 Hiking
in the Udzungwa Mountains
By Elisha Mayallah
The Udzungwa Mountains are part of the Eastern Ark, which is a series of
mountains running from the Taita hills in Southern Kenya to Makambako gap in
southern Tanzania. Mountain ranges like the Ulugurus, Usambaras, Pares, Nguu,
Nguru, Ukaguru, Rubeho and Udzungwa are all sections of the Eastern Ark Mountain
chain.
The Eastern Ark is old crystalline mountains formed more than 200 million years
ago. Geological changes caused the rising of the Central Plateau, now the
Tanzania/Kenya highlands, and forming the Rift Valley. The creation of the
highlands leads to forming the east-facing escarpments. One of the effects of
these escarpments is that many large water catchments areas were formed.
The Park, which falls in Morogoro and Iringa regions, is long-known for
harbouring plants species found nowhere else in the world, ranging from a tiny
new African violet to 30m high trees. And has spectacular scenery with
rainforest, wooded grassland, rock faces, rivers and waterfalls. Its
contribution to the national economy is imperative through producing
hydroelectric power at Kidatu and Kihansi plants. The Great Ruaha River borders
the park to the north and the Mikumi-Ifakara road to the east.
The idea of hiking, we were told, was an irresistible challenge, which is how it
happened as we set out early in the morning. Although I have encountered unusual
things in many travels – some extraordinary, some frightening – hiking, was, by
its nature, quite unique. Words seemed unable to tell the emotional impact of
the experience as little did I know just how steeply the hiking would turn out
to be.
The trail began with a short detour to register at the entrance gate, Sanje,
amid our striking urge to get started. The trunk of the old trees around the
gate offered a forest-like-environment nearer to the foot of the mountains. The
entrance gate, village and the end of our hiking adventure shares the same name.
The Sanje village lies astride the Mikumi-Ifakara road.
Our introduction to the park, however, was how the forests vegetation kept on
changing its shapes and sizes within the same area, as we started hiking. From
midsized trees to bigger trees that are concentrated in some areas which attract
prolific birdlife.
As we moved on, Udzungwa's unique forested wilderness became more and more
beautiful with the forests stretching up to incredible heights. Some of the
trees along the route were marked with their names.
Shortly after a short hike we emerged from a thicket band of forests, we came to
what must be the plushest trees I have ever seen. Steps were extremely steep and
mostly covered by the dry tree leaves, as we hiked up.
The tracks up were narrow dotted with young trees which had provided a
spectacular profusion of indigenous trees and gave the impression that the
stretch had put on its best to welcome us. The thicket forests were living up to
their well-known reputation with the clouds disappearing, leaving us hiking in
relentless morning heat with toes much the worse for wear and wobbly knees.
We were, however, blindly confident that our hosts: Ms. Beatrice Yawingi Mtambi,
Park Warden tourism with a guide who knew exactly well that we were headed in
the right direction. This was their territory, their whole world, and seemingly
they knew every path. It was conceivable that for the last thirteen years since
the park was gazetted they have known the area inside out.
Udzungwa's obscurity is remarkable with vegetation which supports fewer game
species than her neigbour Ruaha National Park. Regular visitors to the Park will
tell you that this park is the most peaceful and appealing. Because of the
formidable steepness of its eastern escarpment with its dense forests - the only
place in East Africa with unbroken forest cover from lowland to montane, and to
the remoteness of its western uplands and plateau.
The park covers an area of 1990 sq kms with the mountains rising from nearly
200m in the Great Ruaha River valley in the north to the mountains peak perched
at over 2000m above sea level.
This great altitudinal range makes for a great diversity of about six types of
primates, including two endemic species – the Iringa red colobus monkey and the
Sanje Crested Mangabey – the plateau supports small populations of elephants,
buffalo, leopard, wild dog, sable antelope, water-buck as well as rare species
of forest birdlife. There is also a rich small bovid community, with good
numbers of red, blue and abbot's duickers and bushbuck.
Then, before we could catch our breathe, we were once again hiking on an
impossibly steep mountain top skirted by grass enjoying wonderful views
stretching away to a far horizon. Then next, my legs were just as heavy as
wooden logs, and I was beginning to believe that I may end up not being able to
reach our destination.
The wealth of mammals and birdlife on this trail soon became real as we startled
a black-and-white colobus. And a few minutes later, a snake crossed ahead of us.
Sighting of the colobus surprised many of us as we had not seen it before.
Although it was still cool, the humidity had increased and the hiking to the
Sanje waterfalls still lay ahead. It was well over 37 degree Celsius. The type
of heat that causes cattle to cluster under trees, sheep to stand in silly long
lines using their neigbours rump as shade and birds to perch with their beaks
wide open.
It was nearing midmorning; we toiled through the soft gloomy twilight of the
forest floor. High above us, where the spreading canopies of rainforest giant
met, only a few chinks of sky could be seen. The humidity was such that we were
as wet as if a bucket of water had been poured over us. Condensation fogged my
glasses continually and every five minutes I would have to remove and clean
them.
No words were necessary as I struggled to keep control of my legs and body as we
got nearly halfway through the hiking. The seven of us, had painstakingly been
hacking our way up through the jungle of concentrated dense forests. Despite the
heat we emerged from the forest and were treated to a magnificent view of the
falls.
The trail is generally walked over for two hours one-way, but an extra time can
be added, we were told. As we had chosen to hike the mountain, we gladly made
use of the extra time which, as it turned out, was a highlight.
After crossing a vast stretch of trees, we took a breather at a clump of trees;
ahead of us views of Sanje waterfalls, at a close-range, provided a magnificent
sighting. Then, the roar of the falls became impressive. Sudden great slaps of
sound attacked our ears, as massive volumes of water surged and flung beyond
their normal course, causing most of us to stop almost in awe!
In the opposite direction, the lip, between beautiful side-screens of forest
trees, sugar plantations and flat upper reaches of the Kilombero Valley far
below, fading towards the northern Selous (Africa's largest game reserve) in a
series of vivid greens and blues, offered stunning views while the discomforts
of the hiking were temporarily forgotten.
"There is a delightful - and delightfully level - little glade at the viewing
point, where you can rest, take a swig of water and, for the only time on the
way, see the falls. They are visible in the middle distance, through a natural
frame of foliage, streaming down their old rocks", we were told earlier by Mr.
Christopher David Timbuka, the Chief Park Warden.
As we arrived at the waterfalls, the air was cool and clear; glittering in
sunlight with a relic cedar forest, beyond the far ranges smirked in their
seemingly inaccessible isolation, deep in its embrace of secrecy and safety.
Although the hiking stretch along was only five kilometres, it took us nearly
over two hours through the dense of forests. When we reached the end, I was
quite exhausted, but exhilarated at having negotiated some dramatic terrain
along the way.
The hiking ended at the feet of the 170m waterfalls which formed a tantalizing
continuous falling with a cliff over which water plunged. On every side, the
horizons were full of mountains views with not a single sign of humanity. I sat
on a rock – for a short-time – feeling the grandeur and solitude!
E-mail contact: elisha.mayallah@gmail.com
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