With the sun’s golden rays streaming behind him, Miracle Ainamaani shouts “Rope!” – a standard practice in case any fellow climbers are below him. Then he tosses a coil from the summit of Muyenga quarry. The rope has been threaded through chains bolted at the top, creating a secure line from which he will rappel 25 meters (82 feet) down.
Muyenga is the only outdoor rock-climbing crag in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, but it is conveniently located for Mr. Ainamaani. The mobile money agent occasionally fits in a late afternoon climbing session before attending church in the evening. Mr. Ainamaani and other committed members of the Mountain Club of Uganda (MCU) climb at the quarry up to three times a week.
The MCU was established in 1945 by the geography department of Makerere University, with an initial focus on exploring nature and documenting the region’s biodiversity, including the country’s fabled gorillas. By 1953, the club had published a guidebook.
Why We Wrote This
The Mountain Club of Uganda is increasing community exposure to climbing. Roughly a decade ago, it had only a handful of Ugandan members. These days, 60% of new climbers are locals, and from all walks of life.
The MCU’s trajectory is upward bound. The number of members has soared from fewer than 20 in 2016 to more than 200 today. Nearly all of their gear has come from donations from foreign climbers and sports associations. Roughly a decade ago, previous club president Douglas Ssebbowa says, there were only a handful of Ugandan MCU members. These days, 60% of new climbers are locals, and from all walks of life.
Along with David Masika, the current president, and MCU members Albert Abayo and Celine Jacobs, Mr. Ssebbowa is keen on increasing community exposure to the sport. This group is working as part of a social enterprise project to construct Mwamba, Uganda’s first world-class climbing gym.
To make the sport more accessible, the gym will offer affordable pricing, communal climbing sessions, and inclusive instruction designed for individuals of all abilities.
The new gym “is not just an obligation, but my personal goal,” Mr. Ssebbowa says.
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