We all met at Okpara square at around 7:00 am but then because some couldn’t make the time we agreed on we had to go pick them from their junctions so that extended our departure time till 8:15 am. We got to Ezioha Mmaku at around 9:05 am, and on coming down from the car they were all blow away the beauty and grandeur of the scenery, to quote of the local guides that came with us “it is the most beautiful place I have ever been to, this is the Eden we all have been looking for”.
when we all have feasted our eyes on the stunning environment, I started with giving everyone a brief history of the place Mmaku, how during the war because of the hills we had a lot of places to hide and that that’s why we had mild casualties compared to other villages down the meadow, after the brief history I gave them safety tip, how to manage your weight while climbing and descending the hill, i also gave them security tip, that the location is one of if not the safest place in the whole southeast for we have local guards and forest guards so everyone is safe.
After the history lessons and safety tips we set off on our first climb of the Isi-Mmamu using the trail we had marked out on the day of the route scout which we had marked out using spray paints, we had two trails, a hard route, and an easy route, every one opted after a ballot to use the hard route to get to the first mountain climb, I was a bit concerned for the girls but my word they made it look so easy. @
from there we headed to the tip of the first mountain (i call it a mountain because make is above 1000m above sea level, the weather can have sudden changes and the air is thinner than the low lands. on our way up the mountain, it felt like everywhere you look all around you are specifically designed to take your breath away literally. And lord!! the views are magnificent.
We got down and headed to the second mountain, and this one, the second mountain provided some challenges, it is steeper like 70degrees and is slippery because of the clay top, so we had no option but to crawl our way up. But one thing is, if its hard to go up at that gradient it will be a nightmare to come down from, so at the back of my mind I was expecting some people might slide or worse tumble so I gave them clearer tip on how not to tumble or slide, that they should crawl up, that they should step only on the grasses and not the clay surface and also that they should pull majority of there weight towards the mountain itself so incase they loose footing they will not tumble but slide, and to my amazement we all made it out without a scratch. and ones again the views from up there made the struggle to get up worth it a trillion and one times
over.
This is a link to the pictures and videos of the entire expedition, collected from everyone that came for the Geo-Walk https://photos.app.goo.gl/7N16AFCJVYPXJPsh6
At the top of the Isi-Mamu, we all were exhausted and we had to relax, we are out snacks, drank water and when we regain some energy we play a game, The Concentration Game. I was soo sure I will win, one time it got to my turn and I asked for the name of clouds, we were 7 left in the game and I was soo sure at least one of them will not know a name of any cloud, so I went first with nimbus cumulus cloud, and to my greatest joy that was it, the next person didn’t know any, but eventually I lost to the names of female clothing which I proposed, turns out I only know blouse, so I lost out and chers won the game, he was really good though during the showdown against Lewax. We all climbed down without anyone getting hurt or scratched or tumbling down, which in my theory “if you tumble down a mountain it’s actually a good thing because you will get down before everyone else” we all made it down and then headed to our final destination which is the Mwa-Ekpu Waterfall and the OmOO Stream.
When we got to Nwa-Ekpu I was speechless, I have never seen such harmony in any system, the way everything worked, the way the streams morphed to waterfalls and ponds and back to stream again was just pure magic, the way the colors complemented the surrounding and a reassurance that nature is way better than anything we can devise with our peony intellect, I was humbled by the brilliance of the environment I was inspired by the total majesty of the natural bridge and cave made by the flowing stream, I thought of how long it must have taken to achieve that and deep within me I felt so little, and for me, that place is a place I will make sure anyone very close to me must-visit ones in their lifetime. we ended in a high note, we saved the best for last and we went home happy and with an experience that will last a lifetime.
The wonderful local guides that made it are @Austinelewex @NkennaA @JordanSB @MortenSI
