Dogny Plateau Trail

ROUTE DESCRIPTION
D Car park: head towards the hotel (west). After about 150 m, turn right and pass the entrance gate to the hotel. Turn left at the first intersection (there are tennis courts to the right). Turn right and stay level. At the intersection, go down towards the river in front of you and then turn left. Cross an old fence and climb as far as the information board.

1 Information board (GPS: 589 403 – 7 607 066; alt. 159 m): continue along the grassy track that slopes gently upwards through rural countryside (a coffee plantation) on the right bank of the Xwê Wya. Reach another intersection.

2 Intersection: go straight ahead and continue to the next fork. Leave the main track and turn right towards the trail that enters a small forest. Cross a creek and climb up the deforested hill. Stay level before descending into the forest towards the Xwê Wya. Cross it (GPS: 589 566 – 7 607 971) and start climbing again. Go back down to another creek and cross it. Climb a few more muddy twists and turns until you reach a hilltop clearing (GPS: 589 771 – 7 607 988). Turn left to follow the rounded ridge that climbs to the Mërë Uki (cleared undergrowth, frequent game). The trail winds up the slope until it reaches a gap in the vegetation.

3 Xwê Wya Valley viewpoint (GPS: 589 901 – 7 608 753): continue climbing in a northerly direction. At an altitude of about 700 m, the trail curves to the north-east and then emerges at the edge of the open plateau.

4 Arrive at the plateau (GPS: 590 570 – 7 608 914; alt. 956 m) (information board): continue north for about 50 m (start of the tricky area in misty weather). Turn right (east) following the main path along the edge of the plateau. At the intersection, turn left and then descend (north/north-east) towards the open combe. Cross a creek and then turn right at the next intersection (the path that climbs to the north-west is a shortcut). Go down into the burnt forest.

5 Convergence of creeks (GPS: 591 587 – 7 609 271) (table): follow the creek downstream, sometimes passing the right bank, sometimes the left (in rainy weather). Arrive at another convergence of creeks.

6 Waterfall (GPS: 591 981 – 7 609 199; alt. 903 m): cross carefully using the safety rope (in rainy weather). Climb straight ahead to come out of the thalweg and walk along the wooded ridge towards the Némëré (follow the markers because orientation is tricky). Arrive at a bamboo grove “drowned” in the forest.

7 Bamboo: continue to climb in stages until you reach a fork south of the flat-topped summit of the Némëré.

8 Flat-topped summit (GPS: 592 627 – 7 609 912; alt. 1,058 m): turn left (the trail to the right (north-east) leads to the Bwara and Ema tribes near Canala) towards the long wooded ridge that surrounds the plateau (note: follow the markers). Gradually descend until you reach a pass and a spring.

9 Water point (GPS: 592 206 – 7 610 119; alt. 1,024 m): climb up to the wide, rounded ridge to the west (northern edge of the plateau). Emerge on a flat summit topped with a clearing.

10 Summit (GPS: 591 670 – 7 610 287; alt. 1,056 m) (unobstructed view of Canala): descend steeply south-west towards another pass and then go back up to a small, bare summit.
11 Viewpoint (GPS: 590 890 – 7 610 036; alt. 1,062 m) (viewpoint to Canala Bay): continue straight ahead to the edge of the ridge and then turn left at a small grassy knoll towards the creek visible below.

12 Creek: cross a culvert and then climb up to the western edge of the plateau. Cross a small, marshy combe below the Dö Nyi. Following the edge of plateau, you’ll come to a hillock that overlooks the west side and the foothills.

13 Viewpoint (GPS: 590 567 – 7 609 045): from here, return to the start of the descent at the edge of the plateau.

4 Start of the descent: follow the same route back down to the car park.

© Text by Jean Francis Clair