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MULANJE EXPATRIATES THREEPEAKS SOCIETY

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22nd Blantyre TPW, 25th June 2006

Every year there are several headlines that we could use for the 3 Peaks walk. This year is no exception.

Mike Winn makes it 3^rd time round

Lead group gets lost on Soche in rush to watch England play in World Cup

3 peaks invaded by superfit runners

This was my seventh time leading this walk, and the fastest despite getting lost. Marlon actually made it at 4.55 p.m. back at Blantyre Sports Club but we are banning him for one year J as he ended back at the start of the Soche hike and ran from there, a great achievement. There I go again starting at the finish and not at the start.

29 walkers started this year. Not that I counted them. Our great support person Phil Pile did, including the latecomers, as I always leave bang on five a.m. (on my watch J). For some reason it seemed darker this year, and I was slightly conscious (for about one millisecond) of our very fast pace with one 6 year old, Robert Maclellen (already a veteran of Mulanje), and a 10 year old, Caleb Hannah, in the group. Our pace didn’t slacken and although Caleb was keeping up, it was clear Robert and his mum Jenny had decided that a slower attack on Michiru was the best bet. No mistakes by me this time on the Chilimoni short cut, and we made it to the start of the climb in very good time. Two young ladies were at the back and one was struggling to keep up. This is the unfortunate thing about the 3 peaks – having to force the pace and leave people behind – who don’t know the way up properly. Next year we should consider two groups, one slower group that tackles Michiru and Ndirande in the day and one that does the 3 peaks as normal. This would need careful planning but I am sure it would be great for families and slower members.

Mike Mathias said words to the effect of ‘you sad bugger’ as we hit Michiru’ s 360 degree peak at five to seven, the time I said we should be aiming for. I had already noticed that two Mikes and Adrienne seemed to be in fine fitness, so I had high hopes that Winny would make it this time. Norbert was busy taking pictures again it would be fantastic if he publishes them again on the noticeboard at BSC. The weather was beautiful and cool and John Williams and I remarked what a great time of the day it was to be in the mountains. The views across to the escarpment were brilliant, cloud swirling in the valleys, and a great expanse of empty mountain valleys. One of the reasons we were ahead of time if anything was the fact that I cleverly stayed behind this time and let Yvonne Robb (who knows Michiru like the back of her hand) take us up the short cut that I did not know (I do now J). As I write this I smile thinking of Simon arriving full of debris at breakfast, and who obviously did not get the short cut right J.

Down for breakfast at the Conservation area – tea and coffee and biscuits care of Martin and Phil. We do think that we should have jammy dodgers next time please unless Bob Patel sponsors for the best Universal Biscuits they have. We were going to leave a few minutes early – well a few did, when Simon came running in. He and Steve Walker ( a first time 3 peaker – and still is J after lending his knee support to someone and doing his own knee in) had very kindly stayed with the slower members and he had run down to catch up. This was to be the trend to Simon’s day, always getting to the checkpoints with slower members just as we set off, and bit by bit the number of slower members dropping out until there was just Simon and Nicola at Soche – and Simon getting a lift in from Chimwankunda after doing his knee in – we sincerely hope that you are okay for the Porters’ Race on Mulanje.

Back to Michiru. The Swiya turn off is just past the entrance to Michiru and runs down to a small river. Yvonne was on the ball today and she had given me a container of ‘hash’ lime so that I could leave a few arrows to show the way to the Chileka Road. The mobile phone was proving useful with contact with Jenny and Simon as our pace was not slackening. Young Caleb or was it his dad Ryan were feeling it a bit as were others as we hit Maria and Frank Johnston’s place, again more or less on time.

The group this year were extremely fit and wanting to push on (after all – as Mike Matthias said “We can do it in 12 hours and get to see England’s World Cup match at 5.00 p.m.” The walk from Maria and Frank’s house is through a little wood and up into Maize country. A little dog leg through a field and we were onto the main path over to Ndirande township. We cut off towards the peak but it is a slog to get to start of the climb to the gully – very tiring. Still – we were up in no time and there was a large group having chocolate on the summit taking in the glorious views across to Zomba, Soche, Michiru, Machinjere, etc. Mike Winn was doing fine so we knew at this stage he was going to make it this year.

Lunch found some of us changing socks and lying down but the initiative was to get going a little earlier than usual – after half an hour lunch not three quarters of an hour. The long walk down the slope towards Hynde Dam is never pleasant but it goes quick and the main group were buzzing.

This year the walk to Soche School seemed short or was it that England’s match seemed so close? Norbert dropped out as he was with his daughter, and Y had stomach problems – two more down. Caleb and his dad seemed to disappear so that was another two gone. Next year you will make it Caleb, who at 10 years old was attempting to be the youngest person to do the 3 peaks.

Martin had difficulty reining in the walkers who wanted to be off. Subsequently there were at least three separate groups going up Soche. I would have thought that the way down to Chimwankunda was straight forward enough but the group of Ben, Maggie, Bryan, Mike Moore, Mike Matthias, Jimmy and Jenny, and Kate did not wait – they just upped and went down – only to find themselves lost for 45 minutes in thick bush. By the time we reached close to the dam the other group was arriving and Jimmy (who had gone running off by himself) too. Our little group was now late for the England match and decided to run it to BSC. At various stages of running led by Matthias (looking fitter than I had seen him for a long time) and Kate we made it for England’s first half performance between 5.15 and 5.30 – still a fantastic time – with the rest of the group coming in about 6.00 p.m.

All in all one of the best 3 peaks I have done and certainly very enjoyable. Well done to everyone who took part especially those who made it the whole way. Well done Caleb and young Robert for your attempts. Keep it up. Certificates will be put on the noticeboard at BSC and photos can be obtained from Norbert (see noticeboard for details)

Thanks once more to the back-up team of Martin and Phil for all the help and encouragement. We really appreciated it. The statistics below show the approximate distances covered. 31 walkers at various stages and maybe a name not on the list but 13 ‘proper’ finishers, although several missed the Chimwankunda Dam stop (100 m away) so that we could get to the soccer match.

See you next year for more fun.

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

Gordon Benbow

42 km

Mike Winn

42 km

Adrienne

Ferguson

42 km

Maggie O’Toole

42 km

Leo Vigne

42 km

John Williams

42 km

Brian O’Toole

42 km

Roland Hogenschule

42 km

Mike Moore

42 km

Jimmy Bisese

42 km

Janie Hayes

42 km

Kate Prottey

42 km

Mike Matthias

42 km

Yvonne Robb

42 km

Dr. Simon

38 km

Nicola

38 km

Marlon

42 km

Ryan Hannah

28 km

Caleb Hannah

28 km

Olly Jeffers

28 km

Johanna

Roesch

4 km

Norbert Roesch

28 km

Michael Hable

24 km

Steve Walker

19 km

Jenny Maclennen

19 km

Robert Maclennen

19 km

Dan Harper

19 km

Nus?

19 km

Lady walker

12.5 km

Miriam Horrocks

8 km

Martin Horrocks

8 km

Marlon ran back to the start of Soche and then to BSC – he definitely did the 3 peaks but not the standard route