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MULANJE EXPATRIATES THREEPEAKS SOCIETY

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21st Blantyre TPW, 20th June 2005

 

There were several headlines that we could have used:

Youngest completes 3 peaks walk

Cramp hits Winnie again

Two families on 3 peaks

 

My sixth time leading this walk, and it does not get any easier.

 

This year’s 3 peaks was the not the fastest I have done (that was last years), but we did set a record for the youngest person to complete the walk, Aaron Hanson, at 11 years and 4 months (I think).  23 walkers bang on five a.m., heading out in the dark through Blantyre’s deserted streets.  Our fast pace continued all the way to Chilimoni as the sun’s rays were coming up, and then I took a wrong turning (new house built put me off – my excuse).  It was all in my master plan as it allowed the stragglers to catch up.  Yvonne took one of her neat short cuts and together she and I reached the top around 7.05, slightly down on the normal time.

 

Michiru’s 360 degree view is famous for its panorama of the Blantyre area and I have to say it is fantastic at 7.00 in the morning.  One could stay there for hours taking it all in but we only had a few minutes before we were leaving behind the views of Mulanje and its inspiring peaks, and Zomba Plateau, Chiradzulu, Ndirande, and the hills towards Sucoma plantation.

 

Phil Pile was helping Martin this year and it was great to hit the biscuits, tea, water, bananas, etc.  Everyone was making good time and we were all together when we set off for Swiya – no pregnant women to get lost this year (come back Demelza – but please – no more babies)

 

The Swiya turn off is just past the entrance to Michiru and runs down to a small river.  We used a ‘as you turn make sure you signal to the others’ to make sure no-on missed the turning to the small river crossing.  Over the stones and up through the local villages, always rechecking the way (good to have a Chichewa speaker with us – thanks Alex).  The locals were busy as always, small kids running and playing happily, locals cheerfully saying hello, even though we are a bit of a sight, mainly Mzungus walking as if they were being chased.  Through Chirimba? over the old Chileka Rd. and onto the railway line.  No problem for the front markers, who were 5-10 minutes ahead of the rest at this stage.  Over the dodgy railway sleepers at the bridge and, would you believe it, a TRAIN appeared, just as John Williams was approaching the bend.  Hasty manoeuvres for a ‘trained’ walker, ‘steaming’ away from the danger.

 

Of course we did not know of the impending train disaster as we were supping tea on the lawn at Maria’s and Frank’s place.  Sounds very posh, except that smelly socks were strewn everywhere, as people gave their feet chance to cool off, and bodies were strewn across the grass, waiting for the chance of a decent loo.  Everyone was together when we left, and a few new walkers, Mike and Jenny and Elspeth joined us.

 

The hardest peak, Ndirande, really does separate the group.  Not just with the climbing to and up the gully but the actual walk to the gully saps the energy as the sun starts to get the sweat glands going.  Bananas were the order of the day and it was every small group for themselves to get to the top.  Another amazing 360 degree view to compare with Michiru, but with the haze cannot compete.  We tried turning to the left on Maggie’s advice on descending the peak, and it was slightly shorter to the Lunch stop.  Mike Winn came in with others but we could not convince him to continue.  The cramps had taken their toll once more.

 

The group, as a whole, was doing remarkably well and with only Mike and Steven gone, we were in high spirits on the downward route to Hynde Dam.  By the time we got to Soche there were many tired legs and exhausted bodies. Martin once more led the way up and down Soche.  John, and Marcel, and Romana really suffered going up the bush to Soche summit but there was no going back.  Well done you guys for keeping going.  We lost a few people on the way to Chimwankunda but we all reunited for the last tea stop with Phil.  One challenge left for me and Jonathan Hanson and that was to run the last 5 km to BSC.  No problem thought I as I collapsed at the bar in BSC. 

 

Many good photos were taken by Norbert of the trip and are available from him (see new notice board at BSC for details).  I have a copy on CD if Norbert is not around.

 

Thanks once more to the back-up team of Martin and Phil.  The statistics below show the approximate distances covered.

 

Gordon Benbow

 

No.

Name

Michiru

Summit

Michiru conservation

Johnstones House

Ndirande

Gully

Kamuzu

View

Hynde Dam

Pioneer Drive

Soche

Sec. School

Chimwankunda Dam

Blantyre Sports Club

Distance travelled

 

1

Gordon Benbow

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

2

Mike Winn

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

û

û

û

û

û

24 km

 

3

Romana Hajat

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

4

Corey Harthoorn

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

5

Norbert Roesch

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

6

John Williams

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

7

Yvonne Robb

ü

ü

ü

û

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

8

Dr. Simon

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

9

Maria

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

10

Janeka

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

11

Marcel Schutgens

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

12

Emile Schutgens

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

13

Maurica Schutgens

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

14

Mr. Hanson

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

15

Jon. Hanson

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

16

Claire Hanson

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

17

Aaron Hanson

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

18

Steven Visser

ü

ü

ü

û

û

û

û

û

û

û

19.5 km

 

19

Alex Kabambe

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

20

Gonke

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

21

Sally

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

22

Claire

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

23

Maggie O’Toole

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

42 km

 

24

Mike Moore

û

û

û

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

û

16 km

 

25

Jenny Maclennen

û

û

û

ü

ü

û

û

û

ü

ü

10 km

 

26

Cal Maclennen

û

û

û

û

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

18 km ?

 

27

Elspeth Robson

û

û

û

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

û

16 km

 

28

Martin Horrocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ü

ü

ü

8 km

 

 

 

 


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