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to 4096 m

The Pyrenean peaks do not reach 4000, but the Pyrenees only have to do: nothing beats Néouvielle, the circus of Gavarnie or massive Vignemale. Why go until Savoy, then we have the most beautiful mountains in the world at 300 km from home! Everything partisan speech to say that although 1 or 2 unfortunate fact unfaithful to my mountains, I had not yet crossed the symbolic height of 4000 m ... Now it's done! An adventure to follow photos.

A chaque fois que le temps le permet, le toit du Cameroun (4096m) vient me narguer, montrant le bout de son nez jusqu’à Douala. Je n’aurais pas pu passer 2 ans sans laver cet affront et un certain nombre de mes amis partageaient cet avis. Ainsi, profitant du week-end prolongé permis par la fête de la jeunesse (11 février), Claire, Aurélie (2 amies FIDESCO respectivement infirmière et sage-femme à Dschang) et moi sommes partis à l’assaut du Mont Cameroun.

Partis de Douala avec une « occasion » (une voiture chargée optimalement : 4 passagers derrière, 2 devant + le chauffeur), We arrive mid morning in Buea, capital of the province of South-West (English) and starting point of the climb. Altitude 900 m. To reach the summit, we are accompanied by our guide and our Edmond 2 carriers, Edward and Simon. It is clear that without these last 2, we would never reach the top: wearing only his clothes, sleeping bag, tent, food (for 3 days) and its water is possible only on a small hundred meters.

We begin our climb passing through the fields of cocoyam in an excessively moist atmosphere: after 5 minutes we are already soaked! Then comes the small forest: the impression of being in the Pyrenees (or Britain, as the repository of each) in early autumn. Only a few trees in equatorial regions (and of course the heat) remind us that we are in Africa.

On leaving the forest, net change of scenery: more trees, but a great black mountain on the sides of which arise from small clumps of green grass: an air of Scotland. The slope increases, the clouds pass over our heads at full speed and the Majestic (single tree on the slope, it gives the impression of being unattainable) no end to race ahead. The air begins to cool and the final meters require us to lay hands.

We arrived at 2 nd refuge is where we'll spend the night. We assemble the tent a little away, do some stretching, then savor a good dish of pasta. Few minutes to contemplate the sky and the lights of Buea below, then we lie: tomorrow a big day ahead.

Sunrise at 6am with the pleasure of seeing the sun still rose in the distance. We're on the road. The landscape is different again. Yellow grass covers the slopes. For here and there some shrubs, a tree or two: this landscape is the dry savanna. The shrubs are beginning to be more rare: we arrive at 3 rd refuge. We face a fine pointed tip. Mount Cameroon? Not yet: the Little Mount Cameroon only!

We continue to move between the hills of muck. Only remaining grass yellow and smooth. Finally it appears between two clouds: huge round black mountain that fills our entire field of vision. Twenty minutes later, here we are at the top. 3200 m in altitude, about ten hours of operation: Mount Cameroon, you will not make us more afraid!

The walk is finished it then? No, definitely not. The volcano is preparing many more surprises. More than just a peak, Mount Cameroon is an adventure across all the landscapes most beautiful and amazing as each other. And that's what the descent will show us.

time to take some souvenir photos (including photograph of "corporate" with T-shirts and FIDESCO DCC) and we start again: it is not so hot here and the clouds blocked the view a little. We shall soon have the panorama as hoped. After several minutes of descent, the wind had made his case, we admire the peaks that rise to a gray wall of white clouds. We let ourselves be down to the valley, down the slopes of volcanic gravel, staring at the old craters and large areas burned by the sun.

At the break, the French touch is needed: red wine pate and sausage! We take a look back at the top we have to climb: we deserved. We go back to the plain, crossing landscapes always drier. Facing us, such a sea licking the mountains, there appears a large expanse of volcanic rock covered with a thin layer of lichen half burned. Well protected from the sun by our Chèches we cross this long desert maze. Then gradually we find some life in this rocky landscape: large fields of yellow grass, a few trails through the thickets of green shrubs.

