbour Chambogo. And certainly this hill is rugged, and well covered in bush a[art from the lower part of the southern ridge, so the possibility of climbing it seemed a great privildge. And we would not have considered it feasible but that Kazoko (who told us that he had been up there himself more than once) had offered to find us a local man to accompany us. Though as it turned out, the usual guide was not initially contactable, so we found ourselves with another man, who had not been up there himself either. But in the event he turned out most also interested to make the effort to climb it, and proved very good company in our explorations.
From Same town we walked along the road towards the southern ridge, and from the base we ascended by a good path through the grazed area. Once however we gained the forest the path terminated and we had to make our own way up through the trees. Some parts were a little thick, and in small clearings the ground vegetation was thicker. It took some persistence and conviction, but the whole party was behind the attempt, so we pressed on until at some length we came to the first summit. From here we found ourslelves., in thicker forest now upon a ridge, from where we began to gain views to the left side spectacularly down to the town below. The forest also became wetter here, with taller trees, now we had gained the height of ‘true’ rainforest. Whilst lower the ground had been quite dry. It was something of a relief in fact to gain this perspective, for having traversed through the forest for some hours, we now found ourselves within sight and earshot of the familiar town down below (home of Joseph, who was quite excited now to have succeeded so unexpectedly in sourmouting the feat of climbing his local mountain). The summit itself is also spectacular, being perched on a tall rock butresss. From here you gain a good view over the the (higher) northern summit, completely forest clad, which it may have been possible to reach via this ridge, but needed a lot more time that we had available to us.
We saw some signs of animals in the forest, and at several point smelt the musty odour of animals about us. Joseph pointed out to us at one point the small droppings of a suni (deer); on the ascent he too had had a close encounter with a red duka. As we are walking back along the base, we pass a small flock of comely birds which Peter tells me were white browed sparrow weavers.
So we were very happy to have gained the summit of this seldom climbed mountain, which when we looked back to it later from the town might wonder ‘was I really up there’
KILIMANJARO REGION II
North Pari Mountains
34 Shana Hill, and Mamba viewpoint – (exploration)
This small rocky hill lies just behind the town of Mwanga, and rather invited to be climbed, not least to obtain a view. We ended up climbing it twice, though the weather was somewhat overcast and wet, so that all but the nearby hills were mostly obscrured. Nonetheless it gave a satisfactory viewpoint from the rocky perch of the summit, such that we felt already well away from the civilisation below. On the way up we had met several local people, walking there who greeted us, and there is much grazing near the base. The vegetation is light, but sometimes prickly bush, with notably some aromatic herbs growing here, or bushes with pleasantly aromatic leaves, and many bushes with red berries. On route we saw a baby chamelion, there were also many butterfies here, and also dragonflies. There are views from here out to the plains, where, that day we were able to identify the prominenty hill with the communication mast, we found out was called Milima Voda, with the smaller Kilima Shule Migro to its right. We also saw Lake Nyumba Yamunga beyond.
On the 24th we climbed up further, making our way through the bush to the adjacent ridge, from where we had a view over the far side down to the village of Lamba, and beyond to the peak called Mount Kaili. We had hoped to climb this, by traversing around the ridge. But found the vegetation too thick, so we dropped down to Lamba village where Peter asked a man about the way up. However we were soon approached by some others, who told us we must get permission from the village office before we could climb it. Unfortinatly the chief there was no conducive to us, telling us we must first seek permission from the District Council in Mwanga. So we abandoned this, and contined walking along the road, in the hope of gaining some view of the area. We then too a matatu to Kiquene junction, from where we gained a view of Mount Kamel, (another peak we had been told about) partially enshrouded in mist, and walked a little way from there, then took a path up through a banana plantation, and then followed a track leading up towards a small hill above Mamba village containing a communication mast. On route we looked back and saw a most intriguing view to intriguing mountains further south arising from the plain. We asked a woman in a house there what they were, and she told us they were near to a place called Buttu, kindly inviting us to climb up into her garden plot so that we could gain a better view.
23-24/5/17
35 Kindoroko 1.6.17
A Pari name after a plant.
Persons: Sam,Peter and Ernest,a motorbike mechanic from Kwakoa village.
This mountain which we had spotted from Kwakoa village, and is formed of a series of hump-backed peaks on either side of a valley, culminating in a smaller forest-clad peak, which intriged due to its natural nature set in the otherwise quite well utilised area.
The walk up proved somewhat idyllic,first along the valley with the sound of the runningstream nearby. With many mangoe trees growing here lushly (though notin fruit in this season). There weremany different kinds of butterfly here, including a most unusual one of colours purple and orange, and a larger black and white emperor. After some time we began climbing on steeper paths to reach the cultivated higher area where many people were living. There were a great many bananas growing here.
36 Ol Donyo Moite (hill) 2.6.17
Masai name meaning crater.
Persons: Sam, Peter and Jacob Kinyamuesi, chief of Nadumoro, the masai village near to the mountain.
