MOROGORO REGION
ULUGURU MOUNTAINS
From Morogoro Town
Bondwa Peak 2008 12.7.17
Uluguru name means ravens
Persons, Sam, Peter and McKappa from Forest Hill, Morogoro
This peak is easily ascended from the rock gardens to the east of Morogoro town. The lower part is well cultivated with maize, beans, bananas and other crops, and also carrots and onions grown here. We also saw some strawberries.
The upper section, passed the village called Morningside, reflecting the German settlement here, is bounded by a line of tall Eucalyptus trees. Above this line the area is managed by the Tanzania Forest Service and cultivation is not allowed here. The path through the forest is easy going and very pleasant, arriving at the summit where there is a communication mast, with two watchmen living here. Visitors can sign a book kept in their quarters.
It is a popular peak for climbing with tourists.
There are views to the west on the ascent over to the nearby hills and over Morogoro and Minto mountain beyond. Further views are likely to be obscured by mist which can rise later in the day.
Lupanga Peak 2139 13.7.17
Uluguru name, means machete
This is a spectacular mountain to climb. It sits adjacent to Bongwa peak to the north with a similar aspect. And the summit area is also
Uluguru name, meaning machete orn account of its shape. Also called Inchakari in Swahili.
Accompanying persons Mckappa and Ormali Ordealo from Morogoro villages.
So here we are again. We set off again from the Yahazi gardens near where we were staying. The peak has something of the same aspect as Bondwa, in that you are looking out to the west as you climb, back over Morogoro town. But we are soon past the villages and the boundary of Eucalyptus trees which marks the boundary of the KFS area, to pass the signpost and enter the forest.
At this point the scenery becomes rather unexpectedly spectacular, for as we climb, and we are ascending here very steeply all the time, so gaining height quickly – sometimes gaining views down to the steep bush-clad valley there below us, surely a place for animals. Indeed we see a Colobus monkey, at least McKappa does, on the way into the forest, suggesting perhaps here is quite a large area of natural forest in which the less common animals can have a home.
It is a steep climb, as I said. And we are greeted with a signboard at a rock viewpoint where we still have 508 metres to climb up. We gather from our friends that ‘most people’ do not progress too much further from here, but feel that have exerted themselves enough by this point.
And indeed the path is perhaps a little less distinct, but well enough defined, and it makes a very satisfying climb, up the face through the forest til we gain the ridge which we have seen ahead from the viewpoint, from where it is an easier walk through the lichen-clad trees on a ridge path to the summit itself. Here we find a simple viewing structure to allow a view above the trees, though as the mist had risen and closed in over the top as we walked we did not gain a view from the top of it. But instead ate our lunch in the shelter that had been built there.
Anyway it is very satisfying peak to climb, and a beautiful walk up here.
Accompanying persons Mckappa from Morogoro villages.
Choma peak
Uluguru name
Accompanying persons Mckappa
With McKappa, a farmer from Forest Hill, Morogoro
This peak we climbed about nine months later when we chanced to have a few days to spare near Morogoro. We stayed again at the Jahazi Garden, meeting our friend there who suggested this mountain. For already we had climbed the highest and most prominent of the peaks in this area. This peak lies a little beyond Bondwa, under its shadow as it were. To get to it we climbed up again on steep tracks and paths through the villages and settlements on this hillside, being reminded how much cultivation there is on this side of the Uluguru mountains, stretching up quite some way, by steep fields, where carrots and strawberries notably are grown on the quite sandy soil among many other crops. This small rock capped peak stands as rather an outlier of the range, and offers good view of the southern side of bonda, though itself it is still below the line of eucalptus trees which marks the boundary of the forest reserve area.
With McKappa, and his brother Abu, also joined by a local man John, who lived something as a hermit at the base of the mountain.
This hill stands to the west of Morogoro town, as a boundary, as a twin, to the north of Mindo peak. There is however still some native forest on the top of this one, and when we came around to the northeastern side we saw that it is quite rocky with some spectacular cliffs on the eastern side.
From Morogoro town we took a matatu out to the village near the foot, from here finding a good track leading to the base of the mountain. We made our way then around the foot, chancing upon, at the end of a path a small habitation where we found the ‘chief’ of the area, whose name was John. He agreed to show us the path up the mountain, leading us up from his homestead on a bare path through the long grass until we reached the ridge. From here small paths led through the tall grass here til we gained the trees nearer the summit. After a little bashing through the forest we reached the summit, which consists of a clearing where our guide had some time before planted some banana trees and peppers, though as he explained he had not visited that place for some time. So anyway we gained a little knowledge too from our escort, who clearly knew the mountain very well as he had lived there many years on different parts of it, eking out an existence there, for as he explained to us he did not like to stay in the village where there was hassle and too many regulations for his taste.
