Rain or Shine, We Trail-Set

 

Another Beautiful Rainy Hike

It's trail-setting o'clock, guys!

And this wasn't just another hike it was a new trail, which meant one thing it was going to be exciting, unpredictable, and fun. 😁

Come with me as we go hiking in the rain, because around here, rain or not, we don't stop hiking.

I woke up to my body alarm and looked at the time it was 4:00 a.m. Just what I had asked for.

I wanted to pray, have my sahur (the pre-dawn meal for Muslims who intend to fast), and prepare for the hike. Since I still had some time before leaving, I cleaned my room and attended to my fur-king and my plants.

Guys, did I mention I now have a mint plant? They are doing so well. Allahumma barik! My little garden keeps growing one plant at a time, and it makes me so happy.

Before leaving, I called Peruzzi to see if he could help me with a hiking boot because mine is no longer kind to my toes. He didn't pick up.

Then I called my guy Hercule no show from him either.

Maybe we should just start a GoFundMe for my hiking boots. 😂

By 7:10 a.m., I stepped out to our meeting point.

Almost immediately, it started drizzling.

Honestly, that could have been my sign to turn around and go back home.

But no ooo!

I kept going.

When I checked our WhatsApp group, I realised I wasn't the only one caught in the rain. Some members were already trapped under a bridge, waiting for the rain to ease.

In the middle of all that, a kind Samaritan lady offered me her umbrella. 🌂 May Almighty bless her kindness.

Eventually, I got a ride to our meeting point at Sokale Roundabout in Dutse.

One after another, the crew arrived.

There was Hercule, Icun, JEM (Manager), Mr. Henry (Epa), Solex, Big J, Aisha, Ola, Boyante, Archpope, Peruzzi, Maxwell, Rukky, Tega, Jeremiah, and yours truly.

We exchanged greetings while waiting for Tega to arrive.

Some members disappeared to buy akara and bread for breakfast, while the ever-generous Leo Osas came bearing a flask of hot Arabian tea for everyone.

What a thoughtful gesture.

The funny thing?

He wasn't even hiking with us.

May Almighty bless you, Leo Osas

Once Tega arrived, some of us joined Epa in his car as we headed towards the mountain we were about to "disvirgin."

Apparently, very few people had ever hiked it I mean just farmers.

Well...

At least, that's what I thought.

We arrived at the base of the mountain and had to wait briefly for Rukky to join us before beginning our ascent.

One thing about exploring a new trail is that you're constantly searching for the safest route.

"Should we climb from here?"

"Is this path safe?"

"Will this lead somewhere?"

Every step is an adventure.

As we started climbing, a woman called out loudly, asking us not to walk through her ginger farm.

Manager assured her we would be careful not to damage her crops.

And we kept our promise.

At first, I was happily doing a YouTube Live while climbing.

Then...

The trail got serious.

And the weather got... seriouser. 😂🤣

There came a point where I had to use both my hands to support myself because my shoes were definitely not made for this kind of terrain.

So I depended mostly on my body weight.

Yet...

I still didn't stop streaming.

😂😂😂

Guys!

This mountain was breathtaking.

The greenery.

The fresh atmosphere.

And this was only the beginning.

At one point, I remember shouting to Manager not to go too far ahead.

You see, in Trail-Setters, people move fast.

There is little or no slowing down.

Meanwhile...

Aisha clearly hadn't received that memo. 😂

My dear sister came wearing Crocs.

Now, don't get me wrong.

Hercule can wear Crocs on almost any mountain.

Ziyat can.

Even I sometimes wear Crocs depending on the trail we're exploring.

But Peruzzi had already warned everyone to come well prepared for this one.

Not long after we started, Aisha almost slipped.

I was right behind her.

That was my first sign that this hike was going to produce premium entertainment. 😂

We finally made it to the top of the first mountain.

Everyone paused to catch their breath.

As we looked ahead, we spotted heavy machines, trucks, and building materials.

Honestly...

My heart broke. 💔

Nothing hurts quite like seeing development slowly swallowing untouched nature.

Then the rain truly began.

Out came the leather bags.

I grabbed one, tied it over my head, and happily continued hiking.

Meanwhile, Epa calmly pulled out his raincoat and wore it like the prepared gentleman he is.

As for me...

I quickly ended my YouTube Live.

Even my phone deserved mercy.

At this point, any normal people would have turned back.

Right?

Well...

Since we had all collectively agreed we were not normal, we kept moving.

Peruzzi.

Hercule.

Maxwell.

And the rest of the crew continued mapping out the safest routes.

Then Icun turned to me and said,

"Thank goodness none of us ladies is on her period."

I burst out laughing. 😂

Trust me, it wouldn't have been funny considering most of us don't even use tampons.