We had actually intended climbing the mountain called Ndea, which we had seen first from Mamba, and been told it was near Buttu. On further information we discovered it’s real name, and in the morning had taken a piki-piki from Kwakoa, where we had been staying across country to the nearby village of Nadumoro. Here we were welcomed by the chief, who Peter had already been put in contact with, as being a friend of Ernest, the motorbike mechanic we had walked with the previous day. In the village we were greeted also by several of the elders, conversing beneath a shady tree, and we were offered tea and a plate of meat, which others were partaking off at that time.
The chief meantime had explained that Ndea was not a mountain anybody climbed, and though it was grazed til part way up, you would need to cut your way up to gain the summit through the upper bush. He therefore suggested we climb the smaller hill behind the village, called Ol Donyo Moite, offering to accompany us there himself.
So the three of us set off to the foot, some half hour walk through the open acacia forest. Once there we climbed up through the bush, to gain the summit. The top itself was obscured by trees, but we dropped down a little to a rocky perch on the south side, and from there had a wonderful view down to the wooded plains of the Mikomazi National Park, and the surrounding peaks, including Motoroz (meaning place of geese), Ol Donyo Gol (hard mnountain), OD Ngurunga (inner mountain) and east over to the border with Kenya, where we could see the Foi Mountain, and Ol Donyo Wasc, and into the Tsavo National Park. Lake Jipa (half in Kenya and half in Tanzania) could also be seen from here.
Indeed, even though it is not so high, this small peak proved an excelled viewpoint, partly because it is not obscured by other mountain, being the easternmost outlier of the range,
On the walk we saw many yellow and purple butterflies, Peter also saw a mongoose, and a lesser kundi. We were also told about the elephants here, which often stray from the national park into the area around the villages.
37 Ol Donyo Didi 3.6.17
Person Sam and Peter
We were given a lift to the base by a local man called Samuel, a friend of Joseph from Naduromo, the short distance from Pangaro village (on the main road south) to the base of the second summit of the ridge. From here we climbed directly up to the ridge, then contined on up the open slope to the grassy summit of the ridge we had seen from below, which retrains a small patch of bush. The higher summit was still misted at this point, but we could see that the way ahead was quite well forested, and unlikely to be easily penetrable. So we dropped down and decided to skirt round to try to ascend up an adjacent valley, finding an overgrown path through the vegetation taking us round. Our attempt to ascend through the forest however proved unsuccessful, (apart from that we gained some perspective of the still wild and rampantly green forest remaining here) and indeed would have required more determination that we possessed. Peter then suggested we ask some of the local people – for there were houses up there, for the area by the adjacent ridge was well cultivated with maize and beans and other crops. A lady there directed us along paths towards the ridge where we found a good track leading up to the communication mast which graced the higher summit (which due to the mist we had not seen until there). We contined up here, greeting and having some conversation with some women working in the fields there, passing through the area of high forest still remaining at the summit. There was no view from there, due to the trees, which stretch down and clothe the steeper slopes to the south and west. But we had already gained some rather wonderful ‘alpine style’ view on the ascent and the traverse out over to the blue-tinged mountains surrounding the small valley plain behind Pangaro village, which we had travelled through the day previous. From the first summit, on the return, we also gained our ‘prize’ views back over the plains to our erstwhile friend, the twin pyramidal peaks of Lendanae, looming surprisingly close (it seemed) from here. I was very happy to have climbed this mountain, which preserves rather different facets, for though it is cultivated and inhabited high up on the eastern side, on the west, as seen from the road it looms up, with its several jagged ridges dropping down in spectacular forested cliffs, retaining thus its wilder aspect.
South Pari Mountains
38 Mtwangwa Sangu (Hill) 4.6.17
Persoms Peter and Sam
This is one of several small hills that can easily be ascended from Same town, and it proved a very accessible and pleasant place for a short walk on the Sunday afternoon. We walked first past the busy market, which was going strong that day – Sunday being market day in this town. and found a good path leading up towards and past the communication mast which graces the lower part of the hill, all too soon gaining the summit, where we gained our views, over to the surrounding mountains, of which we gained some names after two young boys appeared (they lived in the village below and were looking for two stray cattle that wandered). It was one of them, with a bit of throught, told us the name of the mountain. From here we looked south to the larger hills of Chogoboro (meaning baor mountain) and North to the forested slopes of Same Mountain. We could also see back into the Miko Mazi National Park, lending a different perspective to that we had gained from OD Moite.
In character this is a rather beautiful mountain, as the surface is well specked with large boulders, in between is growing a healthy mixture of different types of vegetation, in different colours of green, with some tall darker tree cactus, and the paler long grasses, between other kinds of bushes and trees. As we walked we saw many small scarlet red flowers in the vegetation, being the predominante colour of the flowers in that place.
29 Chambogo Mountain 5.6.17
Persons: Peter, Sam amd Ernest Kazoku from Samesafari tours, for part of the ascent, who we had met in the town earlier that morning.
