The Hike into Sokurella and Bintimani

I remember how hot it was hiking in the high grass below Bintimani. We had left Kurobonla in the early morning and by mid-day the early morning fog had lifted and the air temperature was above 100ºF.  Needless to say it was hot and I was quite tired after the previous day journey just to get to Kurobonla. The hike in to Sokurella was not hard physically but the air temperature made hiking at midday challenging. The grass was also somewhat treacherous as the blades were sharp (razor like) and could cut the skin with thin razer like cuts. These could then get infected if you didn't take care.  Here I am with my pack (I think the locals thought this was an amusing way to carry a load given that they carried well-balanced and heavy loads on their head) somewhere below Sokurella. I remember there being one small village before we reached Sokurella - this being the nearest village before making the ascent to the summit (i.e. Bintimani at 6400 ft high). Just behind me is our Kuranko guide, partially obscured and in the red shirt. We negotiated with the Paramount Chief in Kurobonla (Chief Marrah) to get this guide. This photo was taken in March 1970 on the trail.