Mt. Rungwe: Trip II

 

Peak!

We had visited Mt. Rungwe in the rainy season but failed to summit. Now we're in the heart of the dry season we figured we'd give it another try. We felt well prepared to camp two nights which would allow us to spend the entire day hiking while also enjoying the environs of the campsite. 

The campsite has rustic though worn covered huts and basic tables and benches. There is a small stream very close to the camp that provides water for cooking and bathing. There is a basic pit toilet with a plastic covering to provide some sort of privacy. The only downside of the camp is that depending on the wind, you can sometimes hear music and noise from the nearby village but it's quite distant and irregular. 

Our hike was overall a success though the last quarter to half was steep and challenging. We felt the thinness of the air and moved extremely slow on our ascent. This begins at the bamboo zone and continues up through the grasslands and peak. As you can see from the elevation map below, it's straight up! 

The views at the top were nice and the air was chilly. There were loads of interesting montane grasses and flowers and we enjoyed a White-naped Raven and a pair of Hawk-Eagles that soared at eye level. The descent was much quicker though taxing on the knees. At the second campsite we saw a trail towards the east and we later found out this leads to a crater, perhaps next time we will find it!

Elevation change and distance on the descent.

Beautiful bamboo layer.

A view midway up.

The campsite.