As we could see from below, this mountain through grazed on some of the lower ridges still retains its forest cover in the higher summit area, and most people we spoke to in the town through that it was not possible to gain the summit, though we were also told it might be possible from a village called Mwenga at the other side of the mountain. However in the morning, as we were debating about transport, Peter got talking to Kazoku, a local man running a tour company who was able to give us quite a lot of information about the local peaks, including Rune across the plain, . He was game also to accompany us, and try to ascend from the Same (south side), so we set off with him.
It was about an hours walk to the base, after which we in due course found a good path leading up the grazed area of the slope, which had been cut into a grove by people dragging wood – for much wood is being taken out from the higher forest (it seems ilegally) by the local people just then. Indeed we passed a large group of women carrying down bundles of long branches on thier heads. And when we reached the forest we heard the sound of wood cutting, and Peter spoke to the people there, who told us it may be possible to reach the summit, but there was no path.
Meantime our (busy) friend Kazoku had left us, as he was due to meet a client from America at Arusha airport that evening, so we contined without his company for the ascent up through the forest, which was not too difficult, as the ground was fairly dry and there was not too much ground vegetation. People had been there too, making small paths, particularly in the lower section where we found several heaps ready prepared for charcoal burning, and one that was already smoking away.
It was very pleasant forest up there, and enjoyable walking, and with a bit of persistance we finally gained the summit area, and sat there to eat our lunch, enjoying the greenery (albeit without any view), soon to be visited by a curious bush-buck which came quite near, but was soon frightened away after I had greeted it. We also saw many butterfles that day, on route through the open area, many white and yellow, amongst others, at one point I disturbed a whole raft of them resting upon a rocky and was for a while surrounded by theie fluttering shapes.
We were very happy to have reached the summit of this mountain, being, as it were something of an unknown, as to wether it was possible.
Kiwanja Hill 7.6.17
This small hill near to Same town we decided to climb by way of an afternoon excursion, walking to the outskirts of the town, crossing the abandoned railway line beside the old station – Petro recalling how he had actually seen the trains working here, more than ten years ago in Arusha. The mountain, not so inspiring from a distance gains its full character once we had climbed up through the bushy (somewhat prickly) vegetation to the summit crest, where we found some rather magnificent rocky perches which we had to scramble our way up onto, affording rather wonderful (and also peaceful) views out to the plains beyond. It was a beautifully clear day too, with that special illumination one obtains in late afternoon. It was quite breezy up there too, with a solitary swallow soaring about the rocky crests, gliding expertly in the strong air currents. There were a good number of butterflies here too. We had good views now to what we then throught of as the Ruvu Mountains (later we would find out they were called Olo Sere) to the south, and back along the Pare Escarpment to Dido and Kerinjiko hill. The land below was an artistic patchwork of cultivation and blocks of woodland scrub, a pleasing mix of browns and greens. It seemed a very pleasing place for photography.
42 Olo Sere (1250m) 8.6.17
Masai name meaning white stripes. Also sometimes called Ruvu Mountain, from a distance, being close to the Ruvu River. Also in Swahili Yitengenie.
Persons: Sam, Peter, Nangala Koole, secretary of the village committee in Monganu village.
From Monganu village we proceeded to the base of the mountain through the grazed scrubland. Then at the foot we decided to try to ascend to the dip between the southernmost and adjacent summit. Though the mountain is not so high, it was a long job to get up, as the whole mountain is covered in thick bush with much thorny undergrowth and prickly cacti, so our progress was somewhat intermittent, with the necessity of some hacking with the machete on the part of Nangala, who was happy in this task. Higher up we had some respite when we were able to ascend up by a section of rocks themselves, and once we had gained the ridge (after some 2 and a half hours from the foot) the going was somewhat easier.
We saw quite a number of clipspringers up there, especially higher up, and there was a pleasing sense of this being the territory of animals. (Though lower down the vegetation was too thick, and not so much sign of larger animal life). It felt very special to be up there, in the knowledge that few, if maybe anyone had every been there – not at least within living memory, and slightly disconcerting too, as we had made a fairly late start, and it was already 3 by the time we reached first summit, with the knowledge that there was no easy way off this peak either. But fortified with lunch (sharing company with a few small bees that seemed to be attracted by Nangala’s blue Masai blanket, we pressed on to the higher summit itself. It was very nice up there upon the rocky perches, with views out west towards the Ruvu River, and smaller peaks beyond, and the hills we already knew to the north and the south. It was also quite amazing seeing the other peaks of the mountain, and getting a sense of the sense of this small, barely visited range.
From the highest summit we pressed on down to the next col and decided to descend from there, at first gaining a pleasant respite with some grassy descent through open woodland. But this did not continue, and half way down we were back in the prickly, cactus strewn bush, and the necessity of cutting and forging a route, so as not to cut us amd our clothes to shreds. Time was moving on too, and we watched the pleasing sight of the sun setting ahead over the plains. Fortunately we had made it to the foot, where the going was suddenly considerably easier, following the cattle tracks through the bush, as the nearly full moon arose now to the east behind the mountain we had just scaled and descended from.