I l Dodomoa
Wahehe name
This peak we ascended ourselves from Mbuyuni village, located on the main road. which actually lies at the other side of the Ruaha river marking the boundary between the Iringa and Morogoro regions here.
On the way up we had spoke to a young man at a boma, made of wood and reeds, of rectangular shape. There had been goats there in a pen and several dogs lying there. Peter had asked..
I really wanted to write some poetry yesterday, on the descent from the mountain, which I had climbed with Peter alone. Sitting there eating our lunch in the shade of a tree, amidst the long grass – long being more than two metres high so that wading though it we could see nothing – no view from the summit. We had already climbed up by a small path through a small forest of trees which still graces the top.
It was really beautiful coming down through the forest through the trees, which the pastel coloured leaves littering the ground. There were many baobabs there too at the foot of the hill, of which Petro picked up a good number ‘for me’.
We saw some monkeys in the forest and there was evidence of larger animals in the grassland by the summit. From here we gained views to the Uluguru National Park to the south
Loleta Peak 2654 m 4.8.17
Swahili name. The lower part is called Msalabani on account of the cross
This modest peak which arises behind Mbeya town is certainly worth the
climb. There is an easy path up through the forest, which here has a
large component of eucalptus and higher up some planted pines along
with the native species. The route we took followed a track through
the forest, as recommended as a way to us by some young boys there who
were collecting small sticks (for whilst this area is managed as a
reserve by the Tanzania Forest Service, and there is a sign asking
people not to damage tree or collect, there is, as we observed still
some small scale useage of the forest area). The route we tkk emerged
at a village where the people directed us on a small path beyond the
shambas which led to a small peak on which has been set a white
painted metal cross. From here small paths led us up steeply to the
ridge, where it was very pleasant indeed walking there through the dry
buff grass experiencing the fresh air and open aspect of that place.
At the top itself we counted seven communication masts, which we
proceeded beyond to a spot near some planted pine trees to sit and
admire the, (alas) somewhat hazed view out to the north over the
rolling hill country, and west to the spectacular pyramid of Mbeya
peak.
For the descent we passed by the cross and found a good path leading
down through the forest, where small concrete shrines had been built
along the way, as this was a route well used by pilgrims.
Time two hours to the summit from Mbeya town
2 Mbeya Peak 2814 5.8.17
This is a spectacular and picturesque mountain as seen from below and
nearby, actually a series of peaks which make up a rather distinct
small mountain range, though it is more usual to climb only the
eastern and highest peak, up which there is a good path (also leading
to some villages on the hills nearby.
Whilst we were on the top, it being Saturday we encountered two other
parties, some evangelists, some of whom were praying there, and a
group of young people we assumed must be students. One of the
evangelists explained to us that from there on a clear day we should
be able to see Lake Rukwe – but that day the haze obscured it from us.
There is forest too on this walk, through the higher part is grassland
with some traces of (perhaps an original) alpine vegetation. For the
path passes through some low bush on the ascent, crossing a couple of
pleasant (and useful) running streams. So the whole walk makes a very
picturesque visial experience and there is sense of pilgrimage about
the ascent.
NJOMBE REGION II
Rungwe 2981m 7.8.17
Persons : Sam, Peter and Oscar Tossie, a ranger from the Tanzania
Forest Service living in Ilole.
Rugwe is a big mountain volcano dominating a large area, much of which
is cultivated on its lower slopes, and clearly it is very fertile here
for many many crops are grown here including many bananas, with beans
and potatoes, on the cool slopes, with also tea plantations and some
extensive orchards of avocados. Whilst the mountain itself is clothed
entirely in native forest, apart from the very summit area which is
open grassland. So there are not too many views along the way, apart
from occasionally through the trees – but is makes for a very pleasant
walk. A good number of the trees have also been labelled here by the
TFS who keep good management over the area. There is an excellent path
up, and a gate at the base manned by Forest Rangers, one of whom, a
very fit man who strode up the stteep slopes with extreme ease.
It was actually quite cold on the top with a fair wind blowing, though
we had no views to the south (where we might at times have seen as far
as Lake Nyasa) for the white cloud was billowing up the slope, But we
saw well over to the east and the somewhat broken remnants of what
appeared to have been a large crater here of the original volcano,
somewhat broken up with other peaks beyond.
