Adrift
on the White Nile
By Cam McLeay,
Downstream, the river
raced swiftly out of sight and another huge
rapid thundered a warning to our vulnerable
rafts. Wisps of spray sparkled with the colors
of the rainbow where the river disappeared and a
menacing crocodile charged our rafts from the
far bank. Sanctuary was a small eddy on the
south bank of the river where hippos jumped on
top of each other wary of the strange intruders.
I shivered at the idea of running a rapid we had
never seen, didn't fancy the idea of facing a
crocodile longer than our raft and so opted to
upset the hippos. A large bull rose out of the
water, opened his huge mouth in warning and then
crashed into the pool and disappeared. Seconds
later, I pulled hard on the oars and spun the
heavily laden raft into the eddy hoping he would
not surface beneath me. We hit the bank, tied
off the raft and watched the croc hold his
ground behind a little rock island mid-stream.
No-one had ever rafted these rapids
before.
More than four thousand
miles in length, the mighty Nile is the longest
river on earth. The great waterway has played a
monumental role in history. It traverses an
incredible variety of landscapes, a colorful
medley of cultures and since the beginning of
time has enthralled civilizations with its power
and mystery. Ancient Egyptian kings sent armies
in search of the source of the great river and
explorers from Herodotus to Speke have sought to
chart its course. Until very recently no one
dared challenge the White Nile at its source
&endash; some of the most powerful and sustained
rapids on earth.
Adrift made an historic
first descent of the Victoria Nile (the first
section of the White Nile) in July 1996. BBC
news featured this incredible 10-day descent at
prime time viewing. Both the Royal Geographic
Society and the National Geographic Society have
recognized this as one of the most challenging
river descents ever. The 80 km section of river
between Karuma Falls and Murchison Falls in the
Murchison Falls National Park is the steepest
section of the entire Nile and provided the
biggest challenges. The Adrift team were charged
eight times by large crocodiles, drifted through
pools holding hundreds of hippos and were
watched over on one portage by a pride of lions.
In over 20 years of rafting worldwide, for the
Adrift guides, this river is the ultimate
challenge.
However, today Adrift have
diversified into much 'softer' options to cater
for the wide range of tourists the country now
attracts. The company cater for rafters from
ages 2-72 years and there is certainly no
pre-requisite regarding swimming. On average,
several dozen non-swimmers raft the river every
month and the wonderful thing about the Nile in
Uganda is that it can meet the a variety of
needs, desires and expectations. For those who
want to challenge some of the biggest rapids on
the planet then towering waves rise to meet the
highest expectations. For 72-year old
grandfathers who want to share the experience
with their grandchildren then the Nile in Uganda
offers a wonderful experience. There are no
hippos and very few crocodiles in this section
of river so swimming in the calm pools between
the rapids is safe. Young children delight in
leaping from the rafts to ride on safety kayaks
who accompany every trip down the river, they
marvel at the fish lying in the bottom of the
dugout canoes the fishermen use and watch
eagerly as troops of red-tailed monkeys fly
through the trees alongside the river. For the
older children, the surf waves at Nile Special
and Malalu provide huge excitement. Using boogie
boards and fins the expert guides from Adrift
instruct the children in the use of the foam
boards to ride the waves. Incredibly these
boards race down the face of waves and give the
ride a thrill that brings a smile to both the
kids and anyone who can see how much fun they
are having. The waves behave much the same as an
ocean wave and break every day of the year in
much the same way. This is part of the reason
the Nile is unique among rivers throughout the
world. Lake Victoria and the dam at Owen Falls
mean that the river level of the Nile remains
relatively constant year-round so regardless of
the time of the year, the Nile offers the ride
of one's life.
Perhaps most importantly,
the Adrift presence in Uganda has created
employment in an area where there was relatively
little before. Over forty families from villages
in the area are supported directly from a wage
from the company. The volume of tourist traffic
in the area has grown substantially and looks
set to expand with the attraction of Uganda as a
tourist destination. The Adrift presence in the
area is attracting other investors and the goal
of the company now is to increase the visitor
nights to the area or increase the amount of
time visitors spend in Kayunga District. In no
small part this is only possible with the
support and cooperation of the local community.
Adrift recognizes that the future of tourism in
Uganda and in Kayunga in particular is dependent
on the continued partnership between the company
and the communities with which it comes into
contact. Neither Adrift or Uganda as a whole
have to market Uganda as probably the most
exciting destination in Africa. Those who come
here marvel at the friendliness of the people,
the beaming smiles and the warmth of the
reception. Despite the reputation of the country
and the tyranny of the past, today a visitor can
expect one the warmest receptions they could
find anywhere in the world. Couple this with a
diverse range of exciting activities and a
wonderful climate and you have a country that
should be at the top of your 'to visit' list.
Trekking the
Mountains of the Moon
by Cam McLeay
I pulled my sleeping bag
over my head and tightened the drawstring around
my face. I have been living in Uganda for over 3
years and couldn't remember the last time I had
actually climbed into my sleeping bag, let alone
pulled the hood over my head - we live on the
equator and we are not used to feeling that
cold. The next thing I knew it was morning and
light crept through the window of the Guy Yeoman
hut. I ventured outside and mist swirled around
in the valley below. A brisk wind dispelled any
ideas I had of an early morning swim. Smoke
poured from beneath the roof of the porters huts
- a good sign that the fire was warm and the day
had begun. Putting on the porridge seemed as
good a start as any but not before that first
cup of tea. On my way to the creek to fill the
teapot a mostly grey streaked between the giant
heather and I was able to make out clearly at
the end of the streak a Ruwenzori Turaco. Even
while half awake, I knew that this would cause
your most enthusiastic twitcher to wet his pants
with excitement. I stood still to watch this
remarkable bird preen himself only meter's away
and reveled in the again in the magic of the
Rwenzori and mystery that still surrounds the
Mountains of the Moon.
