Stage 5 — The mighty roar of the waterfall

As we descend from the highlands back into the valley, we pass a small shepherd's village. We are warmly welcomed by a few villagers. They offer us to stay with them for a short break, which we of course gratefully accept. Since strangers don't pass by here every day, the village elder is somewhat skeptical at first. But her skepticism vanishes in no time and she joins us. In the middle of the village, we see a small school with two classrooms for a maximum of 15 students who come to school here. We are curious and ask if we can take a look around the classroom. Various topics are listed on the blackboard and there are pictures on the wall that the children have painted. We notice that in addition to mathematics and reading & writing, the children are also taught very important survival skills. How do you make a fire in the wild? How do I react when I get bitten by a snake?

After a short break, we set off again and thank you for your hospitality. We continue hiking towards the jungle — we have now become accustomed to the recurring tropical temperatures. It goes over hill and stone. We stop and listen to the sounds of the environment. From afar, we hear the powerful roar of the waterfall. It's probably not too far away anymore...

We walk through the thick jungle, the roar of the waterfall is getting louder and louder. We finally reach the eighty meter high waterfall. It is the highest waterfall in Cameroon. We climb to the top edge, the masses of water plunge into the depths next to us. There is a fine haze in the air. We look into the breathtaking gorge that lies ahead of us. Over thousands of years, water has made its way through the valley. The rocks have razor-sharp tips that stick out from the water surface. The banks are densely overgrown and huge trees rise up. To conquer the impressive waterfall, we have to climb down to the foot. We see a narrow, densely vegetated path leading downwards. We enjoy the view for a brief moment, then we get ready for the slippery and not entirely harmless descent.

The path to the foot of the waterfall is steep and the rocks are so slippery that we slip over and over again. There is perpetual rain, which is caused by the falling water masses. You're probably imagining it very refreshing right now, but the water isn't clean 😀 All rivers from the surrounding villages flow together here, the haze is a mix of water and a very unpleasant smell. We stumble and slide down the narrow path and reach the foot of the waterfall. It is almost a miracle that none of us seriously injured ourselves during the descent. The effort paid off. Only now do we see the impressive size of the majestic waterfall. We are completely fascinated by the wonderful view.