But it does not last. Bypassing an ancient crater, we find ourselves facing the desert, an erg Moroccan black sand, a lunar landscape where nothing grows but the dunes. And then at the bend of a hill reappears color gray in this world: improbable bouquets of yellow flowers spring from the black pebble, sublimating the landscape. The legs are getting weak, but the spectacle before us encourages us to continue. Finding the green tufts of Scotland and some reminding sometimes the Pyrenees mountains, we finally leave the desert to reach large equatorial forests. We reach the camp, painful legs: it's about time! The toilet at the source invigorates and dinner around the campfire recalling some old memories of Scouting: A beautiful day.

woken early in the morning, we enter the vast equatorial forest. Vestige of the desert the day before: the only color is green. The tangled trees rise high above our heads, up to hide the sky. We go out some time in the open air time to cross the lava coming down from 2006 Limbe up, then we definitely replongeons in the jungle. It is wet and slippery roots are: walking sticks soon become useful to avoid falling in the mud. Then gradually the clouds descended on the forest. We vegetation hides the sky, the light does not go down more until we, the ragged fog mist curl around trees. It was almost dark and the atmosphere is reminiscent of a horror movie: do not miss the spirits. We left our nightmare by a real sensation: rain, rain true African toughening up os, commence à tomber. La fin se fait longue. Enfin nous traversons les champs de macabo : le village est proche, nous arrivons.

Le corps ne tient plus (les courbatures perdureront 2 jours), mais le moral est à 4096 m : plus qu’un sommet, le Mont Cameroun est une véritable aventure à travers des paysages étonnants et somptueux !

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« Ah c’était trop génial ce truc : faut absolument que j’en parle sur blog » : combien de fois je me suis dit ça. J’aimerais vous partager it along in my latest, my joy or my recent past difficulties, but still the problem of time. "But you're in Africa! And in Africa we have time! ". That's what I thought before also leaving. Finally, I find myself chasing the small beaches free in my schedule. The fact is that over time that frees me from the mission, I have a lot of proposals (WE, friends to meet, dinners or parties, etc..). Already in France, it's hard to say no, here it is even harder than I know my is not even a year to enjoy it. In fact, it is often the race, often the stress and fatigue and I'll let you guess what the next article will talk!

what's new anyway?! (It is true that I tend to over-coat my words!).

First side job: it evolves! Since the beginning of cooperation, I found it hard to fully accept my mission, to feel a special impetus that allows me to devote myself completely. During the "summer" I had the opportunity to rethink a little teaching these industrial missions and to put forward what I thought important to convey to students. Thus, from September, I found a bit in the skin of the teacher who has at heart to grow its students: a certain emotional connection was born. This attachment, meaning that I give what I do, found himself up at the turn of meetings with some of them that showed a revolt against the particular situation of their country (corruption, lack of infrastructure maintenance , garbage collection, etc.).. Yes, the IST-CA is a great project because it gives these wills the tools to be agents of change!

But despite this remained a half of the mission, if it made me well, however, remained a burden: the exploration of these famous industrial missions. Repetitive work, rewarding and very little lonely. It is certainly this last point that affected me the most because I am particularly come to work with Cameroon. During November, my mood does not change, my partner gave me the opportunity to adjust my mission. So confident exploration of MI to a colleague, I was assigned to a position of project management for the construction of our new buildings. So far we are graciously accommodated by the company TOTAL, but by 2011 we will have our own campus includes five buildings including the school, a dormitory, a chapel, a sports field. My role in project management is primarily the monitoring of progress of construction, the role of land really fulfilling humanly and technically. Unfortunately, for administrative reasons, the shell should finally start qu’en septembre 2010. Et finalement, je risque me retrouver au chômage technique d’ici peu. A moi alors de me trouver une nouvelle mission !