The following day we gained further views back to this amazing mountain as we looked back on our walk to the Ruvu River, the great rocky faces appearing to good effect in the morning sunlight.
MANYARA REGION / KILIMANJARO
43 Engage Hill (viewpoint). 9.6.17
Named from the village nearby.
Persons: Sam, Peter and Nangala Koole for the latter part of the way.
From Monganu village Peter and I set off across the plains in the direction of the Ruvu River, across the rather pleasing sandy country of the flat river plain. We did not get far as we were soon offered a (free) lift in a matatu heading to the village of Ruvu Feringine. From here we continued towards the river, now on paths, passing through some cultivation, with bananas and coconuts and other forested areas. Once we reached the river, we found we were able to be ferried across in a sturdy dug-out canoe to the opposite bank, now finding ourselves in Manyara region (having begun our journey in Kilimanjaro). We walked a little way, as we were drawing some of the further hills in the plains Nangala joined us and suggested we walk to a nearby hill/viewpoint so we could gain a better view beyond. The hill, beside the village of Engare, is a very short ascent, and something more of a point on a ridge as opposed to a hill itself. But nonetheless it made a satisfactory picnic spot with which to share our lunch with our Masai friend who explained that the low hills in front of us, forming an intriguing ridge which we had been following besides since we had been in Moshi, was called the Lemony Ridge (here) which meant in Masai, rhino. It seemed it would have been nice to make our way out and climb one of the small hills which we saw – but then we did not have time to satisfy all our inspirations.
We also worked out that the Ruvu River arises in Lake Nyaumbaya Mungu to the north, and reaches the sea at Pangala in Tanga region.
44 Shengena 2462m 12.6.17
Persons: Sam, Petro, Noru Mndene and Tomaine from Chome village.
Shengena had proved to be a very elusive mountain to us. I had known about it for some time, having I think initially spotted it marked on a map, and someone had told us about it when we were near Lendanai. I knew it was high, we later found it to be the second highest peak in the Kilimanjaro region, but by some way it seems. But I had failed to find any sign of a significant high peak on google maps, and through much of the north Pare mountain we found people did not even know of this peak.
Howeve when we arrived in Same, we found a tour guide called Kazoku, who was able to tell us about it, and how it was in a conservation area called Chome, even if we remained in the dark for some time as to exactly where this was too.
Anyway, we were keen to climb this peak. And on the Sunday, which is marked day in Same, we were able to get a truck (we, fortunately travelling in the front seats, rather than as cattle in the rear) heading, very slowly on the very rough road, wending up through the mountains arriving eventually to Chome village in the darkness of evening.
We were fortunate in easily arranging two local people to show us up the mountain the following day, who turned out both fit young guys, who led us along at quite a racing pace. Admittedly the weather was not good, being quite dark and intermittently pouring with rain, so hardly condusive tomuch stopping.
First we ascended by steep paths, through the villages and cultivated hillsides, arriving at an area of moorland, with scrub which some time ago had been burnt. We crossed some of this and arrived at a sign indicating Campsite, 45 minutes. Soon after this we were in the Chome Forest reserve itself, now quite different territory, with almost pristine natural woodland, with a beautiful path passing through it, and the music of birdsong accompanying us as we went (albeit still at a cracking pace). Some of the trees had labels on, including I recall a Podocarpus Usambarensis, suggesting there were some species exisiting here quite special to this region, as indeed I discovered when reading the Conservation area leaflet later. I became aware that this somewhat hidden (high level) region is maybe something of a refuge for interesting high level species. We were fortunate too to see some of the beautiful Angola pied Colobus monkeys here, moving through the tress in front of us as we descended.
At the summit we found an observation platform, which gave a view over the trees – but that was all for us, for the mountain was fully clothed in mist for us that day. We gained only one brief peek of it on the return, when we had emerged back into the moorland area, looking back at the rounded wooded shape of the summit area behind. But maybe anyway the forest was what it was all about in terms of Shengena, and sense of having a rare peak at this intriguing hidden place, which was especially intriguing to see in the misty weather which we experienced that day – and is probably common over this mountain.
So it was a very wonderful walk, and felt a very special place to be, even if our young, and fit companions did not give us too much time for contemplation there.
45 Makassa 14.6.17 Near Hedaru
Persons: Sam and Peter
We were a bit in the dark when we arrived in Hedaru as to what we were looking at in terms of mountains, and which were the significant peaks in the vicinity, despite the fact that Google maps seems to suggest there were some distinctive mountains nearby. But the first afternoon we arrived we walked out of the town towards the hills, first passing through some idyllic territory beside the running river with many boabab trees, and rocks about the scenery, then further found ourselves on a rough track (that had, it seemed once been a motorable road) heading alongside a flowing river, up into some beautifully scenic territory with sheer rocky faces dropping down at the valley sides. I was inspired just to continue walking along this road, which some local people had told us eventually led (after six or seven hours walking) to a village high up in the mountains called Mamba.
