We left early in the morning, which was good, since it took us about 4 hours to arrive and find the trail head. We squeezed 5 in the smallest four wheeler I've seen, and took turns in the back "seat" of the Pajero so that we didn't have to splurge for the much larger truck and extra gas.
Our "adventure" started much before we started hiking. This area wasn't well marked, and so our driver had to ask many people for directions, especially once the roads became vague trails and sometimes seemed to disappear altogether. Our driver had no qualms about asking anyone we saw, and a few times, drove across grassland after the farming families, calling "Maasai!" to get their attention. (Kinda like yelling "hoosier" at someone who lives in Indiana - it's just who they are!)
We finally found the trail head, but even from there we were making our own trail, since the only trails we found seemed to be goat tracks but luckily the animals know where to go!The portion we walked was the rim of the inner crater - a volcano erupted and collapsed, created a smaller mountain inside that then also collapsed, and left an "island" - making the topography like a bullseye. The views were absolutely amazing, and the hike was challenging enough that our breaks to sit and enjoy the view were just that much sweeter.
Sadly, given the lack of trail, we had to call it quits before we reached the actual summit, since we couldn't figure out the best way to continue on.
On our way back down, we encountered some animals - not really of the wild type though - just some well fed cows that graze on the mountain, though as someone pointed out "Cows are much bigger up close", so we were okay when we finally passed them by.
 |
| The Wildlife |
We reached the base with enough time before dark that we decided to explore the caves in the area. We got a guide this time - a good thing, because we hadn't brought any flashlights with us! The caves are considered "Lava tubes" and were created during one of the many eruptions of the volcano. The terrain in the caves would switch from huge sharp boulders where previous roofs had fallen to flat areas with low clearance. I can't say I loved being that far beneath the ground, but it was a very cool experience.
 |
| The last of the light before heading deep underground! |
In one area, we could hear the bats chirping far above our heads, but the one flashlight didn't help us see them, which was fine with me :)
A few scratches and bruises, but we all made it up the rickety ladder and back to our car before the rain started!
 |
| Sarah, Joel, Jane and Daniel |
My friends Sarah and Jane both have shared their experiences online too! Check them out at:
Sarah: http://sunriseruby.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/getting-lost-at-suswa/
Jane: http://engineerwithoutborders.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/scaling-suswa/