Côté relationnel, des arrivées des départs. Louis-Bernard est parti en France terminer sa thèse de géographie : alors que je mets la clim’, lui est obligé d’ajouter des épaisseurs ! Perrine de Dschang et Max et Julie de Pouma ont fini leur contrat de VSI : ils sont rentrés respectivement en octobre et en décembre. Mais Martine est arrivée pour remplacer Perrine et Claire et Aurélie (FIDESCO) l’y ont rejointe, tandis qu’Anne-Laure intégrait In February a position ideally placed to Kribi! In Douala, is Jerome and Clotilde (teachers in high school French) and Angelica and Seid (an ex-DCC N'Djamena and her husband Chad) who arrived to swell the white community of the same age and same state of spirit as we do! Moreover, despite my legendary intolerance, I'm opening also FIDESCO: Dschang, Bafoussam or Yaounde. Finally, a fine network of friends through Cameroon that it is easy to find when the mission is a little hard to bear, we need de changer d’air et de confier ses soucis à des personnes qui nous comprennent.

Mais je ne fréquente pas que des blancs !!! Les relations avec les camerounais continuent de se faire elles aussi, même si elles prennent leur temps. Avec Nadine et Christelle de l’IST-AC, de nouveaux projets de cuisine sont en cours : certainement le macabo rapé avec la sauce arachide pour avril ! Avec les autres collègues, quelques complicités naissent, notamment grâce au foot du jeudi soir lancé depuis peu à l’école. On joue au foot, on discute à la pause café, on mange ensemble chez les mamans, on va voir un bébé nouvellement arrivé, we are witnessing the death of a parent: the links a bit out of the workplace. Not yet had the occasion by too cons of drinking beer together. Nobody did it feel like? Or maybe it is just the African tradition that prevents them from having the initiative: one that offers pay ... In any case, the last of the permanent seminar has revealed that for Europeans as for Africans, IST-AC was like a little family.

Outside the IST-CA: the old timers like Nadège, Deido, the companion of football matches, Father Ignatius and Sister Margaret Mary Bonamoussadi, Ingrid's ghost (I had not seen for six months) and if some knowledge in the neighborhood, neighbors and shopkeepers, some others in the parish. Not necessarily a lot of links very intense but very small relationship every day, not complicated. I like this facility in Africa to create the link. I like to walk in my neighborhood, say hello and exchange a few words with people I know. I love when people I do not know me say 'hello White, encourage me during my jog or tell me "Assia" (patience, courage) when my ice cream cone falls to the ground. I love these conversations that are created with strangers or in the taxi home moms. Far from anonymous European cities, Africa allows us to never feel alone.

Moreover, before his departure, Louis-Bernard introduced me to Chris, his girlfriend. And finally it was she who takes over for me to discover Cameroon of l'intérieur: in inviting me to his family and the baptism of his nephew at Easter. For this latter proposal, some hesitation: while the 3 days would have allowed me to see my girlfriends Dschang, an invitation to a family does not miss!

finally forgot about my favorite white: my parents and my brother (my sister was unable to free himself) came to me for Christmas! Both say they were feeling: as in Dschang to Pouma, we were impressed with their adaptability, their openness, etc.. Recently, I even heard of them to Yaounde where they were not gone yet! Beyond the pride I get out, I was happy to see them, introduce them to my place of living, my job, my colleagues, my friends. We were also able to take vacations together, (re) discovering the west, or Mbalmayo Limbe (just south of Yaounde). Their stay ended with a nice family Christmas in Dschang, along with other volunteers from Cameroon. In short, this has only improve my morale that had soared following the rehabilitation of my mission!

So here I am almost 15 months of cooperation. I spent half of this experiment: in 9 months I'll be back in France. Whew more than 9 months? Thin more than 9 months? Even if the optimism of the period from December to January may have waned, I stay in the second state of mind. Certainly there are times when morale is a little less high and where my thoughts go to France, but I keep that desire to make the most of my remaining time in Cameroon. Discover the country, creating links, but mostly to push myself hard in my mission, in applying myself to work and spreading the joy around me (while thinking to save me a bit (see following articles)) .

In Douala, the small rainy season is coming slowly occasionally causing temperatures bearable. To be honest, I sometimes find myself dreaming of snow and heavy coats. And yet I know that winter has been particularly tough this year, when storms do not it mingled. I thought of you in those moments.

I hope the weather did not start your morale and you are well.

As always, thank you for your support of each moment and in all its forms.

Spend Easter holiday bash (and a good holiday for those who are fortunate to have)!

We're together!

Benedict