Mynyddoedd y Byd: Y Rwenzori Mynyddoedd y Byd


Mynyddoedd y Byd: Y Rwenzori

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-Mountains.

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-The upper reaches of the world.

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-A challenge and inspiration

-for humanity.

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-The people of the mountains

-are tough and inventive.

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-They've learnt how to live here

-and maintain a culture.

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-Below, the world is getting warmer.

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-The climate is changing.

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-The mountains are not separate from

-the fate of the rest of the planet.

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-From the peaks of Korea to the hills

-of the Rwenzori in Africa.

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-From the Alps to the Andes.

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-From the Rockies to the Himalayas.

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-This is the story of living

-on the high parts of Earth.

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-The mountains of the world.

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-The Rwenzori

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-Uganda, central Africa...

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-..challenging terrain,

-even for an ex-Royal Marine like me.

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-I've worked for the Army

-to strengthen links with Afghans.

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-I've learned more about conflict

-in these mountains.

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-A fight for freedom...

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-..has led to the establishment of

-this unique kingdom in the Rwenzori.

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-There's also a physical challenge

-for me - a high climb.

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-High enough so I can see the summit

-of Mount Stanley.

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-We've been walking

-for almost 12 hours.

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-Here, 3,500 metres up, you can feel

-that the air is less dense.

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-I have to work a bit harder

-to keep up the pace.

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-It'll be quite a challenge.

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-Three hard days of walking...

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-..with the weather against us.

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-It is raining cats and dogs today!

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-But I'll have to get on with it.

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-Higher, higher and higher.

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-One of the guys said

-we have two hours of climbing to do.

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-My pants are wet

-and everyone's tired already.

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-It's not quite midday yet.

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-We'll reach a valley that's almost

-4,000m above sea level...

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-..where some of the strangest plants

-in Africa grow.

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-This is a giant lobelia.

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-It's the king of the jungle

-in the Rwenzori.

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-I'll be lucky if the ancient gods

-of the mountains lift the mist...

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-..to let me see

-the upper part of their kingdoms.

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-It is the palace

-of the king of the mountains.

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-While I'm here,

-I want to do something else as well.

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-I want to spend time

-with the mountain people.

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-Get to know them and how they live.

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-We own the houses.

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-We own the cattle.

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-We own the money.

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-We now have possessions,

-thanks to the coffee.

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-The locals

-have a long and interesting history.

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-The Bakonzo are the original

-inhabitants of the Rwenzori.

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-Our forefathers have lived here

-for thousands of years.

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-Half a century ago,

-they had to take up arms...

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-..to gain recognition

-from the Ugandan government.

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-As a former soldier, I have

-a special interest in their story.

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-I'm always keen to learn what drives

-someone to fight for his people.

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-The bond between these old friends

-is familiar to me.

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-The type of friendship

-that only exists on a battlefield.

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-I want to meet the soldiers...

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-..who fought for the freedom

-of the Rwenzori...

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-..and learn what it was like

-to fight in the highlands.

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-The mountains were our support

-during the fight for freedom.

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-When the enemy attacked us,

-the mountains were our escape.

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-This is the story of my two journeys

-in the Rwenzori.

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-A climb to the top of the mountains.

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-The weather, mud

-and the very steep slopes...

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-..make it a really tough trek.

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-The second journey

-is just as stunning...

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-..into the hearts and minds

-of the Bakonzo.

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-I'm free to jump high.

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-I can celebrate

-exactly how I want.

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-The chains that bound me

-have been broken.

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-Western Uganda.

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-It's misty, there's no tropical sun.

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-It's not savannah, but mountains.

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-High and remote mountains.

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-The Rwenzori mountains.

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-Until the late Victorian Age,

-no European had seen them.

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-They rise steeply

-from the Ugandan lowlands...

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-..and fall just as steeply

-to the Congolese jungle to the west.

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-The lifestyle here

-is familiar to a Welshman.

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-Walking to school...

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-..driving to work...

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-..and noisy pilgrimages to

-the altars of commerce and business.

