A recce is seldom wasted, a phrase I have abided by ever since hearing it 10 years ago whilst serving as a Royal Marine. In this case it was no exception. We came to establish relationships with the locals, to set up a suitable camp and locate the access for the climb as well as landing for a potential BASE jump.
The plantation was a maze of fire breaks. 4×4 tracks that turned into paths or where simply stopped dead by a raging river. We went as far as our 4×4 could go, ending up at a village. I set up my tent and fell asleep to the locals chatting over a fire; waking up six hours later to the men still chatting. We continued our hike through the plantation to where the first ascensionists had camped.
Julien Bayliss and his team came two years prior; to explore the untouched mountaintop. They aimed to find undiscovered species and in-turn creating a citation protecting the area. When they summited they followed a stream to it’s source, finding clay pots that where dated 400 years old. Maybe the vegetation 400 years ago allowed the easier angled sides of the dome to be climbed, which would also explain the stories of antelopes being seen on the summit.
We gathered a following of fifty or more locals at our campsite, all chatting and laughing, being mesmerised by our activities. After a broken sleep Cameron the producer and I set off to find the access for the climb and to calculate the rope logistics. We were joined by Emanuel and another local man, machete in hand, shredded t-shirt and bare footed.
Our route started to the left of a waterfall that trickled down the face, a chance to replenish water supplies before the climb. The plan was to climb a pitch or two to get feel for the grade. The original team had graded it E2, but knowing their prowess I presumed it was a lot harder. After pitch two we continued. With enough sun left in the day and feeling strong we soon topped out.
Two months later we returned with a full production crew and my climbing partner, Tom. He and I travelled a day in advance to fix the ropes for the team. A day of thunderstorms had turned the slab into an unclimbable water slide but after a day of being baked in the African sun we were hopeful it would be dry enough for an ascent the next day.
The first pitch was a crack, turning into an off-width. Placing a large cam I noticed a snake skin in the back of the crack. I wedged my thigh in to gain higher ground, hoping the owner didn’t still inhabit the rock. The route continued on the slab. Face climbing on small crimps, in between patches of grass. Protection limited to slinging small shrubs and a single cam placement on each pitch. I noticed a sling and carabiner hanging from a broken branch, a sign we were on route. Also a sign I shouldn’t trust these trees as protection. With the rope drag becoming unbearable, the next belay stance would have to be a tree; not nearly good enough to be trusted. The route top out in the Forrest which gave us lots of options to fix the ropes. The route was now ready for the 2 scientists, sound man, director, presenter and videographer to ascend the next day.
Tom and I spent several laps ascending the ropes with all the kit. Julien would be spending the next three nights up there, a real testament to his passion. As I sat with him at his campsite, a gecko fell from a palm leaf above me. I took a snap to show Julien. Later DNA testing showed it was an undiscovered species.
With all the segments of the film completed. I now had the opportunity to BASE jump from this mountain. The difficulty would be trying to find a steep enough part of the dome. Rock falls had left behind overhanging sections of rock and this is what I was aiming to find. After an hour of swinging around on a rope I was running out of options. The dome incrementally got steeper and I needed to abseil the full length of the 60 metre rope to find a steep enough section to jump.
I stood on a tuft of grass cemented to the wall. As I geared up, I double checked everything and only seconds before I was about to jump did I unclip from the safety of the rope; fearful the mud ledge could give way at any moment. I pushed away from my grass platform; out over the African bush 200 metres below me. After a short freefall the sweeping base of the rock formation was catching up with me and I deployed my parachute, landing safety on the bush tracks below me.
