Berg

Hear Wally's Call from Africa

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A beautiful morning here: it's still dark, just beginning to lighten up. I'm awake because one vehicle, one Land Rover, and a group of us—I stuck around—but a group of us, Sally, and Dianette and Brian, and Karl and John Diener, all just took off for an early morning game drive. The rest of the group decided that an eight o'clock game drive from the Sopas Lodge here—well inside Tarangire National Park—would be a more restful option and also an exciting one.

There are low clouds and a soft rain coming down. The light's just beginning to come through the baobab trees those ancient, upside down trees, as we say, because this time of year—the dry season—without leaves they look, for all the world, like the tree is upside down with the root system exposed to the African sky. They're really amazing, ancient-looking trees and a big part of the setting here at Tarangire, which is probably my favorite of the game parks that we visit.

A world of elephant action coming in here yesterday; we saw many, many elephants right along the road. A lot of really interesting things to see with those giant beasts, those creatures. The peaceful setting of this park always impresses me: I talk about the sunsets; I'm talking about the baobab trees this morning; the expanse here is amazing. And we're just having a wonderful time right at the end of the trip.

Of course, for me, I'm realizing that it's hard to believe that it's halfway through a season of climbing on Kilimanjaro and safaris here in Africa, having now completed two climbs on Kili and two brief safaris with Alpine Ascent's groups. All the folks that did this trip are struck with how fast the whole experience goes by, once you approach the end of it, as we are now. And I'll have to say, after two trips I have a similar feeling. These are intense, full trips. Safari always surprises people; we come, of course, as mountaineers focused on the climb, but we approach safari with a level of intensity and commitment...[transmission fails].

—Alpine Ascents Guide Wally Berg, MountainZone.com Correspondent