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-At the foot of the Rwenzori, the

-morning commute leads to Kasese...

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-..the town between the mountains

-and the savannah...

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-..which has a population of 300,000.

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-This morning,

-everyone's going to the market.

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-Fresh produce of all kinds

-comes down from the hills.

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-My walk starts tomorrow,

-I have to hit the shops too.

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-I've been invited for dinner tonight

-by our guide, Syayipuma.

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-I asked if I could bring a gift.

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-He said,

-"Yes. Two kilos of goat meat."

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-Kasese was originally

-a copper mining centre.

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-It's a friendly town

-where it's easy to ask for advice...

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-..and hitch a lift

-to the best butcher's shop.

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-The Bakonzo make up the majority

-of the inhabitants here...

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-..but people of many

-ethnic backgrounds live here too.

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-Here we are,

-meat for tonight's feast.

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-I'm not sure how much confidence

-I have in the local hygiene laws!

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-Hello.

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-ASKS FOR A KILO OF GOAT MEAT

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-They say flies enhance the taste!

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-Kasese is more than a market town.

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-It's the capital of Rwenzururu.

-The kingdom of the mountains.

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-The kingdom's only just achieved

-official status in Uganda...

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-..after years of conflict.

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-When Uganda

-became independent in 1962...

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-..the people of the Rwenzori

-expected the same status...

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-..as the new republic's

-other kingdoms.

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-But they had to fight for it

-for decades.

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-Throughout the long battle,

-the mountains were very important...

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-..and not just for military reasons.

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-For people like Syayipuma,

-the man leading the walk...

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-..the mountains

-are their spiritual home.

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-The first four years of my education

-was in the mountain schools.

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-They taught me so many things.

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-It's obvious that he has a longing

-for the mountains.

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-I see the mountains

-as being part of my life.

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-It's still in my life.

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-I've found myself

-living on the lowland now.

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-But 97% of my life

-is still in the mountain.

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-Dinner time.

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-I've arrived to meet

-Syayipuma and his family.

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-I've been fortunate...

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-..to have many opportunities

-to travel over the years.

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-It's always nice

-to visit somewhere new.

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-But my favourite part

-is getting to know the people.

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-It's immediately obvious

-that they're a close family.

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-A family that's proud

-of their history and culture...

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-..even though Syayipuma

-insists on speaking English to me.

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-Thank you for making me so welcome.

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-Syayipuma's mother still follows

-the Bakonzo's old tradition...

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-..of making clay figures.

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-The family are Christians now...

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-..but these strange heads take us

-back to the gods and legends...

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-..that were popular here before the

-white man arrived with his Bible.

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-The last supper.

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-In the morning, the climb begins to

-the home of the old mountain gods.

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-A new morning in Uganda

-and the adventure's about to begin.

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-A walk up the Rwenzori mountains.

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-A group of guides

-are supporting us.

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-They'll carry the food,

-the cooking equipment, the tents...

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-..and everything else that's

-required for the next three days.

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-Syayipuma is up for the challenge!

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-The options are limited in terms

-of seeing the Rwenzori mountains.

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-The road ends here.

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-There's no cable car

-to take us to the top.

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-Most of the time, the weather's

-so bad, you can't film from the air.

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-There's only one option - walking.

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-People expect an ex-commando like me

-to be fit.

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-But climbing at this altitude

-is something else.

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-The aim is to follow in the

-footsteps of Henry Morton Stanley...

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-..the famous Welshman

-who trekked across Africa in 1889.

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-The highest summit of the Rwenzori

-bears his name - Mount Stanley.

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-In other parts of Africa, it's

-the wildlife that attracts visitors.

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-It's a real thrill

-to see rare animals...

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-..such as the desert elephants

-and the forest elephants.

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-After years of war and poaching...

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-..the elephants of the Rwenzori

-are disappearing.

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-But they sometimes leave tracks

-which prove they're still around.

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-Here is a track

-of the forest elephant.

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-One of the big mammals

-of the Rwenzori.

