Kola Gorges

Near the village of Kola south of Ngaoundere a river has cut down through the basalt of the Adamawa plateau into a set of narrow gorges, with vertical rock walls, columnar jointing exposed in places, pools along the bed and trees clinging to the ledges. It is walked along the bottom in the dry season, scrambling over rock between the pools, with the walls closing overhead. The site is not developed and there is no signage; guides come from the village and the track in is rough. After heavy rain the gorge floods and becomes impassable and dangerous, so it is a dry-season place, and the pools are used for swimming when the water is low.

What you actually see

• Narrow basalt gorges - vertical rock walls along the river.
• Columnar jointing in the rock - the structure of the old lava exposed.
• Pools along the gorge floor - the water between the rock steps.
• Walking the bed - the route between the walls in the dry season.

When to go

November to March, the dry season, when the gorge floor can be walked. Half a day. Never enter after rain; the gorge floods fast.

Honest expectations

Flash flooding is a genuine danger and the gorge should not be entered in unsettled weather. There is no signage, no facilities and no rescue. The track in needs four-wheel-drive and a guide. Rock is slippery throughout.

Nearby

Ngaoundere is north; the Vina falls lie between them.