It was truly impressive to see the forest here, and it seemed a real
privilege to have the opportunity to be walking there, a place very
much the home to the wildlife and animals – and we were seeing and
hearing many monkeys there as we walked. So a very pleasant peak to
climb, which took us some three hours from the forest service gate.
With a 2 and a half hour walk afterwards back to Ilole village where
we were staying.
Matema Peak – Livingstone Mountains 10.8.17
This is one of the peaks in the most interesting and intriguing line
of mountains that runs along the eastern edge of Lake Nyasa on the
northern part. We saw many wonderful peaks here, and much attractive
and beautiful native forest from the boat later when we travelled down
the lake to Lupindu, and I really was inspired to think that this
region could warrant to great deal more explorations.
Anyway we began at Matema, from the beach there the day previously
spotting a distinct higher triangul peak poking up behind the coastal
slopes. And we found a man called Boniface, who was on the beach
there, where he rented out canoes, to accompany us there the next day.
So the next morning we found a path up the slopes from behind the
houses near the foot, climbing up steeply through the casava plots,
but soon entering the forest. I was very impressed here, to find,
after not much climbing some very beautiful native forest, which was
more or less undamaged by human interference -f wood collection and
charcoal making – and there were quite a few monkeys ere called to
each other as w passed. In one sense up there, for it was not a long
walk, it felt like we were near civilisation, and we could see the
beach and the line of surf by Matema stretching out below. On the
other hand it felt quite isolated and remote there, with some patches
of mist coming an going from the summit, with a sense of wilderness
bout the area beyond. There was a beautiful sense of quiet too in the
forest here.
Manyika Mountain (Lupindu) 13.8.17
It took us a while to find the definitive name for this peak, but
eventually we established that it was Manyika. For there are a number
of smaller peaks adjacent to this summit making indeed for some
spectacular and pictureqeu country here in this part of the
Livingstone mountains. I was now aware, on our route south, we were
perhaps past the most spectacular and remote of the Livingstone peaks,
at least in terns of vegetation cover. For the mountains in this are
are well settled, and our mountain indeed had been burnt in the past,
so that much of it was now grass and scrub – but this anyway did not
detract from the beauty of the mountain here, and made indeed for a
pleasant experience foor walking along the ridges and the open
hillside where we had always a constant good view of our surroundings.
It turned out a long day for us, some 12 hours in all. For we were
staying at Sanga (Lupindu) , down beside the lake, and it was an hour
and a half walk first to Ngumbili (over Lupindu Hill which we had
climbed in our explorations the day previously). As arranged we met
here our local guide, Winifred from Ngumbili village, who it turned
out knew the area very well, as he kept some goats here on the
hillside, which to the surprise of Peter where not shepherded by left
entirely to themselves. And Winifred impressed us at one point when we
passed them by calling some of them to him, from across the hillside.
The main summit of this mountain arises spectacularly like a hammer
head above the surrounding area, and this was part of the attraction
of climbing it for us. To get to it, it is necessary to walk around to
the far side where the slopes are sufficiently inclined to scale. It
is a spectacular walk around the back of three pyramidal lower peaks
called Ngollo which we passed behind, at one point we had a steep
ascent over some rocks, but otherwise we were on on good mountain
paths until the final stretch to the summit, where we made our way to
the top over grass and alpine vegetation which a good number of
flowers.
The summit affords an excellent viewpoint over to the plateau-like
hills nearby and a taller peak to the north (which intrigued us to
climb) called Kilambo back along the Livingston Range. We could also
look inland to Lusake village set in the flat valley behind the range,
which is the district capital of the area, as our friend was pointing
out several times to us.
We returne by a somewhat different route, following this time an
adjacent ridge to that which we had come up, finding here more uncut
forest, which made for very pleasant walking for a strech.
Mbongo Peak 17.8.17
We had now travelled by boat to Mbamba, further south on the lake, and
alas had come now almost to the end of the fascinating Livingstone
mountains, whilst the mountains here were lower and really more
classifiable as hills. Though from Mbamba across the bay and the
Ruhuhu River still appears one distinct peak higher than the
neighbouring lhills, and though it does not appear to high, by the
time we had climbed it, and made our way through some fairly dense
vegetation, with some steep and very loose gravelly surface which
needed great care to keep a footing we had decided his could
definately be categorised as a mountain.
From Mamba village we walked along the beack to Mbongo village at the
foot of the mountain, behind which we found some small paths which led
up through the forest, though not as far as the summit itself, so we
had to find our own way up through the trees.