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-It is quite different

-from the savannah elephant...

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-..because of the size.

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-It is more dangerous...

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-..because of a lot of shootings

-that were here in 1996.

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-Most of them were killed.

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-Joseph sounds like

-he knows the elephant well.

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-He also said that he's worked here

-for eight years...

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-..and he's only twice seen one.

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-So our chances are very slim.

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-But it's exciting

-to see the tracks...

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-..and think

-there could be elephants here.

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-It'd be a tragedy to lose

-the elephants of the Rwenzori.

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-Syayipuma scouts in front of us.

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-He's on the trail of another beast.

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-A beast which scares him.

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-Every Bakonzo family has a totem...

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-..an animal that connects them

-with the spiritual world.

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-It's a strong connection...

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-..even if the creature

-is as small as this one.

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-In my language,

-it is called akaialungu.

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-This is the Rwenzori chameleon.

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-We have different clans

-with different totems...

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-..birds, animals

-and reptiles, of course.

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-There are restrictions for

-the Bakonzo in terms of the totem.

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-One of them is touching the totem.

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-For the Bakonzo, it's a taboo.

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-If I hold it...

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-..after two or three days,

-in a period of a week...

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-..I will develop a skin rash -

-scabies.

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-Please believe me, as much as

-we are too much westernized...

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-..all that culture is fading away...

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-..but somewhere in the Rwenzori,

-it is still working.

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-In my language...

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-..the impossible becomes possible.

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-Time to move on.

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-It's nice that

-the National Park authorities...

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-..have made this part of the walk

-easier.

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-We stop for lunch and mull over

-the Rwenzori's turbulent past...

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-..and the efforts to preserve

-the park and its animals.

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-Before starting the walk,

-I went to see one of the projects...

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-..which is doing just that

-lower down the park.

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-Here,

-agriculture is being established...

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-..in an area where locals sustained

-themselves by hunting wild animals.

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-Turning their back on the old way of

-life is alien to these new farmers.

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-The project gave four acres

-to the farmers - four acres...

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-..a tractor and fertilizer...

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-..to help them to grow rice.

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-The scheme creates jobs

-for local people.

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-It's hard work

-for a new recruit like me.

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-LAUGHTER

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-As they sell what they grow...

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-..they can sustain their families

-without having to hunt.

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-So the area's wildlife

-benefits as well.

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-As they're earning enough through

-the project to support themselves...

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-..they don't hunt wild animals

-any more.

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-I'm trying to keep up.

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-They do this for eight hours a day.

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-No idea how.

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-But the hard work is paying off.

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-We've seen a huge difference.

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-The people

-have come round to our side.

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-They tell us

-who is actually poaching.

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-Back on the trail,

-Syayipuma is keen to get on with it.

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-The weather is changing

-and we still have a long way to go.

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-The next few days of climbing...

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-..will take us up through

-different levels in the landscape.

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-From the savannah to rainforest...

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-..and then through areas of bamboo

-and scrub...

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-..until we reach moorland

-close to 4,000m above sea level.

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-There, we might see snow

-on the summit of Mount Stanley.

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-But that's away in the distance.

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-It's not snow that's worrying

-Syayipuma today, but rain.

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-The Rwenzori is quite unique...

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-..and different

-from other mountains in Uganda.

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-The weather is unpredictable.

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-Like now.

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-This is a very dry season.

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-So many times I've climbed

-in June, July, August...

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-..the dry season, and

-there's hardly no rainfall at all.

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-It is raining cats and dogs today!

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-No-one can be sure if the weather

-here is more changeable than before.

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-It's not only rain

-in these streams.

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-There's also meltwater

-from the glaciers near the summit.

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-Around a century ago, there were

-43 glaciers in the Rwenzori.

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-Today, more than half of them

-have disappeared.

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-Scientists are concerned

-that climate change is responsible.

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-Another big problem,

-especially in the rainy season...

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-..is this next stage.

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-It's the toughest and

-most difficult distance to walk...

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-..for today's walk.

