Moyo (Mt. Oce): Part II – Anti Climax

“Mountains are beautiful and therefore you must make every effort to go and see them”. This sounds like a common self-indulgent trope most people have to endure from their outdoorsy friends/neighbors/relatives. In turn, people accuse mountain climbing hobbyists or enthusiasts of futile escapism. An ineffectual attempt to elude the oppressive standards of middle class competition- a dictate of capitalism.

I have found that no matter where you belong on the spectrum — the outrageous beauty of Mt. Oce is unambiguous. An evergreen paradise full of nature’s abundance. Trees of all shapes and sizes, streams, birds, rocks and rare earth. For the hiker, the stony trail is a reassuring pleasure that reduces the agony of the 1000m gained in altitude to reach the summit. The environs of the Erende ranges comprising Mountains Oce, Ilungwa and Ilo provided a backdrop of intoxicating beauty with an alien quality. It was the fact that we were thrust into it and then surrounded by such splendour that is hard to dispute-from any objective perspective.

From Moyo, with Love

The people of Moyo are resolute in their doting over visitors. Impromptu dances through community homesteads was an example of the unconditional devotion you learn to forget as a city sleeker. It is no wonder that the overwhelming reception we received raised suspicion amongst battle hardened urbanites. It appeared like an odd and mesmerizing spectacle we may not deserve or had not earned. The difference in love languages between us and the hosts took some reconciliation. In the end, it was not a bridge too far-as we cozied up and revelled in the pampering. Rihanna said “we all want the same thing-we all want love””. And Rihanna is never wrong about anything. We reciprocated by making studious purchasing decisions for the native arts and crafts on display — by feeble haggling over prices of things, merely playful if not performative- by asking meaningful questions about the importance and relevance of the assets the community sought to share with us- by seeking to understand ; in the process sealing our love.

Nothing, Really

At the beginning of my foray into hiking, I became obsessed with unearthing the reasons why mountains command our interest and our attention. I spent a fair amount of time trying to find the reasons why we are held captive by the promise of summiting Mt Oce, or any mountain for that matter. Why, for weeks prior to this expedition — adults with competing priorities jostled for the opportunity to make the trip, regardless of the opportunity cost.

On this occasion, I find that this probe is inherently worthless. I was afraid to discover that time and effort spent climbing mountains is inconsequential and serves no glorious purpose -nor should it. Unburdened by expectation — done for its own sake. Doing it because we can in much the same spirit as Australian adventurer Beau Miles who: ate his body weight in baked beans for an inordinate number of days, and run a mile at the stroke of every hour for 24 hours –among many other pointless experiments. Sometimes we wake up in the morning and go and slay Mt Oce and immerse ourselves in its elaborate and diverse appeal. No requirement for any life altering takeaway because the experience itself is enough.