Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Seven African peaks in seven weeks… for seven causes
FOR years, porters who are sometimes barefoot have helped anorak-clad tourist climbers up Africa’s highest peaks.
They wrap the tourists’ backpacks using vines that grow on the lower slopes of mountains like the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Nyiragongo volcano and the Mountains of the Moon that straddle the DRC and Uganda.
Part of the vine arrangement serves as a handle that a porter will strap to his forehead.
At night they sleep close to their fires, while their patrons are wrapped in down sleeping bags.
These are the folk who for years and years have worked Africa’s mountains and will be eligible for an expedition up the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, in 2020.
They will tackle its North Face.
Tanzania-based South African Carel Verhoef announced the Everest expedition earlier this month after a group of mountaineers that he organised summited seven high peaks in east and central Africa in seven weeks for seven causes.
“A big part of the 7 Summits Africa expedition was to get recognition for African mountaineers who have worked on Africa’s mountains for years,” he said after the group came down from their final peak, Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest.
Another has been to market east and central Africa’s highest mountains to promote conservation through tourism.
He said there would be repeat expeditions next year and in 2019.
This year’s expedition achieved a world first, scaling 3 470m Nyiragongo, an active volcano in the DRC, for local game rangers who protect mountain gorillas.
Karisimbi, at 4 507m, a dormant volcano in Rwanda where legendary gorilla researcher Dian Fossey is buried, was next and in aid of the black rhino, 18 of which have been introduced to the country’s Akagera National Park.
Mount Kenya, at 5 199m, their third peak, was for Africa’s elephants.
Then, the peak known as Speke, or Duwoni, at 4 890m on the Rwenzori massif, also known as the Mountains of the Moon and shared by Uganda and the DRC, followed, in aid of the mountain gorillas.
Then Stanley Peak, or Ngaliema, at 4 977m, also on Rwenzori, was for the mountain’s disappearing glaciers, affected by climate change.
Tanzania’s Mount Meru, at 4 566m, was the penultimate. This climb was about helping to stop wildlife trafficking.
Finally, at 5 895m, Kilimanjaro, where the team honoured the porters who carry the luggage of many tourists up Africa’s highest mountain.
“We have created awareness to the seven causes,” said Verhoef. East and central Africa’s highest mountains, while a good deal higher than our Drakensberg and Lesotho’s Malutis, don’t match those of the the Himalayas and the Andes.
“Kili” soars into the sky above Tanzania and is higher than any other peak on the continent but doesn’t even rank among the world’s top 100 peaks.
“The only way we can compete with Mount Everest and the really high mountain peaks is to combine them (east and central Africa’s peaks) into a single product that can rival the Everests and Aconcoguas of the world,” said Verhoef.
“We are not going to get professional mountaineers. The local peaks are just not enough. But together it’s a wonderful product, combined with the popular wildlife product of the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Masai Mara and others.”
Being the highest peak in Africa, Kilimanjaro qualifies for the “Seven Summits”, the highest peaks on seven continents that collectively make up a bucket list for many a mountaineer.
Sibusiso Vilane, the first black African to summit Everest and who led the inaugural 7 Summits Africa, has also done the “Seven Summits”.
He will lead the 2020 Everest expedition of fellow Africans.
One of the participants in the 2017 Seven Summits Africa was Pietermaritzburg’s Thommo Hart, who last year ran the historic route of John Ross, barefoot, between Durban and Maputo.
He was the expedition photographer in east and central Africa’s mountains.
He took a Canon 1 DC and 700 D with a wide range of Canon lenses.
“The 14mm prime Canon lens proved very valuable on the wide open faces of each mountain. Thus, a lot of my photos are wide-angle shots to express the beauty and mountain vastness of Africa’s seven highest peaks.”
He said his favourite photography was in the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro and the Rwenzoris.
“The crater of mount Kilimanjaro provided surreal images of contrast with the glaciers and ash pits.
“The scenery almost reminds one of a sci-fi movie or what Mars would look like at its polar regions.
“The Rwenzoris with its central circuit provided amazing shots of dramatic landscapes dotted with jungle, bogs, snow and ice.”
For more information, see www.7summitsafrica.com.