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-From here,

-it will be about half a kilometre.

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-But, surprisingly,

-you take two hours.

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-There are many difficulties

-to overcome in the mountains.

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-There's currently another battle

-going on in the Rwenzori.

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-A battle for the chimpanzee.

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-The chimp has disappeared

-from four African countries already.

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-With numbers decreasing...

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-..the Rwenzori forest

-is one of their final strongholds.

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-But they bother local farmers...

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-..and spoil crops

-that grow near the forest.

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-The children of the Rwenzori

-need a sustainable future.

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-That's the aim of the project

-that tries to strike a balance...

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-..between agriculture

-and the mountain wildlife.

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-Every farmer here has cause

-for complaint regarding the chimps.

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-As I leave the fields each morning,

-the chimps come - and at night too.

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-They used to be fond of the maize,

-they'd pull it out the soil.

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-And the cabbage and potatoes too -

-and the fruit and beans.

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-The answer?

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-Around the traditional crops,

-they've begun planting a new plant.

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-The chimps find it so unpleasant

-that they stay away from the fields.

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-The chimps and other wild animals

-were destroying the crops.

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-The National Park tried to find

-an answer to the problem.

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-The answer was - garlic!

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-We started the Garlic Project...

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-..because the wild animals

-hated the garlic.

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-The farmers can also sell the garlic

-and make good money.

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-The scheme's transformed local

-attitudes towards the chimpanzee.

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-The farmers no longer kill them.

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-They even protect them

-from poachers.

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-We've benefited from the project.

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-The whole community

-is working with the National Park.

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-The community is ready

-to go out on patrol with us.

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-As a result,

-poaching is on the wane here now.

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-So changing minds

-with the smell of garlic...

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-..and, it must be said, some money

-to sponsor the local football team.

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-At the end of the day, everyone

-wants to raise the next Gareth Bale.

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-Subtitles

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-Day two

-of walking the Rwenzori mountains.

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-It's obvious that the wild animals

-keep their distance from humans...

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-..because of years of civil war

-and poaching.

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-This is one animal confident enough

-to make an appearance.

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-Unfortunately, even seeing

-an Ugandan blue monkey...

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-..isn't enough to raise spirits

-and energise my tired legs.

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-I've spent enough time

-in the mountains over the years.

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-Here, the combination of

-the weather, mud and steep slopes...

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-..make it a really difficult trek.

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-I'm starting to struggle a bit.

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-By nightfall, I'm very tired.

0:25:100:25:13

-Thankfully, one of the pleasures

-of camping awaits in the mountains.

0:25:190:25:24

-At the end of a long day

-of walking...

0:25:240:25:27

-..there's nothing better

-than a barbecue.

0:25:270:25:30

-However, you have to be careful

-when tasting local delicacies.

0:25:310:25:35

-They were just saying

-that a special type of yam...

0:25:380:25:42

-..makes you scratch your bum

-for a week if you eat it.

0:25:420:25:47

-The lads

-have just explained that to me now!

0:25:470:25:50

-You can't stop it!

0:25:510:25:53

-Syayipuma tells me that

-according to Bakonzo tradition...

0:25:560:26:00

-..the circle around the fire

-makes everyone equal.

0:26:000:26:03

-If you are all around the fire...

0:26:070:26:09

-..discussing

-or maybe telling stories...

0:26:090:26:12

-..we all sit uniformly.

0:26:130:26:15

-Everyone

-has a contribution to make...

0:26:160:26:19

-..and everyone

-has something to learn...

0:26:190:26:22

-..even the simple act

-of building and lighting the fire.

0:26:230:26:26

-Setting up a fire like this...

0:26:260:26:28

-..is meant to be done

-by a child in the family.

0:26:280:26:31

-It was one of the tests,

-cultural and traditional...

0:26:310:26:35

-..that would be given to the boys...

0:26:350:26:38

-..to show that you were ready

-to hold the family on your own.

0:26:380:26:42

-So, beside the fire, they would

-discuss development issues.

