Tuesday 28th October, from the ground base camp.

This evening the camp has filled up again. The mammalogists, who were camping at kilometer 8 on the track to Lobo, are back. Those who climbed up to 1000m too. They are tired but delighted. The forest is really beautiful in the higher parts. The trees are smaller but the moss and the humidity create a special atmosphere. It is cooler, which is pleasant by day but a little chilly by night. The hardest part is to keep moving forward in this very rugged karstic landscape, where there is never any flat land and where one has to create one’s own path.

The team of climbers getting ready to leave – Copyright: P. Gaucher / IRD

We are still waiting for the return of Laurent and his small team of intrepid explorers gone towards some lakes which are almost inaccessible beyond lake Kamaka. They disappeared as soon as base camp was set up, and will only join us tomorrow. The speleologists are still out and and about too. Their return is expected the day after tomorrow.

The forest at 1000 meters – Copyright: P. Gaucher / IRD

(translated by 2nd-year “Life & Earth Sciences” students, L2 SVC, Group C2, UM2, France)