Climbing Bisoke Volcano
After a weekend in the Serena hotel in Gisenyi, enjoying the morning sun above lake Kivu; my holiday journey through Rwanda was starting. I had invited my mom to come along on this trip. The first day I had planned to climb the Bisoke volcano while mom would be boarding her plane to Kigali.
At 5 AM I head out for National Volcanoes Parc. The view of the 5 volcanoes is magnificent. I have never experienced such beauty in Africa. We arrive at the volcanoes national Parc and Western tourists are swarming the place. All of them were planning to do the Gorilla Trekking, I was the only one planned to climb the Bisoke Volcano today.
I receive a park guide, who was rather obese and we were going to climb Bisoke together. I was told that climbing Bisoke would take about 7 hours. The park guide looks at me and told me that the trek would depend on my speed. He was basically insinuating that I would take forever. I thought to myself; ‘please go ahead underestimate me’… We’ll see who will lag behind. The game was on for me. My competitive spirit always troubles me. I receive 5 military men, 1 porter and the park guide. The military comes along as in the volcano rainforest, there are wild animals. Buffalo’s, gorillas, etc.., according to the park guide also elephants. I didn’t believe this. The trails are tiny, close to impossible I can not imagine for an elephant to climb so steep towards the volcano top. I later checked with and indeed there are elephants up there…
So we began the hike, my porter was named Augustin and had chosen to accompany me. Porters stand in line near the volcanoes and then they choose which tourist they’d like to accompany. Augustin fluent in French and an amazing smile was my porter man. He must have been in his fifties but the man was strong as steel. I followed the pace of the military men which was incredibly fast but I wasn’t going to give up. We had lost our park guide due to our high speed hiking. We waited for him at the first peak. He tells me that he has allergies caused by the rain season. Bullsh*t I thought; you can’t keep the pace. The joke is on you now. He told me that because of his allergies, he will climb alone and I was now part of the military team together with my porter.
Ohhhh goshhhh, what did I get myself into? The pace went faster and faster because the military said a storm was coming. It started to rain and the trail became muddy and almost impossible. The porter began to help me, drag me up and I started seeing stars. I had eaten a lot in the morning and all of a sudden I was hungry. My stomach was growling. The blackouts became more frequent but my body supported by the porter continued the pace. I grabbed my packed lunch by Inzu Lodge and ate 2 bananas. This wasn’t enough, I needed a quick boost of energy. The porter told me while holding my hand firmly that we were 30 minutes away from the volcano top. My lips were blue, I was freezing. I couldn’t believe Africa would be this cold! The last 30 minutes climbing the mountain felt like hours, I wasn’t going to make it. I was too courageous and now I was going to embarrass the military by fainting. Luckily, I had an orange. I bit with my teeth the orange in two and started sucking on it, till nothing was left. Slowly I felt better. 10 minutes the porter said, only 10. At this point I wasn’t sure whether this was a tactic or it was the truth.
Augustin, the old porter throws his arms around me lifts up my upper body. I close my eyes and let him lift me; we have finally arrived on the volcano top. I, we made it!!!
I look into the crater lake of the volcano but I can’t see anything. The mist is impossible, the same setting as Gorilla in the mist by Diane Fossey. This was beautiful! While climbing up the mountain, I saw the beauty of the rainforest, the faeces of wild animals without seeing the animals. While walking up the volcano, many feelings went through my body. Love, hate, pain, persistence, gratefulness … You name it; but one thing went through my head again. This place was blessed; it’s unbelievable.
I quickly search in my bag for another sweater in order to put it on, I had to remove some other layers. There I was -5 degrees in a t-shirt. I was shaking, my fingers frozen trying to put on these clothes. I unwrapped my chicken sandwich and ate quickly like an animal. I needed energy fast to make it back down again. I show my hands to the porter, he said my god and he gave me his 2 pair of gloves. We needed to get out of there. My body temperate was dropping too fast.
Who do we see? The park guide! He had made it up the volcano. He tells me now it is too cold we have to go. The running down the volcano starts. I slip, slide, fall at least fifty times. My legs were like spaghetti and the heavy rain flooded the trails. I was surprised to notice that my Timberland boots were impeccably waterproof. Nice buy Francine, nice buy :)
Augustin supported me. Many times I thought I was sleep walking or dreaming because I have no idea how I descended through the second peak. The speed was just too fast. I didn’t want to rest or drink anymore. All I could think of was reaching down and seeing my mom. She was now flying. The faster I would be down, the faster I could leave for Kigali. Half way we stop and the park guide tells me no stopping because the sun is shining so the thunder will come. What? I know rain season, again he was just making up things. He wanted to go home. I check my packed lunch again and there are fresh carrots in it. Little did I know that these were going to be life saviours.
I felt better, I began chewing on the carrots while running down. The second part was dryer. The heavy rains were on the highest peak. I could do this. I want to arrive before 2 PM. The carrots distracted me from my exhaustion and I just rolled down. The second descent was long, I didn’t remember it being so long when walking up but the carrots had me on a roll. At exactly 2pm I had made it back. This fast? This is not possible. Yes it is! The park guide tells me I am a great hiker. Aha, you shall never underestimate anyone but my competitiveness had killed me. I still had a 4,5 hour drive to Kigali after this. I was hungry and stopped to eat at Diane Fossey favourite place Muhabara Hotel.
My body was shaking and I suffered a severe headache. Silly me I can’t lose. Later the park guide was reported for not staying with me and letting the military take the responsibility. The military is for safety but not for guiding me on the volcano.
Off to Kigali to see my mom.