0:26:430:26:47

-The Bakonzo believe that,

-because they stay close to God...

0:26:470:26:50

-..in these mountainous areas,

-you can begin with them.

0:26:510:26:54

-As we climb higher, we get closer

-to the homes of the mountain gods.

0:27:000:27:04

-At this height, you don't offend

-the gods by talking about them.

0:27:100:27:16

-It's enough

-to be aware that they are nearby.

0:27:200:27:23

-In the towns, the presence of

-the Bakonzo gods isn't so obvious.

0:27:460:27:50

-It's not that the locals

-don't believe...

0:27:520:27:54

-..but there are plenty of worldly

-things to grab their attention.

0:27:540:27:58

-There's another god here...

0:27:590:28:01

-..coffee.

0:28:030:28:04

-Coffee is one of Uganda's

-main exports.

0:28:090:28:12

-Producers,

-such as Ithungu Teddy...

0:28:170:28:19

-..contribute towards a quarter of

-the money coming into the country.

0:28:190:28:24

-Ithungu works

-for a cooperative coffee company.

0:28:240:28:27

-A company that's grown

-with charitable support.

0:28:270:28:31

-Before ascending the mountain, I had

-the honour of hearing their story.

0:28:320:28:37

-The cooperative company

-is of a huge benefit to us.

0:28:400:28:47

-We plant the coffee together.

0:28:470:28:53

-We gather it together

-and go to the market together.

0:28:530:28:57

-Through this system of joint

-organization all together...

0:28:590:29:06

-..we can charge a higher price

-than a farmer who works on his own.

0:29:060:29:13

-Ithungu explained that every year,

-she sketches out her vision.

0:29:130:29:19

-What she's going to do with the

-business, her family and so on.

0:29:190:29:23

-At the start of the scrapbook, there

-are no words - she was illiterate.

0:29:230:29:27

-She's now received education.

-She can write.

0:29:280:29:31

-Her children attend colleges

-and can speak English.

0:29:310:29:35

-Life for her family

-has been transformed.

0:29:350:29:38

-The change has been astounding...

0:29:410:29:44

-..in the quality of the coffee

-and the people's quality of life.

0:29:440:29:48

-We used to dry the coffee on

-the soil and ruin it by doing so.

0:29:490:29:53

-But we've now learnt

-how to use a structure like this.

0:29:540:29:58

-And me - well, I've had the chance

-to fly to other parts of the world.

0:30:000:30:06

-It's a way of opening

-new markets for our coffee.

0:30:070:30:12

-Out of the profits from the coffee,

-we've built a hospital...

0:30:200:30:26

-..with an operating theatre.

0:30:260:30:29

-We've built new roads and bridges.

0:30:300:30:34

-And even schools.

0:30:370:30:39

-Our children are going to school,

-thanks to coffee!

0:30:420:30:48

-I have to admit...

0:30:500:30:51

-..I've often been sceptical of this

-type of micro-finance project...

0:30:520:30:57

-..especially after seeing quite

-a lot of them come to nothing...

0:30:570:31:01

-..in places like Afghanistan.

0:31:020:31:03

-But after meeting Ithungu today...

0:31:050:31:07

-..a woman who lived in a shack

-in the mountains 15 years ago...

0:31:070:31:11

-..but who now has a son

-who's about to graduate in Law...

0:31:120:31:15

-..maybe I need to rethink

-my attitude towards them.

0:31:160:31:20

-I've learnt a lot today.

0:31:210:31:22

-Wages have increased,

-and our standard of living.

0:31:250:31:30

-It's strengthened the family unit.

-There's less domestic violence.

0:31:310:31:40

-Rather than accept that everything

-belongs to the husband...

0:31:410:31:45

-..we now say that it belongs

-to us all - "Our coffee".

0:31:460:31:49

-"Our house."

0:31:500:31:51

-"Our cattle."

0:31:520:31:53

-"Our money."

0:31:530:31:54

-Possessions belong to wives, to us

-nowadays, thanks to the coffee.

0:31:550:31:58

-A strong coffee would do us

-the world of good on the trek.

