Up the Mountain

The Week after the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, we decided to try and do a little hiking on Mount Cameroon, as the trail was cleared and well-marked. So, we contacted a guide, which is required, hired a couple of porters, (mainly to help with the kids, as it's a pretty crazy hike), and on an early Saturday morning, set out.




Though Hannah was able to hike quite a bit, Jonathan decided to take the "Daddy Express" to the top. He did also help us test the strength and beaver-proofness of our walking sticks. :D


Break time! :D




Parts of the hike were very steep, so both of the kids had to be carried. We were very happy to have porters to help.



This is the first of 4 huts along the path to the top of the mountain, and marks around the 1/3 point of the hike.


People like to make their mark.


Much of the hike was swathed in thick fog/mist. The high amount of rainfall creates a thick, thick jungle.


Finally, we reached the treeline, and from there on walked on the volcanic savanna. We had a few moments when the clouds cleared enough to see the mountain rising up above. It was almost other-worldly.

The kids had a blast, and Jonathan was really fascinated by the strange terrain.


This was our stopping point... the Security Hut, which is right about 1/2 of the way up the mountain. With the kids, we knew we could not make the 10 mile hike to the top and back in one day, but were pretty happy to have made it up that far.


Jonathan and Hannah made the trip back down on the backs of the porters. They both promptly fell asleep, worn out by hiking.

It was such a fun family day, getting to hike and see some of the beautiful countryside, and to marvel at God's handiwork. It made us think of so many stories of mountains in the Bible... Moses, the Ark, Mount Carmel, the Transfiguration. It also reminded us of the church, the Mountain in Daniel which grew to fill the whole earth. It is a reminder of what we are doing here in Cameroon, seeing that Mountain grow. Please continue to pray for us that we can reach "Higher Heights" for the Kingdom! The Happy Hiking Hostetters! :D