Mon Tete est dans la Nuages (my head is in the clouds)

This weekend I succeeded in making myself battered, sore, bitten and grazed. It was worth it!

The DRC boasts Africa’s most active volcano. It towers over Goma at 3,470m high and in 2002 flattened the city when it blew up. The Volcano is also the main tourist attraction in Goma, and last weekend I climbed it.

I cannot really say the experience was fun, or that it is necessarily one to repeat. But -Oh my! You have to do it once, just for the view from the top. If you have ever sat gazing mesmerised by a fire just think how much more captivating is the burning hot lava of the crater and the roar of the volcano beneath you.

I went with Loyse, my friend from work. I now have a range of French phrases associated with body parts being in clouds and hurting feet which will continue to expand my dinner party conversation.

The climb took us 5 hours. It was uphill all the way. Loyse, demonstrating her Swiss roots, noted that the Congolese do not go in for the European windy footpaths that allow a gradual climb. No instead they go for the shortest distance between A and B and ignore anything that gets in the way. I was glad that we took advantage of the relaxed child labour laws in the Congo and hired porters at the bottom. I don’t think I could have carried myself and a tent to the top.

The porters are fantastic they and the guide can climb this Volcano up to three times a week with fully loaded back packs while wearing Wellington boots or flip flops. (If you have any spare climbing boots at home send them to the DRC park commission.) The money you pay them generally goes back to supporting their families or for paying for schooling during the week. Two of them were practicing geography homework on the way back down.

The scenery was breathtaking. You start with an hours hike through forest before moving onto the lava flow of 2002. At the bottom this is lots of loose rocks, each ready to twist your ankle. As you climb, the rock becomes denser, and the loose stones become more infrequent. It is a bit like climbing over a large dragon. The stones are red and black with ripples and cracks from where the rock cooled. Halfway up you reach the start of the 2002 lava flow. As you go above it the vegetation gets older and you return to forest. The trees are all really short as you are so close to the cloud line. The last bit is the steepest, all up hill and vegetation dies away. And then you are at the top looking back over Goma and down into the crater.

We climbed up on Saturday, camped at the top, and then made the decent on Sunday. If you want to experience an uncomfortable night try sleeping at the top of a volcano. You are above the clouds, and even in Africa, that means it is chilly. I took with me every warm piece of clothing I had and borrowed jumpers from others. You would think that four jumpers, two pairs of trousers, three pairs of socks, a sleeping mat, ground mat and tent would be enough to keep you warm. You would be wrong. I am not sure what kept me awake more, the cold, the rocks or the wind. I do know that morning was a welcome relief.

On Sunday we started back down. In parts my legs decided that they had done enough work for one weekend and so let my bottom have a go instead. I gained some great scrapes due to those pesky loose rocks. Going down is definitely easier than going up. I learnt that gravity is my friend.

In all it took us 5 hours up and four hours back down. I think this was due to the perfect conditions more than our physical fitness. The guide decided we were lucky. We had beautiful weather on both days - no rain, not to hot. The crater was clear and we even saw a blue monkey on the descent.

It has been three days since I got back. This morning was the first time I woke up without my legs hurting. We have been providing great amusement amongst our friends for our John Wayne walks. Those who have been up and lived to tell the tale are sympathetic, others just laugh.

I have three weeks left in the DRC. I filled my flight request in today for the 18th August. I am currently playing at FC while Helen is away. This is proving to be great fun. I generally get to order large amounts of cash and then refuse to pay anyone who cannot provide me with things signed in triplicate. Tomorrow I get to talk to the drugs supplier about certificates and start the Goma fixed asset verification – it is almost like being at work! If anyone wants to take up the reigns once Helen leaves then contact GOAL they are currently recruiting - must have some financial background and want to climb a volcano.