Saturdays are for hiking.

 After missing last week, I finally laced up again.

The morning started simple: I got up, had a cool shower, fed Her Royal Highness my baby Moori and gave my plants some water. Soon after, I was on my way to hike at Life Camp, which is very close to me. As usual, this baby girl went out late. It felt like I was just hiking my backyard 😂.

This time, I had a buddy with me. I had chatted him up the previous day to ask, “Are you less busy at work? The hike is close to us.” He said yes, and so we linked up. He even gave me a ride to our meeting point.

Our first stop was Stella Marie’s. By the time we got there, the group had already started moving towards Spar our destination. The crowd was massive. I quickly spotted my crew: Eddibanga, Hercule, Man of Faith, Miss Unique, Innovative and his neighbour, Selfie, and of course, Boyante the one and only black guy who loves reading on the mountain. That guy always has a book in hand, even up there.

My friend bought his ticket and introduced me to his work colleagues. He had invited three of them. Soon after, we were all set to hike. Along the way, I met familiar faces like Sammy, Founder, Sir JEM, and even Mr Moh who hadn’t joined us for a long time. A warm hug from Mrs. Saisy and Valary made it feel even more special.

Eddie led the trail, as usual. Nobody walks in front of Eddie he’s the trail leader. Behind him, Man of Faith held the paper trail for those following. A shout-out to the trail-setter who always checks the safety of the route before Saturdays.

Ten minutes into the walk, we were already breathing hard. Oh my God! It was sweet. My livers and kidneys were happy. Maybe it was all the coffee and cocoa I had been drinking that week. Honestly, I’ve found a new love in cocoa powder mixed with coffee it’s my morning power booster. Breakfast, lunch, or even dinner, it works. Sometimes I switch it with cocoa and honey. Try it, you’ll thank me later.

We had to stop and wait for people to catch their breath. Some were already panting. Junk food had clearly shown its effects. Meanwhile, I had fried chin-chin the previous day. Not for free o, but for sale. Two amazing souls had placed orders, and I brought theirs along, keeping it safe in Mr. Ola’s car.

Soon, we reached the first resting point. But before that, it felt like a scene from a Nigerian movie like warriors being sent into an evil forest to bring something back to appease the gods. We walked through banana plantations, yam, and maize farms. At one point, you had to be careful not to trip over yam tubers. Someone even joked about looking for a snake because, on the last hike, people killed a ball python and roasted it on the mountain. Snake eaters 😏.

I got a call from a friend I was supposed to catch up with, but he couldn’t meet me early, so he climbed alone. After our 15-minute rest, we moved again, though some people missed their way when the paper trail ran out at a junction. Along the way, I met Epa, our ever-young senior hiker. I pray I’ll still be hiking strong at his age. There was also Cool Francis, Mkay, Monster, and others. Mkay and another hype man kept everyone entertained while some were busy questioning their life choices 😂.

A lady came with her dog, and I couldn’t help but tease her: “Why stress this dog?” Meanwhile, I was also secretly thinking of the day I’ll bring Moori along.

Some Fulani kids joined us out of curiosity, excited and jumping around like monkeys. I also met Oluwadamidare, that tall and hilarious fellow with his interesting takes on life.

When we finally reached the top, the view of Life Camp was breathtaking. Cool, serene. Sadly, we also noticed many empty drug packs scattered around evidence of lives being wasted in the name of getting high. I sat down, letting my heartbeat calm for ten minutes. A friend video-called me to share the view since they couldn’t come. Another friend, who came late, couldn’t even find his way up. That’s life.

Sammy entertained us with his MC skills, and we had aerobics and fun games. I reconnected with my friend and his colleagues, and we chatted about Nigeria’s tourism and how under-explored it still is.

Meanwhile, Naija Adventurers are going on trip to Obudu Resort in September. There are still slots, so you might want to join. Obudu is one of Nigeria’s finest tourist sites.

Up on the mountain, I met Miss Leah, got a hug from my favourite hugger Ms. Claudia, and even received a teddy-bear hug from another beautiful soul. I’ve been craving hugs like that. My friend Grace, who usually gives such hugs, has stubbornly refused to hike with me.

I bumped into our seasonal hiker Sadiq, shared a quick chat, and spotted Mr. Solomon with his magic camera lens. Fire Condom came too and gave out free products. We also had content creators doing what they like to do.

I met the ever-blazing Mr. Blair and Jobalz lighting up the scene.

We spent over an hour on the mountain before the weather told us it was time to descend. On our way down, I exchanged greetings with Abdul and noticed the vendors had already sold out their goodies zobolicious, yoghurt, energy drinks, and more. I slipped once on the wet ground but thankfully regained balance. Descending was quick barely five minutes. Naija Adventurers promised an easy hike, and it truly was.

Back at the base, some people left, but a few of us stayed behind. This small group is always a joy. We shared bread, kpomo, groundnuts, chin-chin, and even Orijin. The banter was premium you could forget your depression just sitting with them. Someone even warmed soup 😂.

A new girl almost got into trouble for interrupting our flow, but Founder calmed things down. Eventually, we dispersed, especially since the Premier League matches were on. An Arsenal fan want to watch it, and thankfully, they won. Arsenal and early wins are like 5 & 6 😂.

My heart is full of gratitude for another Saturday spent in nature, surrounded by beautiful souls. May our hearts keep radiating peace and love, and may it return to us as we spread it with respect and kindness.

Laced shoes up, ready for the extreme hike next weekend.

May our heart be filled with gratitude.

Photos credit goes to our amazing Mr Solomon, please follow him and contact him for your photoshoot @Dabelle_2018 ❤️ 

Have an amazing week ahead. 🌿