On Boxing Day we left Nalerigu for a day trip heading east by northeast to Nakpanduri. We brought with us Teresa and Charlote, two German friends who are spending a year in town volunteering at the Assemblies of God orphanage. They had not yet been to the famed “Gambaga Escarpment“.
The Gambaga Escarpment (or Scarp) stretches about 40 miles at an elevation of 1000-1500 feet. The north-facing cliffs drop off dramatically and in the plains below hold the Morago River which runs into the White Volta about halfway across the Scarp.
After about 45 minutes of driving we arrived in Nakpanduri and turned north onto the Bawku road. That road took us down the scarp and across the Morago River. We turned around after the river and drove back up, stopping to explore the dried up falls and creek. The real fun started when we reached the top of the cliffs, parked the car, and hiked to the edge. There we found some cool lookout spots and climbed a rock formation Trey and I dubbed “The Tower.” His favorite part was a crevasse we climbed up through which has now been unofficially-officially named “Fat Man’s Squeeze.” No offense to any of our future visitors who can’t fit through – it’s a pretty tight squeeze for even me.
After the hike we found a local chop shop called “Lover’s Inn” and ate some amazing Fufu & soup. Then we swung by our friend Mrs. Denise’s place to greet her and let Trey check out her donkeys. She has some agricultural projects which include tree planting and raising donkeys. Denise has been in Ghana for 31 years! She is such a fun person to visit and is full wonderful stories and history of area.
Trey & Ms. Denise’s Patas Monkey
Some monkey trivia for you:
Patas monkeys are the fastest primates on the planet. They can reach speeds up to 34mph running on all fours. Last year, Kenichi Ito set the world record for fastest four-legged sprint at 100m in 16.8 seconds. He based his running style on the patas monkey’s form.