Introducing Mount Fako (Cameroon): A Unique Ecotourism Site

By LIFAFA Tourist and Travel Agency - Buea

This lovely volcanic mountain welcomes visitors immediately they arrive Buea. It stands majestically along the background of Buea Town. The Mountain spreads from Bomboko to Bakweri of Buea and down to the Limbe Beach. It is 4100 metres in height.

A visit to Mount Cameroon is always an exciting experience both in the rainy and dry seasons.

From the foot of the mountain to the summit and distantly to the valleys are romantic regions of varied scenery which invite discovery and exploration. Mount Cameroon itself is a restful and refreshing place. The peaceful indigenes here are the Bakweri who offer great hospitality to visitors. They are ruled by a paramount chief in the person of Chief SML Endeley.

With the scenic beauty, climbing mount Cameroon is enjoyable because of its great attractions. Mount Cameroon is an easy mountain to climb. There is no doubt that a tour of Mount Cameroon offers something to suit all tastes-rest, relaxation, and excitement.

Welcome to Mount Cameroon

Upper farms to Hut One
A tourist would enjoy seeing the old dairy prison department farm of Upper Farms Buea. Before entering the forest a glance behind allows you to see the scenery and settlement of Buea Town, which was the ancient colonial capital of the Germans while in Cameroon. As the visitor starts climbing the Mountain all around is the Mountain rain forest. Inside the forest you will be attracted by varieties of beautiful birds. An example of such beautiful birds, the Mount-Cameroon Frankcolin “KWAI” can only be seen on the slopes of the Cameroon Mountain and no where else in this world.

You may be lucky to come across monkeys of different colours if you randomly enter the interior of the forest. Like the red-eared monkey. This monkey has a red tail, a red spot on its nose and red tipped ears. Also chimpanzees which are very intelligent and closest to man in terms of behavioural pattern are also found in Mount Cameroon forest. In the Bakweri and Bomboko tradition chimpanzees are not hunted. The elephant “Njoku” is also found here, which is the largest animal in Mount Cameroon forest. It’s advisable to trek gently so as to enjoy your tour.

The indigenes of this Mountain the Bakweri farm basically coco-yams which you will notice are grown as you ascend. The distance from Upper Farms to Hut One is 785 metres.

Hut One
A cold flowing spring welcomes the visitor to Hut one. This spring could be used for a variety of purposes by the tourist. Here he or she could rest and take few snap shorts. You are now 1875 metres above sea level. Crossing the forest to the Savanna region would take a person 43 minutes. And along the road you will see dry valleys with trees very tall some of which are more than 20 metres high. After a long walk across a dry valley you will notice a distinct change of vegetation. From very tall trees to just ordinary grass.

Savanna zone
The savanna zone is of a steep and rocky gradient covered with grasses which are sometimes as high as 1.5 metres. It’s completely void of tall trees. The trees around here are scanty and short. Climbing up you will see the rain gauge and the famous lonely tree (Magic Tree). A distant sight-seeing will expose the eye to the very deep and long valleys. Also the presence of valleys and crests make movement in this area extremely difficult.

Hut Two
This is 2860 metres above sea level. The scenery of the Fako Mountain is very visible here. The tourist will see the rocky undulations of valleys and crests. Just five minutes walk in front of Hut two you will find a big
blow-hole. A guarded tour takes one through huge Caverns. One high enough like a warehouse. Inside the caves you will find geological features like Stalagmites and Earth Pillars. The temperature at night is between 50C - 90C. You can pass the night here at Hut two and leave very early in the morning for Hut Three.

Hut Three
Along the track to Hut three, the trekking should be done gently as you will find some beautiful flowers, getting to this point is between 3740 metres high and temperature is between 40C - 20C. This is the last Hut up the mountain. Here it is advisable to rest for a short while so as to eat some food and drink water before continuing to the summit. This touristic scenery makes Hut three one of the most attractive sites given by the Almightily God to the South West province.