Anyway we set off the next day, on the road towards Mamba, climbing steadily along the road, rising at length to more cultivated areas, where there were more people living, having forged some steep plots from the often rocky soil where the ground was sufficiently flat. We were obliged to greet many people we passed, a lot of them carrying hoes, who as Petro commented were most welcoming to us, to their territory, greeting us often with ‘karibu’. or Karibuni. The day before we had learnt several names of peaks from local people, though we were still somewhat confused as to which peaks some of these names referred to, partly due to the fact that it had been misty, so some of the tops of the mountains were obscured.
Anyway, having climbed up on the road, which in places was eroding at the side, or covered in slumped rock and soil, but still passable by motorbikes, nearly to the col, we were told we were in Makassa village, which was the name of a peak I had been given the day before. And by some fortuitous circumstance, we found ourselves walking on a smaller trail below a ridge, and were soon heading up a small path into the forest scrub above where people collected wood, bush bashing our way the short distance from the termination of the paths to the summit. And though we had no view, we found a pleasant spot there in the trees to eat our lunch, happy at the idea we had rather by chance actually climbed to the top of a mountain.
It was certainly a very beautiful and recommended walk up the old road to Mamba.
46 Hedaru Viewpoint 15.6.17
persons Sam and Petro
This is a just a small foothill we were inspired to climb in the afternoon of our rest day, and the only ‘small hill’ we identified within easy walkning distance of Hedaru town. It was also useful for us to go there as we wanted to investigate the ridge behind it, as a possible way of ascent up to Sawave mountain the following day.
It was a pleasant walk, first following paths between the houses, then crossing though the maize and beans fields on small paths to reach the hill. From our small rocky perch we had a good view out to the plains and to Makanya Hill to the north, which we had passed (but not been out towards). It was a nice spot to sit for a while, hearing the voices of some boys grazing goats nearby, and had we disturbed them to ask, we might have found this little hillock had its own name.
47 Sawawe 16.6.17
Persons Sam and Petro.
This amazing looking rocky face sticks up from the ridge behind Hedaru, The first day we arrived I was inspired to attempt to climb it, not even knowing if it was indeed possible. After some time we learnt the correct name of it. For it is also sometimes called Sine, after the village on the hillside just below it.
We walked again from Hedaru by the route we had taken the day before to the foot of the ridge. This time ascended it, by a fairly steep small path, which brought us up at a satisfying pace, til we gained an area of steep rock which we had to negotiate, at one point having so explore a little to find a way around some giant boulders, fortunately chancing on a way, by climbing up a rock which led us above onto a used way.
Above the rocks it was slighly easier going, then we gained the summit of the ridge which was cultivated with maize and sugar cane. From here we dropped down a little to the right, and climbed up thence by well-trodden paths through the village of Sine which lies about the ridge. HEre we were greeted at a house by an older man, who we assumed must have been an elder of the village. Fortunately he was welcoming to us, and did not object to our purpose of ascending the peak above, and after asked us to take a photograph of him with us. HAving gained the ascent from him, and greeted his wife, we continued our ascent, gaining some more directions from people in the village, and then a man higher up beside a fallen tree, who told us the direction we should go, but that there was no actual path to the peak itself. For at that point the summits were still misted so it was not too clear where our ‘spectacular’ peak actually lay from there.
We then branched off the main path right towards the ridge, on a small path with petered out in the high forest, and we bashed our way thence through the vegetation and trees til we could see light ahead, and happily emerged at the top of the grand cliffs we had seen from below. It really was a rocky perch, you felt the sense of a sheer drop below. And it proved a really wonderful viewpoint to southern end of the Pare Mountains which we had not yet seen, and beyond to a small mountain called Mabogo, which lies between the Pare and the Usambara Ranges. We could also see Mafi mountain, the outier of the Usambaras we had seen on Google Maps, and we had seen earlier in the distance from Lendanai. Below us there were white collared ravens, whilst we had seen a number of rather magnificent kite eagles soaring about the rocks on the ascent of the ridge.
Our friend Lendanai was still visible too, to the northwest, a shape in the hazy distance.
Having afforded our views, we returned by a similar route, this time dropping down more directly by the well-trodden village paths from Sine to Hedaru below; for the upper part having the company of a girl returning home from her boarding school higher up the mountain, we invited us to her home to meet her parents.
This really was a beautiful walk to this mountain, being an introguing place in itself. The walk had many different elements, a satisfying ridge climb, some boulderly scrambling, a village path, and a woodland path, then a short bit of bush bashing to arrive at a spectacular place which few people ever make it to.
WE were also made to feel very welcome here by the villagers that we passed, on the return speaking again to the old man and his wife outside thier house.
TANGA REGION
48 Bahai Hill (Magamba) 17.6.17
A Wasingua name, after a sacred place of the ancient Bahai tribe.
Persons. Sam, Petro, Meshaki Kidogi from Magamba Kwalkonge village, a member of the village committee.
