From Senegal to Somalia: Crossing the Sahel

Trekking in the Dogon country in Mali 

Upon arrival in Mali, I followed its beating heart: the mighty Niger river. The Niger is the main source of life for many tribes and ethnic groups who depend upon its waters. After days on and off boats, I finally managed to reach the magnificent city of Mopti, the Venice of Mali and the confluence of the Bani river and the Niger. In Mopti I chartered a 4×4 and headed to the ancient Dogon country, home to one of the most extraordinary tribes in Africa: the Dogon people.

The Dogon country perhaps offers some of the best hiking trails in the world, but climbing sand-washed mountains under the beating sun at the hottest time of the year was no easy task. But we were never short of surprises in the ancient land of Dogon people and all it took was to turn and face the valley overlooking the orange desert, to appreciate its beauty. Trekking along an old path and up and down cliffs, we came across red paintings on the rock wall. It looked like something out of a movie set. My guide explained to me the meaning behind the different paintings and their significance in Dogon mythology. For example, there were many drawings of crocodiles. When the Dogon people escaped Islam and found refuge in this inaccessible land to continue practicing their own religion, it is believed that crocodiles showed the Dogon people where to get water. Ever since crocodiles are considered sacred in the Dogon country.

The villages we passed through, many of them perched on cliff tops, each had a story to tell. Upon arrival, permission from the Chief was needed before entering and we often met him in the village Toguna (a low-roofed structure built with stone and timber and is usually found in the centre of every village). The Toguna is where the Chief and the village elders would sit to settle disputes, the low roof is made with the express purpose of forcing visitors to sit rather than stand, which helps avoid violence when discussions get heated.

As well as Togunas, the villages built on escarpments had mud-built granaries dotted around. The number of granaries indicated the number of women living in the village, for each woman has her own, in which she stores food for her family. Unlike the rest of Mali, women in the Dogon country are economically independent, earning and spending their own money. After a couple of incredible weeks trekking in the Dogon country, I made it to the town of Bandiagara, from where I could hitchhike all the way to the south of Burkina Faso.

As the sun rose, the faint orange glow blossomed behind a peak, creating a collision of soft-coloured tones which made everything absolutely magnificent

The Sindou Peaks of Burkina Faso

Upon arrival in Burkina Faso, my guide insisted that we detour from our route and visit the Sindou Peaks. I was really skeptical and frankly exhausted from the last few days of trekking in the Dogon country. But I agreed. We entered Burkina Faso at night so I couldn’t see our surroundings. We found a spot and pitched our tents. The following morning, I woke up to an incredible green landscape around me. I couldn’t believe how much things had changed since dry and arid Mali. Around us was lush green surrounded by incredible towers of sandstone with just small passages between them. The place didn’t seem real. As the sun rose, the faint orange glow blossomed behind a peak, creating a collision of soft-coloured tones which made everything absolutely magnificent. I was filled with a sense of happiness and privilege to be there.

Adventure should always start with a cup of strong coffee. I put the coffee pot on the stove and stared into the incredible landscape around us. It was the first time since the beginning of the journey that I experienced calm. A new day had begun.

After a day of hiking through this incredible landscape, perhaps the best I have ever seen, we finally reached Lake Nyoufila, an absolutely beautiful lake with palm trees around it. We finished the day watching the sunset over the lake with the peaks in the distance.

I made my way through the lush green of southern Burkina Faso and then on to arid and dusty Niger, using various means of transport including bush-taxis, overloaded trucks, buses and, of course, traipsing long distances on foot. I camped along the way (and also slept in petrol stations, mosques, hospitals and churches) until my arrival in Chad.

Lake Chad

In the 1800s, European explorers arrived at the marshy banks of a vast body of freshwater in Central Africa. Because locals referred to the area as ‘chad’, the Europeans called the wetland Lake Chad, and drew it on maps. But ‘chad’ simply meant lake in local dialect. So here it is. Lake Chad, or ‘Lake Lake’.

I have travelled to some far-flung places on Earth, but Lake Chad is the most remote place I’ve ever been. Located right in the centre of the continent, Lake Chad is shared between four countries – Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria – and millions of people living there do not feel that they belong to any particular nation. It’s one of the largest wetlands in all Africa: 30 million people depend on it to survive. I entered the Lake Chad area from the Niger side. As I was travelling west to east, I had to go around the lake to be able to continue my journey east.

As I stepped into the small town of N’guigmi, all my senses came to life. The smell, the noise, the sights. The streets were nothing but dirt tracks. It felt as if I had stepped back a hundred years. I have been to over 80 countries around the world, many of which are developing nations, but I had never seen anything like this. It was hard to spot a motorised vehicle. Most people simply walked and carried heavy loads over their shoulders. Those richer ones had camels and donkeys. Dressed in their traditional outfits – the women in bright and beautiful colours; the men more conservative – they stomped through the 45ºC degree heat.

The more I travelled, the more I realised that the modern world had not made it here. All over Africa, you see many people carrying mobile phones. In Lake Chad, I rarely saw any.

I began to journey around Lake Chad on the desert track roads. The heat was excruciating. Life in 45ºC degrees is punishing, especially when you’re trying to walk in sand. Survival in such conditions, in such heat, is no easy task.

I visited village after village, using whatever means of transport I could find. The Army controlled the territory, leaving everyone tense and ill at ease. Checkpoint after checkpoint. I have never been in a place where my documents were checked so many times.

Ethiopia : Abuna Yamata Guh – Sky Church

Abuna Yamata Guh is a place I will never forget. Hidden in the remote mountains of Gheralta in northern Ethiopia, Abuna Yamata is a monolithic church built on top of the rocks and carved into the side of a cliff above a staggering 250 metre drop.

The road to the church snakes through the epic Gheralta Mountains. The scenery was beyond description, the mountains featured the most incredible rock formations. We got to the foothills. The road stopped. The climb started.

We started the challenging climb and after 45 minutes we made it to the cliff. A Coptic Christian priest makes this incredible journey there every day, climbing sheer, steep cliffs barefoot and without a rope. While climbing myself, I couldn’t help but think, what must go through someone’s mind to compel them to build a church in the side of the cliff?

When we reached the cliff I was asked if I wanted to climb with a harness or not. I opted for the harness. A hair raising vertical free solo climb wasn’t for me. I started climbing with guidance from the locals. Then the priest arrived and waited a bit while I climbed. Since I was taking so long to climb, he wasn’t having any of it and started to climb up to me using foot holds. He was unbelievably fast and overtook me with laughter and without safety equipment. He had been doing this climb for 40 years though.

With a bit of a guidance, I finally climbed the first wall. The second one followed, which was a bit easier. But then, thinking I was done with the scary parts, I had to endure a ledge on the cliff-face above a 300 metre (980 foot) sheer drop. It was so nerve wracking that I could hardly breathe.

I finally made it to the church to meet the smiley priest. Inside the church was richly decorated with amazing murals that depicted the lives of the nine Saints with well-preserved scriptures from the 6th century written on goat and cow skin were kept in perfect condition, thanks to the low humidity and the shelter from sunlight.

As the sun began to set, I sat on top of the cliff overlooking this incredible landscape, thinking about the experience of this hidden gem in Ethiopia.

While the world’s media tends to focus on war and conflict in the Sahel, my aim was to tell its untold stories, of the people and the traditions that have stood the test of time