We are off to Chenku falls...
With gusto and determination we set off into the forest. The temperature was cool but the path was narrow. At certain points the shrubs had literally covered the way so we had to raise our hands to avoid being scratched. We jumped over broken trees, went through farms and waded through streams. There were armies of ants that looked like they will devour us if we stepped into them for a few seconds. None of these deterred us. We forged on. We were determined to get to our destination.
At some point in our journey we came to a clearing, it was a road. We got some respite from the bush for about 20 minutes. Little did we know that we were coming up against a bigger potential obstacle, a mountain. Our young guide took us down a path that took us to the top of the falls instead of the bottom. So, we had to find another way, and that was. down a mountain.
The slope was quite steep – it had loose sand and stones. Fortunately, one of us is an avid mountaineer, so he taught us a few skills that eased up the stress of our descent. Gradually we all made our way down. At the base of the mountain we came upon a mini mango plantation where a kind farmer gave us some mangoes. This was about a minute away for the falls. Finally we got there. The fall was taller than the ones at Adom, and it did not have steps. It was lovely to behold. the base was not appealing, though. The pool at the bottom had too much sand so the water was not clear. However, like it was at Adom, the spray from the falling water was refreshingly rewarding. the water flowed further over some rocks, creating rapids of some sort. We went down that way and waded through the water for a bit, while we ate our mangoes.
Once photos were taken and we had had our fill of the falls, we got ready to head back. Before we arrived at the fall there was conversation about we possibly finding another route so we wouldn’t have to climb up the mountain. Much to our disappointment, we realized what we thought was the alternative route was rather going to take us in the opposite direction. At this point there was no other way so we psyched ourselves for the climb. As God will have it, there was a lady frying sweet potatoes near the falls. Perfect meal for energy replenishment. The sugar rush gave us a burst of energy and got us ready to conquer the mountain before us. One of us had to hitch a ride on a motorbike, though. Her footwear was coming apart. Bad condition for a mountain climb. She bade us good bye and we started making our way to the mountain, our bellies full of sweet potatoes. With a prayer under our sleeves the climb begun. Our mountaineer, once again, gave us tips to help calm the thumping of our hearts in our chests. But for God and our coach our hearts would have popped out of our chests, for sure. lol. He told us to breathe in, through our nose and out, through our mouths, slowly and not rush the climb. This simple technique took away some of the fatigue. Before long we were at the summit. The view at the top was even more appealing this time.
We made it safe and sound and were very proud of ourselves. The mountain had been conquered. With that we made our way back. The hike back felt kind of shorter, though we didn’t change our route. I guess it was because we had become familiar with the place. After about another 20 minutes we emerged from the push – conquerors of the land. One of us suggested we visit the female Adom falls to cool off. But we looked at the time and decided it was getting late. Besides, the way back to the high way was also an ascent, so the earlier we got that out of the way, the better. At this point fatigue was beginning to set in, we didn’t want to push the boundaries any further. Our friend who hitched the ride on the bike was also waiting for us. We met up at the same shop we met our new friends. Together we walked back to the fire service station in Obosomase.
Check out the next blog for the grand finale to our impromptu hike, chasing waterfalls…