MOUNT NYARANGARA CLIMB

Location: Boundaries of Buhweju and Sheema Counties, Bushenyi District, Uganda, East Africa
Entry point: Nyakashaka Village, Bushenyi District
Exit point: Nyakyiragugu Village, Sheema Country
Elevation: 1,540 MASL (5,052 feet)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2 hours
Specs: Minor climb, 2/9 Difficulty, Executive Climb
Distinctive feature: The trail is gradual and there are only two dominant species grow on it, the Eucalyptus trees, low-growing bushes and Ehongwa flowers making it very easy to trek to the summit

Not ready for the first climb since I was not in climbing outfit

I was not really ready for a mountain climbing in Uganda in terms of mountaineering outfit and gears since I never anticipated that it was a good place to continue my climbing hobby in the Philippines. Besides, the bulk of my plane baggage were work-related stuff due to my 14-month work there as documented in my blogUganda Work Travel

The trails in every mountain I climb in Uganda are relatively easy as compared to our mountains which are tropical and rain forests. Uganda has an average elevation of 1,100 meters or 3,609 feet above sea level. It not surprising that it has a cold climate and to add that its weather pattern is being influenced by Victoria Falls. Bushenyi, my place of assignment is in a higher elevation of 1,300 meters or 4,265 feet. Which means that it only takes 240 meters or 787 feet to scale Mount Nyakarangara from its jump-off point.

Overlooking the villages from the summit

I had two climbs in Mount Nyakarangara. I was with Stephen and Enock the first time I climbed the mountain dated August 25, 2002 and with Grant Gilbertson (British VSO Volunteer), Patricia Tivadar (Romanian Medical Doctor) and Behram Daruwalla (Indian National) The first time I climbed was exciting since it was my first to climb in a foreign country. This mountain is actually located between the borders of Buhweju and Sheema counties of Bushenyi District. I was with the company of two Ugandans, namely: Stephen Kataraiha (WRAF Rural Trust’s client) and Enock Bagyenda (WRAF Rural Trust staff). It was indeed a fun climb because the terrain was relatively easy and gradual.

At the summit with my VSO Colleagues: Behram Daruwalla (Indian) and Grant Gilbertson (British)

The trail was generally grown with low bushes, ordinary grasses and a few Eucalyptus trees. The weather that time was pretty cool and soothing winds refreshed us from time to time. Its peak offered such a great scenery overlooking the nearby villages and counties. I was also able to see in full picture and dimension some mountains situated far and near this mountain. There was only one similarity I noticed in these mountains --- they did not have thick forests but rather grown by bushes, ordinary grasses and a number of Eucalyptus trees. Some parts halfway to the peak of this mountain was burned down in preparation for the rainy season where tea is usually grown and cultivated.

Joining me at the summit were Behram Daruwalla (Indian) and Grant Gilbertson (British) with wife, Dr. Patricia Tivadar (Romanian national)

I never experienced any degree of difficulty in the whole duration of the climb compared to my fun and day climbs in the Philippines that most mountains’ terrains are quite difficult to climb. The location of this mountain is about 15 kilometers away from my VSO Uganda placement in Nyakashaka. Our group also trekked down the Obururuma Rapids in Nyakyiraguju River located in Karyanga Village of Igara county and still a part of Bushenyi District.

One of my afternoon walks at Obururuma Hillcrest adjacent to Nyakarangara jump-off point

MOUNT KYANGYENYI CLIMB

Location: Kibingo District, Uganda, East Africa
Entry and Exit point: Parish of Kyangyenyi Subcounty, Kibingo District
Elevation: 1,555 MASL (5,102 feet)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2 hours
Specs: Minor climb, 2/9 Difficulty, Cardiac assault trails
Distinctive feature: The lower side is grown with Prunu African as part of their agricultural community project and some grazing area. The trails in the middle part is grown with Pinus Oocarpa and leading to the summit are grown with few Eucalyptus and low-growing bushes. The summit is rocky and grown with low-growing bushes.

I reached the Parish of Kyangyenyi Subcounty in a a number of monthly market day. It the time where farm produce and other trading items are being sold in one open area. When some elders knew that my hobby is mountain climbing, they pointed out to me that Mount Kyangyenyi is a good mountain to climb. The mountain is the backdrop of Kyangyenyi subcounty.



The local villagers who volunteered to be my guide for free

The October 19, 2002 Mt. Kyangyenyi Climb. This is the highest mountain of Bushenyi District located in Kyangyenyi sub-county, Sheema county in my VSO Uganda Placement. Our entry point or better known as the jump-off point was the Rweibaare Village just four kilometers of Kakindo Trading Center. It was Ugandan Nelson Twebaze who drove me from my Nyakashaka residence to the jump-off point of 45 minutes who served to be my guide. Such drive has given me an opportunity to see such an amazing scenery of rolling hills and valleys and the locals where we passed by has given me such a warm welcome being a “muzunggo” (foreigner) along our way in the Nyakitoko Parish, Ryamasa Village, Muzira Parish, Kakindo Trading Center and Rweibaare Village. In fact, some locals voluntarily accompanied us to the summit and back to the jump-off point. It was headed by a teenager named Lawrence Sajja together with some kids, namely: Turyahabwe Julius, Ahimbisibwe Innocent, Kansiime Richard, Twinamasiko Isaac, Ndebesa Didas and some other unidentified kids.

Based on the reading of the altimeter, the elevation at the jump-off point was 1,122 MASL (3,681 feet). Thus, measuring its summit at 1,555 MASL, I had an actual climb of 433 MASL or 1,421 feet above sea level.



Lawrence Sajja and the local kids after our climb

Honestly, I really suffered with this climb for it has such an almost endless cardiac assaults and there was no gradual trekking up to its summit. I never had any physical or body conditioning like jogging and exercises before the climb. But the trail was well-defined and like Mt. Nyakarangara, it was generally grown with bushes, ordinary grazing grasses and Eucalyptus trees. The summit was absolutely amazing and beautiful and the cold breeze was just soothingly therapeutic. I treated the local volunteer guides with lunch when we were at the summit. In the jump-off point, in Lawrence’s house, Nelson and I were invited for refreshments and ample rest and a crowd of locals came just to see me. Obviously, they were greatly amazed by my presence most especially when I spoke their Runyankole language.