Stay with me as the adventure continues...

And please

Don't slip while reading. 😂

The Valley, the Mountain with Teeth, and Lessons from Nature.

We were now descending the first mountain into the valley before tackling the next one.

With the rain falling steadily, the ground had become muddy and slippery.

Some people decided the safest way down was with their bumbum, simply because their hiking boots didn't have enough grip. 😂

Well...

I wasn't about to do that.

Instead, I held on to Maxy and Icun, carefully making my way down.

Soon, we found ourselves on a mouldy path that demanded absolute concentration. Every step had to be intentional because nobody wanted stories that touch the heart.

Icun and I held each other's hands, walking with so much precision that it almost looked choreographed.

Then my eyes landed on Aisha.

The expression on her face practically screamed,

"Why did I join these people again?" 😂

Just as I was about to tell her to watch her step...

She went down.

Like...

A whole bag of rice. 🤣🤣

Thankfully, Epa, who was close by, immediately helped her back up.

That was all Hercule needed.

The teasing started immediately.

Poor Aisha. 😂

Meanwhile, I kept shouting,

"We are not reckless hikers o!"

Because the way these people were moving...

Hmmm!

We had already spent over an hour in the valley.

Despite the rain, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.

The mountains stood quietly around us.

The rich soil looked alive.

The calm atmosphere wrapped around everything.

Farmers had planted maize across the land, and the crops were flourishing beautifully.

Some stalks had already started producing fresh corn.

Everywhere you looked, life was growing.

Eventually, we arrived at the second mountain.

What a majestic mountain!

It stood there with so much presence and prestige.

Immediately, the debate began.

One group insisted we shouldn't climb because of the rain.

"It'll be too slippery."

"It isn't safe."

Another group quickly responded,

"We've already come this far."

"There is no going back."

Case closed. 😂

People of God...

Please don't tell my mum I did this.

Before she reminds me again how I have never married. 🤣🤣

We started climbing.

The base of the mountain was muddy, so everyone had to move carefully.

Then...

Icun missed her footing.

Down she went.

Only God knows how I managed not to follow her because she was holding onto me.

The rest of the team had already gone ahead and had no idea what had happened behind them.

Thankfully, she stood up, dusted herself off just that no dust but mud and together we continued climbing.

And that's when Maxy and Hercule introduced us to one of the funniest hiking descriptions I've ever heard.

"This mountain has teeth."

😂😂😂

At first, I laughed.

Then I realised exactly what they meant.

Unlike the muddy sections below, the rocky surface gave our feet something to grip.

Those "teeth" made climbing surprisingly easy, even in the rain.

The only challenge left was breathing.

At one point, everyone was breathing like people running away from unpaid bills. 😂

Guys...

God is truly the greatest Artist.

No human architect could design something this magnificent.

The beauty of this mountain...

The peace I felt...

Words honestly cannot capture it.

Finally, we reached the second summit.

Everyone stopped to catch their breath.

This was also the moment hunger officially announced its arrival.

Out came the akara and bread people had bought earlier.

Epa also brought out his coffee.

Nothing tastes quite as good as food shared on top of a mountain after earning every single step.

As everyone ate, a lively conversation started about morality how some things the Western world considers normal are seen differently in African society.

Interesting conversation...

But let me not bore you with that gist today. 😂

Once breakfast was over, we continued our journey towards the third mountain.

The path led us through what looked like a vast maize plantation.

The vegetation was thick.

Very thick.

We literally had to use our hands to create our own pathway.

At one point, one of the maize leaves flew straight into Archpope's eye.

Sorry, man. 😂

As we continued navigating the narrow paths, climbing over small rocks like happy little monkeys, I imagined people asking,

"All these for what?"

Simple.

For good health.

For wellness.

For adventure.

To experience Almighty’s magnificent creation.

To breathe fresh air that no air conditioner can manufacture.

Finally...

We reached the summit of the third mountain.

Gosh!

The breeze!

Even while it continued raining, the wind felt refreshing beyond words.

And the view...

No camera can ever truly do justice to it I mentioned to Bouyante

The trees stood together like one beautiful family.

Some tall.

Some short.

Some tiny.

Different shades of green.

Different sizes.

Different strengths.

Yet every single one belonged.

The rocks supported plants.

The mountain carried them all.

No competition.

No jealousy.

No hoarding.

Simply existing together.

Growing together.

Thriving together.

Nature teaches us lessons every single day if only we choose to pay attention.

Almighty created enough abundance for every one of His creations.

Nobody has to steal another person's portion.

Nobody has to fear someone else's success.

There is enough.

If only we learned to live like the mountains.

Oh, Nature...

If only we paid attention.

If only we became more mindful.

By this time, hunger had fully set in.

