On the north east edge of Uganda lies
Mt. Moroto. It has not been hiked as much in the last 20 years or so
due to instability in the region. It is finally safe again so we
ventured out into Karamoja to summit Mt. Moroto. The roads to get
there proved as challenging as the hike itself. It was worth it
though. We hired some local guides and headed up. The views were
amazing. Along the way you can look out and see into Kenya. The
semi-arid landscape had so many faces. Not long before we decided to
set up camp, it started raining. Aaaaaand, it continued to rain off
and on until the next day. We summited early in the morning inside of
a cloud. Besides just the raw beauty of the views, the adventure of
the hike, and the challenge of the summit, I found what little I saw
of the Karamajong fascinating (note- Uganda has over 50 different tribes). Traditionally they are nomadic cow
herders. Time changes things, but they have stuck to their traditions
in many ways. When you enter Karamoja, there is something noticeably
different. The dress changes from a majority of western style wear to
a majority wearing the traditional woven fabric; crops change to cows
and open space; huts loose the mud and are raised off the ground and
grouped in fences. Our time was limited with the expectation of
freshly watered mud terrain for our long trek back before work again.
I really just wanted to sit with some old man or perhaps our guide
(who left for shelter from the rain when we camped) and learn about
their culture. Maybe next time. Fascinated.
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