This is just a small hill beside the Magamba village, and an easy ascent by a direct path up the slope, led there by our guide. It was a pleasant respite too after the somewhat bumpy ride in the market bus from Momba to get there,
Seated on a rock just beyond the summit, Meshaki pointed out to us the names of some of the nearby hill, to the south seeing the ridge of a jagged hill called Kilole, and a smaller rounded hump called Changade. Behind us was the forested mountain of Mafi, which we were hoping to climb the next day.
From here we could also look down on the fields of sizal which are grown extensively nearby, telling us they were owned by an Englishman.
Peter and I, went ourselves up this hill to the summit just before dusk the following day, this time rewarded by the sight of many swallows soaring about the top, making a musical chorus when they clustered together in flight, then disturbing a large hare on the summit as we returned.,
49 Mafi Mountain. 18.6.17
Wasingua name
Persons: Sam, Peter, Hasani and Shaboni, two farmers from Magamba Kwalkonge village, also Suhi Rajabo, a man from nearby who joined us on the ascent through the forest.
This substantial outlier of the Usambaras we had identied easily from Google maps, partly because it is quite a broad hill, somethng of a diamond shape. I had long been contemplating climbing it, though had earlier been given the name of it as Mombo, the name of the small town in the adjacent Usambara foothills, only finding out its real name shortly before we arrived at Magamba village near its foot.
When we arrived in Magamba ths hill seemed somewhat daunting, as we saw that it was entirely clothed in forest. So we could not be at all sure if it was possible to actually get to the top. This again is a very beautiful mountain to see, due to the forest cover, and quite a number of intriguing cliffs enbedded in the slopes. There wsa also a very beautiful tall waterfal flowing here just now, down through the forest, which was really a wonderful sight to see here.
The evening before, after we arrived in the village we met six people from the village office, who had been amassed especially for us that Sunday evening. And after paying a donation to the village, we made arrangements to be shown up the hill by two local people the following morning.
From Magamba village we followed tracks and paths through the farmland, past the corn and beans, to the foot of the mountain. We then followed a good path along the ridge which brought us up into the forest. At a turning in the path, as one of our guides was debating which route to take, we were joined by another man, who had decided he also was interested to see the summit of this hill.
He seemed a little more conversant of the way. And it was not difficult to ascend through the forest by the ridge on small paths. Indeed we came to the summit well before I expected it, and at that point the top was still clothed in mist, so we had not knowing if we were really there, or any views to the rest of the mountain beyond. Fortunatly the mist cleared soon after, and as we had much time, we were able to descend a bit and explore the summit area, gaining some views to the ranged of smaller hills to the north, which were named for us as Toronto and Don Ongai. We also came through a clearer area where we had views to the saddle of the mountain, almost entirely clothed in high forest, and to the slightly lower western summit. We returned by something of our own route on the first part of the descent, descending below the ridge, on steep slopes, passing below an outcrop of rocks. On route we gained some perspective of the forest here, which contains some very tall trees, and also many wild bananas and palms amongst it. Our guided eventually descided to reascend to the ridge, and there we regained the path by which we had come. Once on it stopping for a rest to share our lunch together.
On the descent, after we had reached the farmland, we stopped for a while to speak to some farmers there, collected under a tent roasting some corns, and further along were given a bag of small chilli peppers, as a gift from one of the farmers, who picked some for us. So we were treated with much hospitality there.
Our somewhat roundabout route had given us a bit more of a perspective on the mountain and forest, than if we had just made an easy ascent and descent by the ridge. For though the mountain appears quite formibale due to its entire forest cover, most of it we found was not too difficul to penetrate. And the mountain is not so big that it would take too long to descent.
50 Mombo Mountain, 20/6/17
We did not get a name for this mountain, but I call it Mombo Hill as it sits behind the town.
We came up here by way of exploration, following small paths rising behind the town. The ridge is fairly open of vegetation and you soon gain a sense of height, and a fine perspective on the central part of the West Usambaras range, and also back to the plains.. And also a good view down to the then burgeoning waterfall on the Mombo river, feeding down from the mountains.
51 Quamungu 21/6/17
We had first spotted this peak, standing up a little higher then its neighbours in the Usambaras from the foot of Mafi mountain a few days earlier. It was noticeable for its bald summit with just a single line of trees rising at one side. And it seemed a worthy landmark and an inspiration as a place to begin our exploration of the West Usambaras range. After we had gained a better view of it from Mombo hill our inspiration continued.
To get to the foot we took a matatu from Mombo town, heading up the valley towards Lushoto. We disembarked at the Vugu junction, and with some direction from the man picki-piki drivers waiting there, we headed up on a small steep path towards the ridge. The walk was mostly through cultivated land, with some bush by the streams. It was pleasant going with many greetings along the way. The upper part of the hill is bare, and makes a good viewpoint for the southern part of the range, where there is somewhat more forest than the surroundings. For the west Usambaras as well populated and much cultivated on the upper part, which allows for many paths, but not so much forest to view.
