Climbing Mount Mulanje

We planned our entire trip to Malawi around hiking Mount Mulanje.  Most people mentioned the mountain when we said we were traveling through the country so we made it a priority.  After a good bit of research we knew the path we wanted to take, we just needed a guide.

We picked up our bags from the Hapuwani Lodge and were on our way to get a minibus when a guide, Simon, showed up looking for his clients.  While we weren’t his clients, he offered to give us a lift once we told him we were headed to InfoMulanje to find a guide.  Upon arrival, we found out the information center was closed (for no apparent reason as it was within business hours).  The clients he was looking for were there and we chatted with them about their plan as well as their guide.

 

Before long, Simon reappeared and was ready to give us advice.  We told him our plan with a slight change as both guides we’d talked to mentioned their favorite route was down to the Boma.  While he wasn’t overly excited with the plan, he called over the guy that would be our guide, Chancy.  We discussed our plan with him and the logistics of our bags and he really liked our idea.  He said it’d give us the chance to see 2 sides of the mountain.

After confirming our plans, the 3 of us headed to the store to get supplies.  We had bought some things in Blantyre, but weren’t sure about cooking pots at the huts so wanted to wait for dinner items.  After visiting 2 shops and the local market, we were set.  We rearranged our bags and had only the items we wanted up on the mountain.  Everything else was jammed into our small bags and left at InfoMulanje.

Simon, who turned out to work as a taxi on the side, drove us all to Likhubula as that would be our starting point the next morning.  We’d made a reservation at the Likhubula Hiker’s Nest the night before and would be on the doorstep of the start of the path.  Chancy agreed on our suggested start time of 6:30 am so he’d show up just after breakfast and we’d set off.

 

Day 1

We stopped by the park office on our way to the start of the trail to get our receipt for the hut payment.  As we followed the Chapaluka path, our first stop was the Dziwe wa Nkalamba waterfall, which translates to elderly people.  The mountain has several beliefs about spirits and it is said that an elderly person could be seen sitting on a nearby boulder, but would disappear if approached.  We carried on upwards and passed women and children cutting down trees and carrying firewood down the mountain.  Even though the area is a forest reserve, there are exceptions to allow the villagers access to some wood.

 

 

Our next stop was where the Likhubula River crossed our path.  As we sat, countless people walked in front of us with their firewood.  It is extremely impressive the amount of weight that they were able to carry on their heads, but we’ve been told many times that they start practicing when they’re young.  Some of the children were less than 10 years old and looked quite experienced.  Not much further up we took another break to enjoy the view below.  There was a slight haze beneath us, but there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

 

 

The path crossed the firebreaks at some points and followed them at others.  Along the way, we passed several people who were on the mountain with the purpose of clearing them.  We had lunch on the edge of the Chambe Basin at a pool of water just before a waterfall.  As we were hot from hiking, we looked forward to jumping into the water.  Once we were in, we realized it was freezing cold water so we cooled off quickly and then got out.

 

After lunch, the path really started to climb.  It was best not to look ahead and see what was coming.  Our bags felt heavier and heavier with each step.  The fauna changed as we got higher and we entered a more green, lush section.  There were blue monkeys jumping from tree to tree and different colored butterflies around us.  We passed columns of timber that Chancy explained were left over from poachers.  The type of cedar tree that grows on Mt. Mulanje is unique to the area and many want it to make furniture although it is illegal.  Some pieces of wood had holes while others had been dropped as they were chased off the mountain by patrolmen.

 

 

 

We took one last break at the turnoff where we’d go the following day.  We’d been warned about the last bit before reaching the hut and he wasn’t kidding.  The incline was even more pronounced and each step was slower than before.  We stopped to enjoy the view a few times, which also allowed us to catch our breath.  Then, we took a few steps downhill and Chancy whistled with cheer.  We could see the Chisepo hut in the valley below.

 

 

 

It felt great to take our packs off and know the next time we’d put them on they’d be lighter.  We almost immediately cooked dinner while chatting with other hikers.  Just before bed, Chancy came to coordinate a start time for the next day.  He sat us down next to the fire and told us stories of the mountain.  The light of the fire flickered in the background as he talked about the spirits and the many people that have disappeared from the mountain.  It is said that a person per year is taken from the mountain.  We could be considered fortunate though as 2 people had already lost their lives this year.

 

 

We were in our sleeping bags in front of the fire by 7:30 pm.  About an hour later, we were awoken by a group arriving.  The hut watchmen fed the fire when they arrived and then again just before 5 am.  That was everyone’s alarm to get up and move.  We’d all be climbing Sapitwa, the highest peak, that morning.  The meaning of the name actually means ‘don’t go there’ hence all the stories about spirits and the reactions we’d gotten when we told people we were climbing.