0:32:190:32:23

-Day three, and with every passing

-hour, the air becomes less dense.

0:32:240:32:28

-Legs are feeling heavier.

0:32:280:32:30

-When the Bakonzo feel fed up...

0:32:360:32:38

-..they have special medicine

-to lift their spirits.

0:32:380:32:42

-Music and dancing are an integral

-part of life in the mountains.

0:32:460:32:50

-The sound of the wooden xylophone,

-the endara...

0:32:510:32:53

-..can be heard

-at weddings and funerals.

0:32:540:32:56

-Across the thick forest

-of the Rwenzori...

0:32:590:33:02

-..it's also a call for people

-to help with the community harvest.

0:33:020:33:08

-It's said that the music

-ascends towards the gods.

0:33:120:33:15

-When the crops require water, the

-rain dance can be very effective.

0:33:190:33:23

-There's comfort

-in the presence of the gods.

0:33:550:33:58

-But not all in the Rwenzori

-is a bed of roses.

0:33:590:34:02

-Man can be very cruel.

0:34:040:34:05

-This is a chimpanzee trap.

0:34:070:34:09

-We're trying to teach the villagers

-to respect the chimp.

0:34:120:34:19

-I'm sad to see one in a trap,

-as the chimp is my family's totem.

0:34:200:34:24

-It's like a brother or sister to me.

0:34:250:34:27

-We demand that the chimp

-can live in safety...

0:34:280:34:30

-..and call on the entire community

-to care for it.

0:34:310:34:37

-To succeed, it will require the help

-of the entire community.

0:34:400:34:43

-We formed this group

-of chimp scouts...

0:34:450:34:49

-..and we trained them.

0:34:500:34:51

-These are people

-who monitor the chimps.

0:34:520:34:54

-They tell us the abundance

-of chimps, locations of chimps...

0:34:540:34:58

-..and the food available.

0:34:580:35:00

-This is a trap which was found

-in the forest laid up by poachers.

0:35:010:35:07

-Some of these areas, the people

-lay traps to kill the chimps.

0:35:070:35:12

-People lay traps to kill

-monkeys and other primates.

0:35:120:35:15

-Do you know people in your area...

0:35:170:35:19

-..who lay traps for chimps?

0:35:200:35:23

-Yes - the names of some of them

-are known to us...

0:35:270:35:32

-..and we have strong suspicions

-that others are involved.

0:35:320:35:38

-They hunt the chimp...

0:35:390:35:42

-..because they just love hunting.

0:35:430:35:46

-They kill the chimp

-but not necessarily eat it.

0:35:460:35:49

-Others will eat it - a few.

0:35:490:35:51

-Others kill chimps

-to give their meat to their dogs.

0:35:520:35:57

-Some hunt chimps

-in order to sell them.

0:35:580:36:02

-Education is a slow process.

0:36:030:36:06

-What is needed

-for the chimp scheme...

0:36:060:36:09

-..is the perseverance

-evident in Ithungu's coffee project.

0:36:090:36:13

-That kind of spirit would to a lot

-of good for the Rwenzori's wildlife.

0:36:140:36:19

-.

0:36:240:36:25

-Subtitles

0:36:250:36:25

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

0:36:250:36:27

-On the Rwenzori in Uganda...

0:36:360:36:38

-..I've walked up the first two

-levels of the mountain landscape...

0:36:380:36:42

-..the rainforest

-and the bamboo level.

0:36:420:36:45

-But now, it's getting tough.

0:36:450:36:47

-I've walked

-for almost 12 hours today.

0:36:510:36:54

-I've just reached the third layer -

-the scrub.

0:36:560:36:59

-Here, 3,500 metres up, you can feel

-that the air is thinner.

0:36:590:37:05

-I have to walk a bit harder

-to keep up the pace.

0:37:060:37:10

-We're now far above any village.

0:37:120:37:15

-However, these uplands...

0:37:160:37:18

-..played a part in the battle

-for the Bakonzo's culture.