We had a little company up there of some women who were taking down wood from there which had been cut.
The trees gracing the side of the hill we found to be Eucalyptus.
On the return we were greeted cordially by a lady we had me on the way up, who was happy to know we had made it all the way to the top of thier local mountain.
52 Mtai and Mlessa 22/23.6.17
Mtai
We had decided we should explore some of the peaks we had seen in the haze from Quamungu in the Lushoto region. So we took a matatu there in the morning with our packs. Here we spotted a signpost to a guesthouse at Iringi Viewpoint, and decided to head out there, walking the 6 kilometres on the dirt road.
At Iringi village after finding a place to camp beside a salubrious hotel, we made our way to the local viewpoint, a long-standing tourist destination, with several decades worth of grafitti marked upon a rock. The rocky outcrop at the western edge of the range formed a spectacular and slightly hairy viewpoint, over the the plains beyond, and back up to the other spectacular rocky outcrops gracing this part of the range. Here we got talking to a local man from Iringi village called Pascal who offered to take us up one of the nearby mountains.
We were keen to climb an actual peak, and though it was already afternoon and the mist was definitavely settled about the peaks we decided to set off. We followed some small paths through the villages, Pascal pointing out to us (in tour guide fashion the names of some of the useful plants along the way). Many fruits are grown in this area including loganberries and loquats which I had not seen elsewhere.
We did not reach the summit that afternoon, but set out again the following morning with Pascal again, following well used trails through the heathland and bracken scrub, which is more of less devoid of large trees here, apart from some stumps. For it seems that following fairly extensive cutting of wood here, there had been a large fire decimating the vegetation. some twenty years previously. And this is evidence in the even growth of colonising vegetation which we see now.
We passed over several small summits, our guide being somewhat reluctant to continue too far. But we managed to persuade him to keep going until we reached the southernmost summit of the Mtai mountain – somewhat desiring to proceed further over to the next one. But, our guide could not be induced, so we had to be content with the hill we had climbed.
53 Kambe Mountain 22/23.6.17
Kambe is a rocky outlying peak, rising opposite to the Irente viewpoint. We had visited the highest part of it the first evening, where there is a constructed viewing place on the crest of the ridge just before it. To get to the actual peak from here requres a very steep climb down to a gully, then a further ascent. The owner of the land was in the process of building some wooden steps down the sttep rocky face, in order to create a tourist attraction. The people there were actually happy to take us there, even though the construction as it stands looks very shakey and dangerous. But there was not time.
The following afternoon we discovered there was a ‘free’ rocky viewpoint, equally, or perhaps more spectacular a little further down on the same mountain, so we opted to go there. It was indeed a wonderful place, again involving a short clamber down before ascending to the rocky perch itself. From there we could look aside to the grand cliffs to the side, vegetated picturesquely in palms and other lush tropcial vegetation. Ahead of us was a small similar peak where goats were perched precariously grazing. Certainly we felt we were amply satisfied with the view and perspective from this ‘perch’.
54 Magoretto 25.6.17
Usambaras name, after an ancestor who used to live here
Persons Sam, Peter, for the summit ascent Edward and Francis from Magoretto village
Magoretto is a small mountain range which forms an outlier of the East Usambaras. I had spotted it on Google maps and long been interested to visit here. We found a place to stay in Muheza town, from where we could see the green forested mountain looming quite near us. The next day we set off ourselves along the muddy dirt road towards Magetto village which we were told was near the top of the mountain, people advising us that the road, also used by motorbikes was the /best/ way up the mountain. As we went the rain began to come down, and the road became very muddy, with the motorbikes having a tough and slippery time negotiating the steeper parts. It was a pleasant way though, with quite a lot of forest on the slopes, particular near to the rocky parts. The upper part however we found was more settled, passing a school and a village. Here we recruited two local men to take us to the summit itself, who came along in professtional mode with machetes to cut a way through the bush if needed.
Actually there was a reasonable path, which follows for some way the boundary between the part of the mountain owned by private (Swiss) owners, called the estate, which is mostly left as rainforest, and the area cultivated by the local people. There were beans and tomatotes and other crops here, rather pleasingly mixed up with the native trees, which were mostly left growing amongst the crops.
The summit itself lies upon a rocky crest. It is not too far or arduous a trek up there from the village, and it seemed people went up there quite often just ot gain the view. We did not get much ourselves that day due to the prevailing mist, merely the occasional perspective of the plains beyond to the east, and the occasional glimpse of a thin luminous line which we assumed was the sea beside Tanga.
It was certainly a fine place to be anyway, and a pleasant way to spend a part of the Sunday afternoon for our guides.
55 Mbole Hill 26.6.17
Sam, Peter and ‘Rasta’ Muella from Amani village
After we had found our way up the rough and winding route to Amani village we were keen to gain a perspective of the area and see some of the very special rainforest that exists here in the Eastern Usambaras, with some species particular to this area alone.