Summit
A walk form Hut three to the summit is particularly attractive. This is a part of untouched nature known for its fresh, clean air, blowing as you climb to the summit. Here the summit breeze helps you to forget your dull every day routine and all melancholic thoughts are dispelled. You will notice a short distance of level land and black fragments of sandy nature. This wonderful scenic region offers the tourist exceptional vegetation covered with grassy, tree-free terrain with patches of ramified 2 centimeter greenish plants. By the time you get to the summit the coldness and heavy breeze welcomes you to a new climatic world. To enjoy your two day tour to Mount Cameroon, come to Buea a day before and spend the night in our hotels.

Mount Cameroon Race of Hope
This is a yearly event that started from 1973 by Guinness Cameroon. With the sporting ability and brilliant effort of Colonel Harnad Kalkaba Malboun under the canopy of Cameroon athletics federation (CAF) both national and international participants now take part in the sport.

Today excellent mountaineers break the hearts of observers. Walters Ekonde, Reginald Esuka, Queen of the Mount Cameroon Sarah Liengu Etonge and many others come and see runners from Molyko stadium to summit and back.

Eruption of Mount Cameroon
Successive eruptions of Mount Cameroon took place in 1909, 1922, 1954, 1959 and 1982.

The indigenes at the foot of Mount Cameroon, the Bakweri hold the traditional belief that the eruption of 1982 took place because of the death of the late paramount chief H.R.H. Gervasius Mbella Endeley. Immediately he was buried the eruption started. Today his palace and grave-site attract tourists visiting Mokunda, Buea.

Since then the mountain has been calm, until recently in 1999 that the mountain erupted welcoming the third millennium as it also erupted in the year 2000 confirming what we can refer to as an active volcanic mountain with the lava flowing to west coast of Cameroon, leaving behind layers of rocks of various colours and textures, craters, vast ecological destruction etc. This site is an attraction to both national and international visitors.

Other attractions within Mount Cameroon region are:
• Water fall at Bomboko
• Crater Lake at Idenau
• Eruption site of 1999 at Bakingili
• Ecological disaster of 1922 eruption along Idenau Coast
• Traditional dances of indigenes at the foot of Mount- Cameroon:
o Elephant dance
o Animal killing (Motiyo)
o Lingombi dance
o Cha - Cha dance
• Agro-tourism plantations - Tole tea, Molyko Banana, Tiko Rubber and Bota palms.

Ecotourism sites include:

• Bomboko Elephant site
• Ekona Lelu Forest and 1954 Lava Flow
• Mapanja pigiun African rain forest and Safari
• Limbe Zoo and Botanic Garden
• Nyango na Muna Rocky Twin Stone
•
Dear Eco-tourist,

We welcome you to the natural ecological environment at the foot of Mount Cameroon and environs as you come climbing:

LIFAFA Tourist and Travel Agency - Buea

(c) The HERALD N°1149 of 19/12/2001

Picture courtesy of the BBC

Comments

[Isaac Menyoli]

Mola Mondoa,

I was curious if you were able to download
the photos from the posting at Fakonet? Have
you created an album for them on the bakweri.com
site.
Regards
isaac

[Emil Mondoa]

I did download the pictures. I am having some difficulties in creating a coherent album that does not overwhelm the website, but I am still working on problem, and I am sure I shall solve the problem.

EIM

[AJUH JOSHUA FON]

Congratulation. I am very impressed with your activities in the group. I am a research student carrying out my PhD research on Rural Poverty in Buea Sub Division, in the South West Province of Cameroon. I went through groups in Buea sub Divivsion and came across your activities.
I should be very happy working in collaboration with you towards the realisation my my PhD thesis which I hope will be defended next academic year.
Stay blessed.
Joshua

[AJUH JOSHUA FON]

The touristic inductry is rapidly developing in Cameroon in general and Buea sub Division in partitcular. thanks to the enormous efforts of the government of Cameroon and numerous organisations in the Buea sub division who all help in one way or the other in protecting the touristic sites as well as conserviving the touristic potentials

[Philip Wolstenholme]

As a former resident of Buea(1974-77)during my employment with Nangah Company,I am always delighted to read about Buea and its beautiful,yet raw,environs which,together with its most welcoming people(including my then dear friend and sage Justice,now Paramount Chief,Endeley) left an indelible, undeminished positive impression in my heart.If any place and people deserve to enjoy the fruits of success then here is it