couldn't resist one more trip to Mgahinga

Despite just having made the 5-6 hour trip to Mgahinga National Park 2 weeks ago to track gorillas, I couldn't resist going back one more time. The inn there, a bed and breakfast called Traveler's Rest is SO inviting that staying there was half the reason for the trip. (Diane Fossey used to stay there sometimes.) On arrival, nasturtium petals are arranged on the towels and pillow- which I now believe in the definition of luxury. There's a beautiful garden with full views of the volcanoes and the cooking is great (suffice it to say that multi-course dinners with strawberry crumble for desert are rare here).

And then there's the park. The Virunga Massive is a chain of 7 dormant volcanoes, with 3 in Uganda. The borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo meet here so at the top of Muhavura Volcano it's possible to plant an extremity in 3 different countries. The tops of the two other Ugandan volcanoes mark the border between Rwanda and Uganda. I had not planned to climb any of the volcanoes- I wasn't sure I could do it- but in the spirit of group cooperation with my travel partners we compromised on climbing the lowest, Mount Gahinga. Gahinga means 'pile of stones' and refers to its resemblance to the many piles of volcanic rocks in the surrounding fields. We were prepared for rain since the tops of the volcanoes are usually covered with clouds and rain falls throughout the year, but it was a gorgeous day. Gahinga is 11, 400 feet above sea level and we started the hike at 7500 feet. 58% of the small Mgahinga Park is covered by virgin bamboo forest so we walked though dense bamboo at the base. Bamboo stops growing at 10,000 feet and it was replaced by senecio trees, giant lobelia, and mountain heather. We walked 3 1/2 hours up and 2 hours down- some of the walk was steady uphill; other spots were stair-like; and then there were the ladders. The frequent ladders were made by cross branches nailed to uprights. I did many of them on all fours and on the way down did most backwards. At the top of the volcano was a 'crater swamp' which was otherworldly. Every 5 minutes or so a cloud would blow through and obscure the swamp, then it would pass and the swamp would reappear. The photos are of Mount Gahinga on the right and Mount Muhavura on the left (where the gorillas are) with Jackson in the foreground with his AK-47 in the event of aggressive animals, descending through the bamboo forest, and the crater swamp.