0:37:180:37:22

-The mountains supported us

-during the fight for freedom.

0:37:260:37:30

-When the enemy attacked us,

-the mountains were our escape.

0:37:300:37:34

-No-one could find us in the caves.

0:37:340:37:40

-There was a good reason

-for fleeing from the enemy.

0:37:440:37:47

-In 1964, Uganda

-was a newly-independent country.

0:37:480:37:52

-The Bakonzo were keen to form

-their own kingdom in the Rwenzori.

0:37:540:37:58

-However, soldiers from Tooro,

-a nearby kingdom...

0:38:020:38:05

-..killed thousands of the Bakonzo.

0:38:050:38:08

-They had no option but to organize

-themselves and fight back.

0:38:080:38:12

-Today, the Bakonzo leaders...

0:38:140:38:16

-..remember the sacrifices

-of the long fight for freedom.

0:38:160:38:20

-In 1982, after fighting

-in the jungle for twenty years...

0:38:220:38:27

-..we decided

-to come down from the mountains...

0:38:270:38:30

-..put down our weapons

-and agree terms with the Government.

0:38:310:38:37

-It's an honour for me to be accepted

-as a soldier amongst them.

0:38:390:38:43

-I receive a gift of a book about

-the history of the mountain war.

0:38:440:38:48

-Though the war

-ended about 30 years ago...

0:38:500:38:54

-..you can tell that the same banter

-is still evident.

0:38:540:38:58

-The type of friendship

-that only exists on a battlefield.

0:38:580:39:03

-You didn't need veteran sashes

-to know which ones were ex-soldiers.

0:39:040:39:09

-I hope that you live

-the rest of your lives in peace.

0:39:120:39:16

-MAN TRANSLATES

0:39:160:39:17

-The war for recognition is over.

0:39:210:39:23

-But the political fight

-to protect their culture continues.

0:39:230:39:28

-We work tirelessly -

-we have a just cause...

0:39:290:39:32

-..and we deserve our rights.

0:39:320:39:35

-God is with us in the battle.

0:39:360:39:37

-One day, we will realize our dream.

0:39:380:39:40

-Part of the dream, official status

-for the kingdom, is now a reality.

0:39:470:39:52

-But there's a lot more still to do.

0:39:530:39:56

-Though our kingdom

-has been recognized...

0:40:010:40:07

-..we're still putting pressure

-on the Government...

0:40:070:40:11

-..so we can benefit

-from the natural resources here.

0:40:110:40:17

-They have the right

-to raise the Rwenzururu flag...

0:40:190:40:23

-..with the Ugandan national flag.

0:40:230:40:25

-But recent clashes in Kasese

-show that tensions continue.

0:40:310:40:36

-The Bakonzo are the original

-inhabitants of the Rwenzori.

0:40:410:40:50

-Thank God for giving us

-the old mountain of our forefathers.

0:40:570:41:04

-It's the best habitat there is.

0:41:040:41:08

-There's snow on its summits.

0:41:150:41:20

-It gives us clean water to drink.

0:41:200:41:25

-There are magnificent forests...

0:41:250:41:30

-..fertile soil for our crops...

0:41:330:41:38

-..and beautiful lakes

-which give us fish to eat.

0:41:420:41:48

-We are dependent on this mountain.

0:41:490:41:52

-It sustains us all our lives.

0:41:530:41:57

-We're nearing

-the end of the journey.

0:42:110:42:14

-Unfortunately,

-the clouds are still with us.

0:42:140:42:17

-After all the effort...

0:42:180:42:19

-..we probably won't see

-the summit of Mount Stanley.

0:42:200:42:23

-But there are other marvels

-to see here.

0:42:250:42:28

-Botanical marvels.

0:42:280:42:30

-No-one can look at these

-without making an effort.

0:42:310:42:34

-But the effort makes the experience

-so much more special.

0:42:350:42:38

-The scrub grows up to six metres...

0:42:390:42:42

-..higher than anywhere else

-in the world.