I had climbed Mt. Stanley
17 years earlier from the Congo side but this
was my first time to climb the mountains from
Uganda. The Mountains of the Moon have lost none
of their charm. The mighty forest giants are as
majestic as when the first explorers ever saw
them, elephant trails still cross the foot
highways in the lower forests, chimpanzees make
their home near giant fig trees, one is never
far from the sound of running water and the
dramatic peaks are obscured from view for most
of the year.
Our team from Hima Cement
had been in training for months beforehand to
get in shape for what is probably the toughest
climb on the dark continent; third highest
(Margherita 5189m) but physically the greatest
challenge. Charles had grown up in the foothills
of the Rwenzoris but had never ventured beyond
the village trails, Christian had flown in from
La Farge - Hima's parent company in France and
Pal had joined us from Bamburi Cement (another
La Farge company) in Kenya. The local team had
underestimated the importance of footwear.
Despite my detailed advice on what kind of boots
to search for in the 'Owino' of Kabale, they had
turned up with shoes more suited to a night on
the dance floor at Club Silk. What were they
thinking? They were making this too much of a
challenge for themselves. It was challenge
enough to wade through the Bigo bog in gortex
boots let along the 'silk slippers'. But I had
to remember they had never seen snow before.
Bosco could not imagine beyond his wildest
dreams how difficult it is to balance on wet and
greasy logs knowing if you slipped you would
have to extract yourself from knee deep mud
renown for claiming the shoes of intrepid
hikers.
We had chosen to attempt
the Ruwenzori in August when the clouds should
be near their thinnest and the rain should be
somewhere down in Zambia. However, it seemed
like someone forgot to pass the message on.
Swirling clouds of mist swallowed our views of
the peaks for most of our trek and the bogs of
the Uganda Rwenzori were overflowing with water.
A huge amount of work has been done on the
trails and without the thousands of logs laid
across the swamps, I shudder to think of how
much greater our challenge would have been. This
was a team building exercise and it certainly
brought all of us closer together. Each day, we
dragged tired limbs from our sleeping bags,
wrestled with wet boots and climbed at a steady
pace toward those elusive peaks that we glimpsed
occasionally in the clouds. The trails were
littered with large rocks and we spent a great
deal of time clambering over these on all fours,
large sections of the trail were sodden from
heavy rains and the bogs ruled supreme. My
gortex boots and gaiters feared well but those
porters really put on quite the show.
Carrying large loads, they
were a wonderful advertisement for gum boots
(Wellingtons) as they leapt nimbly between
rocks, hauled themselves over tree trunks fallen
on the trails or skillfully balanced in the
bogs. We had about 30 porters to support our
team and they were enjoying the experience as
much as we were. Aside from the sound of
squelching boots, distinctive bird calls and
thundering waterfalls, one of my endearing
memories from the climb is the constant banter
of the porters. These little men of the
mountains seemed really at home here dashing
ahead of our team of climbers each day, pausing
occasionally to suck on some battered cigarette
or huddling together around the fires in the
evening for warmth.
At Bujuku Hut, our hopes
of reaching the summit of Margherita peak rose
and fell with the brightness of the stars. Each
time I dashed outside, a sky full of stars made
me hopeful we could summit in clear weather. The
promise of the summit had me excited for myself
but especially for my new Ugandan friends who
would see snow for the first time. We departed
for the summit of Mt. Stanley in the dark and it
wasn't long before our feet were wet and our
heads were pounding from the altitude. The pace
had slowed considerably and there was plenty of
time to take in the magnificent views down the
mountainside to Lake Bujuku. A fresh dusting of
snow had settled into the wet moss and ice cold
streams trickled beneath the giant groundsells.
I had forgotten the simple pleasure of filling
my mouth with fresh snow crystals and gazing
down on the clouds from above. One foot up,
balance, then place the next. My breathing was
becoming shorter and my steps closer. I always
feel that a large part of the magic of the
mountains is that my mind wanders, I wonder what
lies behind that large cloud or over the next
ridge ..
Message from Nile Ivy
Safaris of Uganda
Nile ivy African Safaris
is a specialist safari and travel operator with
a major presence on the internet. Our website
allows travellers to find out all about their
dream destinations in Africa. Thereafter they
can contact our Specialist Vacation Consultants
who will tailor-make their vacations. Through
us, travellers have access to a wealth of
knowledge and a wide range of exclusively
contracted product.
Nile ivy African Safaris
specializes in travel to, Southern Africa, East
Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands . Our
specialist countries include South Africa ,
Namibia , Botswana , Zimbabwe , Zambia , Malawi
, Mozambique , Tanzania , Zanzibar , Kenya ,
Uganda , Rwanda , Seychelles , Mauritius and
Madagascar. As a bulk buyer of product direct
from supplier, Nile ivy African safaris
effectively cuts out the middlemen. Nile ivy
African safaris adds value through its
expertise, knowledge and ability to offer our
clients exceptional product at competitive
pricing.
Nile Ivy African
Safaris (U) Ltd
P.O.Box 34450, Kampala -
Uganda
Tel:
+ 256 41 373 348, 256 077 2 424 788
256 075 2
486 154 . E-mail:
admin@nileivy.com
reservations@nileivy.com
.
niafricansafaris@yahoo.com
Website:
www.nileivy.com