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 |
Michiru
conservation |
Johnstones
House |
Ndirande Gully |
Kamuzu View |
Hynde
Dam |
Pioneer
Drive |
Soche
Sec.
School |
Chimwankunda
Dam |
|
Distance
travelled |
|
1 |
|
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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WDYFO, 2016