0:42:420:42:45

-Here, so close to the equator

-yet so high above sea level...

0:42:470:42:51

-..the temperature varies greatly.

0:42:510:42:53

-It's summer by day

-and winter by night.

0:42:550:42:58

-There's a jewel in the crown here.

0:43:000:43:02

-People come to Africa to see

-the Big Five - the large animals.

0:43:060:43:10

-But among the plants,

-it's this, the giant lobelia...

0:43:110:43:16

-..it's the king of the jungle

-in the Rwenzori.

0:43:160:43:19

-Here, a small deer

-called the Ruwenzori duiker...

0:43:190:43:23

-..has been eating the plant.

0:43:230:43:25

-The lads said that anywhere

-you find the duiker...

0:43:260:43:29

-..a Rwenzori leopard will be nearby,

-so we'd better keep our eyes peeled.

0:43:290:43:33

-If the leopard's about,

-it's hiding in the mist.

0:43:380:43:42

-Also hiding is the summit named

-after a Welshman, Mount Stanley...

0:43:420:43:46

-..and the other mountains

-named after European kings.

0:43:470:43:50

-But Syayipuma knows them

-by their traditional names.

0:43:530:43:57

-They're the gods' ancient kingdoms.

0:43:580:44:01

-Miraculously,

-the clouds lifted at last...

0:44:030:44:05

-..to reveal the summit

-in all its glory.

0:44:060:44:09

-It is the palace.

0:44:150:44:16

-The palace

-of the king of the mountains.

0:44:160:44:21

-It is a palace

-not as it looks like a palace.

0:44:220:44:25

-It is a palace because

-in these Rwenzori mountains...

0:44:260:44:30

-..Margherita peak,

-that highest point...

0:44:300:44:33

-..meaning the king.

0:44:330:44:35

-Then, it has other mountains.

0:44:350:44:38

-Moebius and Albert.

0:44:380:44:40

-Those two are the kings' wives

-for the Rwenzururu.

0:44:400:44:46

-The Rwenzori.

0:44:510:44:53

-Sacred mountains

-if ever there were any.

0:44:570:45:00

-It's my final night

-with the Bakonzo.

0:45:160:45:19

-Time to celebrate.

0:45:190:45:21

-I do so with a group of dancers...

0:45:220:45:24

-..who take advantage

-of the freedom they now have...

0:45:240:45:28

-..to practise

-their old folk traditions.

0:45:280:45:31

-As a nation,

-we felt marginalized and useless...

0:45:330:45:37

-..because

-no-one recognized our king.

0:45:370:45:41

-Having official status has made

-a vast difference to the Bakonzo.

0:45:430:45:47

-Now, we're as happy

-as other kingdoms...

0:45:490:45:53

-..because we have

-our own king and our own kingdom.

0:45:540:45:59

-I want to give a platform

-to our traditions...

0:46:020:46:06

-..and record our own music.

0:46:060:46:10

-So here I am

-supporting the king...

0:46:110:46:14

-..who wants us

-to keep our traditions alive.

0:46:140:46:17

-Some of the old wounds

-are disappearing.

0:46:200:46:23

-Despite their terrible history...

0:46:230:46:25

-..the Bakonzo are obviously

-more confident about the future.

0:46:260:46:29

-That's a reason to celebrate.

0:46:300:46:32

-I jump high...

0:46:330:46:39

-..because I'm allowed

-to express my views.

0:46:400:46:43

-I can speak to God

-and he will listen.

0:46:440:46:48

-I can celebrate just as I want...

0:46:490:46:51

-..because the chains that bound me

-have been broken.

0:46:520:46:56

-After a glimpse of their heaven...

0:47:000:47:02

-..who could deny the people

-of the Rwenzori a kingdom on earth?

0:47:020:47:06

-Since filming this programme...

0:47:120:47:14

-..deadly fighting has returned

-to the Rwenzori mountains.

0:47:150:47:18

-Tensions with the Ugandan government

-continue.

0:47:190:47:22

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

0:47:390:47:41

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0:47:410:47:42

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