My guys brought out the porridge beans and bread they had carried with them, along with the hot Arabian tea Leo Osas had thoughtfully given the crew earlier that morning. Epa also had his coffee with him again. 

What a feast!

We didn't spend up to 15 minutes on the summit. The rain was still falling, and the breeze up there was singing Amapiano. 😂

As soon as everyone finished eating, we packed up and began our descent back to the city.

The Journey Home and a Heart Full of Gratitude

As soon as everyone finished eating, we packed up and began our descent back to the city.

Surprisingly, it took us less than an hour to come down.

Of course, we still had to be careful because the rain had softened the soil, making every step one to think through.

Rukky stayed close to Icun, helping her navigate some of the trickier parts, while the rest of us carefully found our footing.

Then Epa, in true Epa fashion, looked around and jokingly suggested,

"Let's go back. It feels too easy to descend."

😂😂😂

We all laughed and kept moving.

On our way down, we passed several ginger farms.

I couldn't help but wonder if that was nature's way of reminding me to give ginger farming another try.

I attempted it last year...

Nothing happened.

So I quietly retired from the business. 😂

Maybe this mountain was telling me not to give up so quickly.

Who knows?

Then...

Aisha happened again. 🤣🤣

Our dear sister fell for the second time.

Omo!

That girl saw shege on this hike. 😂

Thankfully, she was fine, and after laughing (once we confirmed she wasn't hurt), we continued our journey.

Aisha, if you're reading this...

Thank you for entertaining us. 😂❤️

One of the biggest highlights of the hike for me was Rukky.

She was only just recovering from malaria, yet she carried herself with so much strength and determination.

Watching her keep going despite everything was inspiring.

Rukky, I salute you.

Wishing you complete and lasting recovery.

And then there's Peruzzi.

Abeg...

How do you keep discovering these mountains? 😂

I cut cap for you.

Every new trail somehow manages to surprise us.

Eventually, we arrived back at the spot where Epa had parked his car.

At this point...

We looked like a group of homeless children. 😂

Our clothes were soaked.

Our shoes were covered in mud.

Our bags had seen things.

Epa almost refused to give us a lift because of how wet we all were.

Honestly, I don't even blame him. 😂

It was only then that I realised just how soaked I actually was.

That's one thing about being in nature.

I become so immersed in the experience that I completely forget about myself.

My original plan was to stop by Ziyat's place since she lives nearby.

I even called to tell her I was coming.

Then I changed my mind and called another dear friend instead.

That friend literally saved my life that day by giving me a ride home.

Thank you so much, my dear friend.

I truly don't take your kindness for granted.

May Allah reward you abundantly.

The moment I got inside, straight to the bathroom.

Hot water.

Very hot water.

The kind of bath that makes you feel like a woman who has just given birth. 😂

Normally, I would have made myself a hot cup of tea.

But...

I was fasting.

So there was no tea for me.

The cold felt twice as intense.

Even with socks...

A sweater...

And a blanket...

I was still shivering.

Not ordinary shivering o.

The kind from that old "Shaky Shaky Daddy" advert.

If you've seen the advert, you already know exactly what I mean. 😂😂😂

The cold completely held me down for the rest of the day.

That's actually why this blog post didn't come immediately.

I simply couldn't gather the strength to write.

Thankfully, I'm fine now.

Alhamdulillah.

And then there was Moori.

My little fur-king.

Guys...

Moori turned into a full-time caregiver. ❤️

He cuddled up close to me, sharing his tiny body warmth as if he somehow knew I needed it.

Don't laugh at me o. 😂

His little cuddles honestly made me feel so much better.

Animals have a beautiful way of showing love without saying a single word.

As I reflect on this hike, my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude.

Grateful to Almighty Allah for His mercy and protection throughout the journey.

Grateful for the beauty of His creation.

Grateful for the lessons hidden in every mountain, every tree, every rock, and every drop of rain.

Grateful for friendships that make adventures even more memorable.

Grateful for laughter.

Grateful for kindness.

Grateful for strength.

Grateful for peace.

To my Trail-Setters family...

You people are something else. ❤️

Thank you for another unforgettable adventure.

Every hike reminds me that life isn't about always choosing the easiest path.

Sometimes, the muddy trails, the unexpected rain, the aching legs, and even the slips and falls become the very stories we laugh about later.

They become the memories we carry long after our boots have dried.

Here's to discovering more mountains.

Here's to embracing nature with open hearts.

Here's to finding peace in places untouched by noise.

And here's to saying "yes" to adventure, even when the skies look uncertain.

Because sometimes, the most beautiful views come after walking through the rain.

Thank you Jeremiah for the photos and videos.

Let's do this again.

What's one lesson nature has taught you? Share it in the comments I'd love to learn from your experience.

Peace and Gratitude. 💚