“Do you fancy climbing one of the world’s biggest volcanoes?” asked my friend, Nicola.
There is really only one answer to that – so four weeks later I found myself on a flight to Uganda.
Mount Elgon is so big, it actually extends across two countries: Uganda and Kenya. It stands 4,321 metres high, with a diameter of 80km and has unique landscapes and flora that cross four different ecosystems: montane, bamboo, heather and moorland.
We were walking to celebrate the work of Salve, a charity that helps get Ugandan street children back into families and schools. One of these former street children, Stephen, was walking with us. He had gone from scouring rubbish tips for scrap metal so he could eat, to climbing the country's biggest volcano.
Our little group set off from the rangers’ office with our two guides, Alex and Karim. Both were armed, as they are also there to guard against poachers. Before you can qualify as a ranger in Uganda, Alex explained, you must receive paramilitary training. I tucked myself in behind him and started walking.
The path was narrow and wound through the deep green murk of virgin rainforest. Above us we could see the tips of tall trees waving as monkeys jumped from branch to branch. All around was the sound of birdsong and I caught the odd glimpse of crimson wings or blue breasts.
After a heinously steep kilometre and a half climb, I was dripping with sweat and regretting all the training hikes I hadn’t done before I came. The route wasn’t technical, but it was definitely a challenge.
Shafts of light pierced through the canopy and the air was cool. We stopped as Karim explained the uses of various plants and trees. The bark of one is used as an antimalarial, another is for yellow fever and a third is being explored for its potential cancer-healing properties.
We eventually reached our camp, nestled against a hill with soft grass underfoot and a fire to sit and swap stories around. On our second night, we stayed by a fast flowing river. The water was freezing cold and our attempts to bathe were accompanied by a chorus of shrieks, but it was exactly what we needed after the day's hard climbs.
Our longest and toughest climb came on day three when we walked 18km and ascended to a height of 1,200 metres. This ascent took us out of the rainforest and onto high plateaus covered in wild flowers and heather as tall as our heads. From here, we could catch glimpses of the summit, but it still looked a long way off.
Deep in the zone where the giant groundsels grow, reaching their sculptured arms up to the sky, we were surrounded by white and yellow evergreen flowers, vibrant blue orchids and giant purple lobelia. We didn’t see any other humans – there were no queues or mounds of litter to contend with, as there are on some of the more famous peaks.
Summit day is always my favourite, as you have a goal in sight and only one thing to do.
We started ours early, filling up on a breakfast of “rolexes”, not the wristwatches but a brilliant Ugandan invention of a thin omelette wrapped in a flaky chapatti – the perfect fuel for hiking. We passed Sarah’s Lake – the surface as smooth as glass – where local women still come to perform fertility rituals, and continued on for our peak.
Our morning break was taken on a ridge looking out onto the flat earth of the volcano’s caldera, dotted with small waterholes used by elephants. It holds the title of the world's largest caldera – stretching for 8km and totalling a massive 40 square kilometers.
We topped off over a rise and there was Wagagai Peak ahead of us. We had done it – all 4,321 metres. We all cheered – both for our magnificent summit and because Nicola had brought cake.
After the climb, and wanting to make the most of my trip to Uganda, I headed out on a week’s safari to visit some of the country’s main game parks.
South Africa and Kenya are becoming crowded as the popularity of safaris increases, but Uganda is still an undiscovered gem. You can sit and watch a lion without being surrounded by several other vehicles.
On safari, you find your senses are all on high alert. Every tree may hide a leopard, every bush could conceal a cheeky baboon. Elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, hippos, rhinos, hyenas and even a distant lion – my guide Ibra and I saw them all as we roamed the national parks.
My favourite moment, though, was at dusk.
We pulled up to a waterhole and turned off the engine. The crickets sang loudly. A family of giraffes drifted gracefully towards us. A herd of zebras moved in to drink and swished their tails to ward off the flies. Two large water buffalo sat in the long grass while the white birds on their back pecked at juicy ticks. Delicate antelope danced around the car. We were totally alone with the animals and at one with the calm nightly routine of the African savanna.
