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Cross River National Park (Okwangwo Division) Route 1 (Okwa and Okwangwo) Friday – Sunday, October 1st – 3rd
Day 2: After a delayed start, we drove to the Cross River National Park in approximately three and a half hours, stopping in Ikom for bananas and water before proceeding to the National Park entrance. Upon arrival we met with Jason Sali, director of a local NGO working in the Park, and then divided into two groups of five that would take two separate routes through the park to increase our chances of seeing wildlife. After lunch and sorting out the gear that would go ahead with the porters, our group set off on an ambitious hike with the plan of reaching a village, either Okwa I or Okwa II, before dark. The sounds of birds and cicadas increased notably as we hiked further into the forest and the canopy cover provided welcome relief from the mid-day heat. Our guide, Louis Nkoyu, kept us on pace but also took time to stop and point out the names of trees (ironwood, ebony, omo, and umbrella) as well as plants and tree bark used for medicinal purposes (e.g. eye infections and skin rashes.) Although the trail was relatively flat and easy to follow, it soon became apparent that the Cross River National Park was aptly named by the number of streams and rivers we crossed. As daylight gave way to evening our initial plan of reaching a camping spot before nightfall was abandoned and we hiked an additional two hours in the dark. Rows of cocoa yams and banana trees indicated that we were approaching a village and we were ready to stop and camp at Okwa I. After learning that our porters and gear had proceeded ahead of us, we continued on another forty-five minutes until reaching Okwa II. We were greeted with a warm welcome, water for washing up, a hot meal, and palm wine. Although we were invited to an Independence Day Celebration at the Town Hall, we set up camp in a courtyard and turned in early. The celebratory drum beats continued well into the night making it difficult for some in our group to sleep.
Day 3: Crowing roosters and the accompanying stirrings of village life provided our early wake up call. A layer of clouds floating beneath the tree-covered highlands provided a spectacular backdrop. After a breakfast of plantains and bananas, several of us went for a swim in the river. Next came requisite visits to the chief and to the village’s oldest resident said to be 120 (!?) years old. Before leaving Okwa II, we were invited to a presentation in the town hall by The Okwa Conservation Society (TOCS) volunteers. Conservation songs and poetry recitations were interrupted by an unstable village resident, and the controversy and confrontation that ensued hastened our decision for a quick exit. We hiked back through the village of Okwa I and visited briefly with the village chief before continuing on to Zone 6. After a short hike, we arrived at a spectacular spot in the river deep enough for diving surrounded by weathered granite. From there we could have continued on and hiked up to the Chimps Camp, but given the time of day our chances of observing chimps were not particularly good and we continued on to Okwango. Along the way we observed cacao trees, bush mangoes, and many unusual flowering plants including caladiums and periwinkles. We arrived at Okwango at sunset and set up our tents on the soccer pitch in front of an audience of curious villagers. After a hot meal, a lengthy and unresolved discussion unfolded between village representatives and a National Park guide regarding the competing needs of the villagers and the preservation of the forest. The village chief was very outspoken about the need for a road, and the many failed promises for relocation and compensation for the villagers. It rained continuously all night making it difficult to sleep once again.
Day 4: We awoke early the next morning with the express purpose of
hiking out of the forest in time to catch our plane in Calabar. An hour
into the hike we were stopped in our tracks by the effects of the
continuous rain the night before: a once-small stream crossing had become
a swollen river with a swift current. After watching a porter get carried
downstream and nearly losing the load carried on his head, we exercised
good group decision-making skills and opted not to cross the river at its
current volume. The fear of losing our gear along with personal safety
concerns prompted us to consider returning to the village to wait out the
rain and return when the water level had receded. We stayed at the
water’s edge, however, and after an hour the water level decreased
enough for a safe crossing. It was somewhat of a gamble because we had a
much larger river to cross several hours down the trail and there was no
guarantee we wouldn’t get trapped behind it. As it turned out, the
remaining streams and rivers we crossed presented no danger at all,
although some of us chose to cross the last river on a fallen tree. As the
rain lifted, numerous butterflies were noted as well as numerous columns
of biting ants. After approximately six hours of hiking, an uphill trail
led us out of the park and we made a rushed trip back to the Calabar
airport. Fortunately, our plane was delayed, allowing us to catch the
flight back to Lagos apart from two members who decided to spend an
additional day in Calabar. Continue to Cross River National Park route II report.
More photos? Click here.
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Lagos Branch