It was very pleasant sitting on the top, where there are a few rock
patches, looking out over quite a large amount of forest below –
basking in yellows and greens, , there was certainly a sense of
elevation over the surrounding area. We could also see over to Malawi
now on the far side of the Lake, with the nearer promontory of
Chilumba appearing through the haze, and some peaks of a higher range
of mountains just discernable through the haze to the south.
For our descent we decided to make a more direct route down to Mbongo,
and we gained our share of exercise in this, as we did not find any
paths this way, so we were mostly having to make our way over the
steep gravel. We descended the final part by way of the stream bed,
which proved a pleasant and efficient route over the rocks. At one
point here we encountered a very large python, which we watched as it
slid very slowly aware, climbing up the slope.
The mountain was covered in light forest which still retained its leaves here.
RUVUMA REGION
Lituhi Hill 18.8.17
This is a small hill on the lakeside near Lituihi village. It is
easily climbed by small paths from behind the village leading to the
school. It made a pleasant walk here for us, the hill is well utilised
by the local people notably for making charcoal, of which we saw some
in progress and met several locals working up there.
There is no very distinct top, but we found what we concluded was the
highest point, and proceeded a little beyond to a viewpoint where we
had a good view of the line of hills which the people here called the
Songea Mountain, deciding thence that we must find a way to climb at
least one of them.
Nansoya 19.8.17
This is only a relatively small mountain, set in a landscape now of
quite a number of hills, but not so much distinct mountain. But we
classified this as a mountain, because first it was the highest peak,
as we were told in the Ruvuma REgion, and also when we arrived there,
quite early in the morning we were greeted with a cold wind blowing
and were surrounded by cloud so as we set there, trying to keep warm
in the long grass we gained only a view that this felt like a real
mountain.
There is a communication mast on the top. and whilst we were there,
just about to depart we encountered another man here, Daniel, who was
the askari for the mast. He had, it turned out, followed us up to the
summit, having noted us passing on the piiki-piki which we had taken
from Litungu where we had been dropped from the bus earlier.
So he accompanied us down the mountain, leading us partly by a short
cut through a pleasant patch of fgrassy native forest, rather thanall
the way on the track we had take up, past some rough cultivation and
coffee plantation.
Mbamba Bay hill 21.8.17
This is a prominent hill which lies to the south of Mbamba Bay,
gracing the coastline. It jis covered still in native forest with many
giant boulders between covering the whole slopes and just invited to
be climbed. We found a good path leading up from behind the village,
through the very pleasant woodland to the summit area where there are
a number of large boulders which it is possible to climb up onto to
gain a view beyond the trees. We were interested particularly to look
south to see what lay beyond, and catch some glimpses of neighbouring
Mozambique, which we were able to do. We also found a quite
spectacular perch on a rock overlooking the rocky coast below and an
island beyond, with a spectacular 180 degree view over the sea here,
watching the canoes and boats of the fishermen passing below.
The highest rock in act has a small cairn of flat rocks placed upon
it. But that we determined must have been scaled by someone a great
deal more daring and agile than us, for it is steep bounder to climb.
After, still feeling a little that we had not walked far enough, we
descended to a lower peak which we could see overlooking the next bay.
We thought maybe to proceed back along the coast from here, but this
proved not a feasible option, as the vegetation on the lower slope was
mostly of very tall grasses, and very slow and difficult to negotiate.
So it proved much better to climb back up to the forest, where it was
not hard to make our way through the trees, and return to the
descending path.
Tumbie Hill 23.8.17
This is really definitely a hill rather than a mountain, and takes
maybe only 20 minutes to scale from this foot to the summit. It lies
on the northern end of Mbamba bay, opposite the more prominent Mbamba
Bay hill, the summit is graced with several large boulders, and it is
also covered in trees, so all the same it is rather a beautiful hill
to contemplate from the Bio Camp on the beach below it.
We ascended in fact from behind Ndelene village, finding small paths
leading part way up, then we proceeded up through the trees and then
made our way through the long grass and boulders to a perch on one of
the summit boulders. There were two disadvantages here, first a great
number of midges or sandflies which lurked in the vegetation here – in
fact we could see from the summit clouds of them over the sea, which
appeared like smoke. We had been quite confused as to what we had been
seeing at first, until we were told by a man on the beach later what
it was. The other discomfort here was some hairy stemmed plant
whichwas quite painful when the hairs got stuck in the skin. But
otherwise it was a very beautiful place, and we decided to descend to
a small rocky cove beyond where we sat on the rocks for quite a while
and swam in the clear water, before we returned partly by the rocky
coast, then over the crest back this time to descend to the biocamp,
and proceed along the beack back to Mbamba Bay.
uponthatfish 