First Ascent on Mt Kalongo

An unclimbed 400 meters cliff in northern Uganda

Will we be able to climb it? 

                   The south face looks impossible.

We aim for the north face

North face of Mt  Kalongo
Maybe we can follow this line to the top?
One possible line...

DAY1: First attempt

Team: Luke, Josh and Emmanuel

Condition: Hungover from local 'Corporate Night' party (i.e. oldies music)

Start: Noon, or a bit later

Approach: the long way, swimming through tall grass for hundreds of meters

Result:  NOT NEARLY HALF WAY UP
 2 ½ hours for 3 pitches

high point on day 1


Day 3: Second attempt

Team: Luke and Emmanuel

Condition: Not hangover but tired from climbing another peak (called Amiel), the day before

Start: 8am, after eating chapati and eggs

Approach: much easier, guided by local man Paul, whom we met at breakfast

Making upward progress...
the view gets better

Pitch 3, looking down on the Catholic hospital
End of pitch 4
Emmanuel after a serious traverse on pitch 6: HVS 5a (5.10
Paul calls Luke on his mobile
"I think you should come down now, you are too high"

Luke on a nice tree hanging belay after swinging on branches in a gully

Out of water

Easy climbing but very little gear while padding on black slabs

Clouds are menacing, some rain drops...

The slabs would be slippery and unclimbable if it rains

We stop taking photos as we are getting desperate to summit…

We are nearly at the top. but a hold-less section , or the rain, would make it impossible to finish. 

Backtracking from here will be very difficult.

Will we make it?

yes

VICTORY!

summit selfie

NOW WE ONLY HAVE TO DRIVE 8 HOURS BACK TO KAMPALA...

G. the mechanic emails us: "hoping you traveled well to Kampala,in fact you left here in Kalongo rock big dream and lot of questions among people,mostly in Africa few people do go for search kind of practice, Emma you are the first people to climb kalongo rock in Acholi history"