After we had found ‘rasta’, whose other name we did not know initially, as everyoe naturally called him rasta. He suggested to go up Mbole Mountain, and we still had time.
This is perhaps more a viewpoint than a mountain, and though it took us an hour or so to walk to from Amani village, you might have been able to get there more easily by piki-piki, as it seemed some people up there we met had done, this day being the first of the celebration of Eid for the local Muslim population. It was quite a spectacular spot, with a drop down below to the Mbole river in the gorge (which we could not see), and views across to primarily forested hillsides. We could also see some clearer area which our friend pointed out, which we were told were tea plantations.
56 Menge Menge 27.6.17
This peak is actually more of a viewpoint, on the very edge of the East Usambaras range, which our ‘rasta’ friend had suggested we go to.
It was some three hours walk from Amani village to get there, first passing on small tracks and paths through the primarily rainforest area, til we came out to the area of tea plantations which we wended our way through on the winding paths. Some of the tea trees were quite aged as we could see, with substatial convoluated boles, beneath the tidy pruning, for the tea plantations have been there for some 80 years, being established by the British when there were in Tanzania.
At the summit there are several smart wood and brush shelters with small hedges about set there for viewing and picnics, constructed there by the EUTCO (East Usambaras Tea Company) the logo of which is written there at the entrance in topiaried bushes. Fortunatly for us the mist cleared shortly after we arrived there, and we were able to gain the full view, looking down upon Korogwe town below, beside the Longella River, which runs in the flat valley between the Easten and Western Usambaras, the water from which is channelled into fields where rice is grown, as we could see from our viewpoint.
57 Nyalusanga 28.6.17
Sam, Peter and ‘rasta’ muella from Amani village
We had spotted this peak from the Mbole mountain the first afternoon, as being notably ‘bald’ of forest vegetation and standing a little above its surroundings. We had passed quite close to it on our way to Menge menge the day before, and had been inspired to think of climbing it, as being something of a distinctive mountain. So the following day we took a different, more northern route, passing through similar country and vegetation as the previous day, then following the area of tea plantations we came to more rolling territory. A small path traversed around the mountain itself, following it it we felt we were really on a mountain. We branched up from this over the heathland to the summit, and it was certainly worth the view. We now had a really excellend view down to the Longella River and to the peaks at the upper end of it. Being a littled higher than the surroundings we had a good view over this corner of the East Usambaras, gaining some perspective of the size of this range.
58 Haringala Mountain 30.6.17
Sam. Peter with Juma Kamote and Davie Lukindo from Mashewa village for the walk to Mbumba village. Then with Afisa Nasti and Safiri Samoed from Mbumba village for the ascent to the summit.
This is one of several intriguing rocky peaks, as we had spotted from Nyalusanga, located at the head of the Longella River valley, beside th tributary here of the Mbumba River. It was a bit difficult to decide exactly what was what from the base at Mashewa, however we gradually gained some information as to names, and our two guides who we had recruited from Mashewa village gave us the names of five peaks, of which we opted for one.
We followed a well used ‘village’ path up from behind Mashewa for some way. Then Juma and Davie decided we should take a short cut to the mountain. So one of them went to ask the owner of the land there is we could pass over it. After a bit of waiting a young boy came and led us to where some men were mending a sugar cane press. We saw another one of these later in the day, in operation They are totally home-made affairs, made of wood and twine with justtwo pices of metal. The juice runs into a pan below which is put in a hole in the ground. The produce we assume was used for making the local ‘beer’, which we had seen quite a lot of for sale in bottles in the villages of the East Usambaras earlier.
We then left them and took a path up through the banana plantations, then were in the rainforest itself, andbegan to clamber up very steeply towards some cliffs, in the process distubing some monkeys which began hailing our presence. We had just negotiated a difficult part, when our guides called us back. Then we discvered that we were being followed by a substantial posse of local people along with some dogs. They called us down, and we were obliged to followed them to the village office in Mbumba village.
Here the chief was already sitting, and some conversation ensued. But it seemed anyway no harm was done. And the people in the upper village were rather miffed that they had not been recruited as ‘guides’ to tourists, as it was actually this community who owned and looked after the mountain we were intending to climb.
So we filled in our names in the village register, and paid a small village fee. The chief then recuited two new guides for us, and we set off woth them first through the plantations towards the mountain.
The upper part if entirely forested, and very steep. We had a machete with us, and it was highly necessary here for cutting a way up the slope. It seemed not many people actually scaled this mountain, though people did go there.
The ascent to the summit was through thick bush, up a very very steep slope. But it was absolutely amazingly spectacular being there. For the mountain stands like a gatepost to the junction between the valley of the Longella River on one side, and on the other to the Eastern plains, looking out to the plains and the hazy peaks at the border with Kenya, (and back to the M National Park).
The summit itself formed quite a small perch, and though somewhat bush covered we were able to gain some views from there. We also came away with some combes of bush honey which our guides had found in a fallen trees. They removed the ants from it by lighting a fire with some bracken.
