9 May 2009The plateau had a ravaged and desolate feel. You see the blackened stumps crowning the hilltops, hugged by clouds of white fog, and it feels almost eerie and sad. And just when you are about to spout off something indignant about the deforestation of our planet and the scourge of mankind, someone informs you that all the burn victims were non-indigenous Mexican pines that were brought to the country long ago and proliferated so fast they literally changed the ecology. Apparently more invasive than good, they’ve all been burned and indigenous cedar has been planted in their stead.
Malawian cedar is treated like a national treasure, and after a surprisingly strenuous hike up Mount Mulanje, I was relieved that we could take respite in a log cabin made out of the aromatic stuff.
Together with a group of 9 expats and several porters and guides, we made the hike to the plateau, a trip that took nearly 4 hours and at least three different sweat-throughs of my Tshirt. Dense fog lingered the whole day and stole all the picturesque views.
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Gorillas in the Mist, December 2007
The hike immediately took me back to the Virungas where I made a similarly tough trek to visit the famous mountain gorillas that live in the mountains that straddle the borders between the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda. Though I had fully intended to write a blog post about the experience, somehow it – like so many others – got shuffled under the rug.
After hiking nearly 3 hours through a thick canopy of trees and bamboo shoots, sometimes waist-high vegetation, and ankle-deep mud, we tracked the Susa group, the largest of the habituated groups with 38 gorillas (as well as the only known surviving set of twins). We first came upon one silverback who sat with his arms crossed, seemingly bored by yet another group of wide-eyed tourists, who had fallen completely silent, equal parts awestruck and stricken by fear. He was massive. Then we came upon a clearing and suddenly, gorillas literally tumbled out of the bush from every direction. Humbling and magical, an experience I wish everyone could enjoy.
The hike immediately took me back to the Virungas where I made a similarly tough trek to visit the famous mountain gorillas that live in the mountains that straddle the borders between the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda. Though I had fully intended to write a blog post about the experience, somehow it – like so many others – got shuffled under the rug.
After hiking nearly 3 hours through a thick canopy of trees and bamboo shoots, sometimes waist-high vegetation, and ankle-deep mud, we tracked the Susa group, the largest of the habituated groups with 38 gorillas (as well as the only known surviving set of twins). We first came upon one silverback who sat with his arms crossed, seemingly bored by yet another group of wide-eyed tourists, who had fallen completely silent, equal parts awestruck and stricken by fear. He was massive. Then we came upon a clearing and suddenly, gorillas literally tumbled out of the bush from every direction. Humbling and magical, an experience I wish everyone could enjoy.
Near the start of the hike where there was an actual path
Young silverback (1 of 4 in the group)
Aww... a baby
The photos don’t quite convey how massive the adult males were…
Munching on veggies. (they’re herbivores)
Scampering little one… coming close enough to touch your shoes!
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The spartanly furnished cabin featured a rustic hearth. With a fire going to kill the afternoon chill at almost 3000 meters, the smell that wafts up from the cedar is simply intoxicating. That burst of something warm and fragrant – like towels out of a dryer – is so inviting. You feel a slight pressure in your chest, like you’ve smoked a gigantic cigar filled with cedar-flavoured tobacco.
Relieved to have made it to the plateau.
The cabin.
Happy hikers, chillin' at the cabin.
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