Day 2

Chancy had briefed us on the hike saying we’d be going up and more up before having to scramble and maneuver to the top.  He wasn’t joking about any of it.  The incline started immediately as we left the hut.  It resembled stairs at first before changing to stepping over rocks as we weaved upwards.  Then came the sheer rock incline.  We used the grip of the rock combined with the soles of our shoes and worked up 45 degree rock slabs.  There were times we were on all fours to make sure we had the best grip.  Between breaths, I asked if we’d be coming down the same way and the answer was yes.  For now, the focus was reaching the top.

 

The first half was the hardest as from that point we curved around what looked like the summit to head to the actual peak.  It leveled off some, but involved ducking under boulders, climbing over rocks and finding the exact footing to not fall down the mountain.  The landscape changed with the altitude and when we turned a corner, we could see the top of Sapitwa.  At first glance, there was a sheer rock wall in our way, but we walked to the right and found the path.  Around and up and we were there; the highest peak in Central Africa!

 

 

 

 

 

We spent some time at the top looking at the views below us while having snacks and tea.  Clouds started to form beneath us and before long they covered the mountain below us.  Chancy said it was time to go so we started to make our way down.  We reached the fog, but it wasn’t bad.  The visibility was still good so finding the path wasn’t hard.  The going down wasn’t as hard as the ascent, but still difficult as it was technical.  You had to place your feet just right to not slip and fall.  It was a good thing neither of us are afraid of heights because looking down and seeing where’d you fall was quite intimidating.

 

 

 

We sat and scooted down at some points and leaned into the mountain at others.  The hardest part came and went quickly, but it was still slow moving to get the right footing.  We reached the hut in good time and had lunch before moving on.  The hike to the summit had been done with only smalls bags for snacks and cameras, but now it was time to carry our big packs again.

 

 

 

 

The hike from Chisepo hut to Lichenya hut would take about 3 hours.  Our legs were feeling the effects of the previous day’s hikes and the summit that morning.  We took the same trail from the day before to the turnoff and then headed South.  For the most part, we went downhill although we did go up over several hills to make it to the next downward slope.  The trail was between yellow grass plains, but we could see the forest of Linchenya in the distance.  We made it to our hut, which had the North peak as its backdrop and was nestled in the trees.

 

 

 

Our routine was similar to the day before.  We cooked and almost immediately crawled in.  Several hours later a thunderstorm blew in and the rain woke us up.  Before long, there was dripping water near us.  We didn’t worry about it until a drop landed on my nose.  With our headlamps, we found a dry space in another room and crawled back in.  The rain continued for most of the night and left behind a thick fog.  Our plan was to get up early to walk in the sunrise, but that changed due to the conditions.  We stayed in bed a bit longer in hopes that it would pass.

 

Day 3

Chancy came in with hot water just after 6 am.  The fog and mist were still outside, but it looked like it might clear.  We ate breakfast, which happened to be baby porridge as the normal maize porridge we make wasn’t sold in Mulanje.  Into the fog we went and before long the path was overgrown.  We were following a firebreak that hadn’t been cleared since the rainy season and there were ferns and tall grass everywhere.  Chancy led us and tried to clear the path with a stick as best he could.  From the rain the night before, we were wet from the knee down.

 

As we worked our way through the fog, it got windier and started to rain at one point.  We put on our rain jackets and continued on.  There wasn’t much to see around us as the fog was so thick.  We debated trying to wait it out, but decided to keep going as there wasn’t anywhere to hide from the conditions.  Once we made it further down, we started to get out of the cloud.  There was a view of Mulanje Boma beneath us and the sun was shining down below.

 

We worked our way down a complicated slope and used the plants to help with our footing.  About halfway down, the clouds had disappeared and our clothes dried in the sun.  We could see the city below and headed on that general direction.  The path was steep downhill and we were glad we were on the way down and not up.  We took a break at a river crossing amongst the trees before making our final descent.  As we exited the trees, we were surrounded by a tea plantation.  We walked through the Chitakale Tea Estate as the workers handpicked the tea leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

We reached the main road and ended the walk back to InfoMulanje to gather our belongings.  The office was closed again, but we called the right person to have it opened.  Chancy had been a great guide and we wanted to thank him so as his tip we bought him a bag of maize.  We walked across the street to the scale and made sure it was 50 kgs and finished the transaction.  He helped us find a place to stay near the main road and we parted ways.

 

 

The hike was the most challenging and technical that either of us had ever done, but that also made it that much more rewarding.  The views from the top were stunning and we got to learn more about life in the village from Chancy.  It was definitely worth the effort it took to travel back South in Mozambique and would be great to explore more in the area with the time.

 

Helpful tips:

• Huts have mattresses and ask your guide for plates, cups, utensils if you don’t have them.  He can also arrange a pot from the hut watchman.
• Download the Hiking Guide by the Mountain Club of Malawi for the best information.  Also, check their Facebook to see if they have a trip going when you’re there.
• If you need an amazing guide, contact Chancy at (0) 99 233 9354 or chancymvu2015@gmail.com.