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34th Blantyre Three Peaks Walk, Malawi.  Saturday, 23rd June 2018

 

 

The Old and the Young on the Three Peaks Walk, 2018

 

The OLD - No – I do not include myself at a mere 62 as the old.  That honour belongs to Mountain Club legend Mike Petzold, one of the originators of the 3 Peaks Walk way back in 1984.  He was not trying to emulate ‘West Face’ Roschnik* who, at 75 years old, completed the Three Peaks last year.  He was out to climb Michiru and be part of the experience.  Mike, who was 79 years old ON THE DAY, takes the honour of the old.  Well done, Mike, and Happy 3 Peaks Birthday.

 

*(the first person to climb the West Face of Chambe on Mulanje)

 

THE YOUNG was Joel Rathke, who, at 11 years and one month, was attempting to become the youngest person after Joyce Tafatata (11 years and 3 months), and Lemorah Benbow (12 years 3 months), to make it.  Well, congratulations to Joel, as he made the walk with some energy to spare, and IS the youngest person to complete the Three Peaks Walk.

 

Back to the walk. After my back markers failed to show for the second time in three years (they will not be invited next year), it was fortunate I had sprayed some white paint in the Chilomoni town short cut, Michiru forestry start and beyond, and Ndirande after the Johnstones’ House.

 

MICHIRU

We had started at the usual 5 a.m., only 41 walkers this year; guess it takes a toll on those who have done it before, and they know how hard this walk is.  For me the 19th year on the trot and 18th leading it, I was worried as I had pulled a muscle in my back in the squash tournament 6 days earlier.  I asked Chinga if he could lead it if I couldn’t make it, and he duly helped with the Michiru walk.  The walk to Chilomoni township was fast, perhaps too fast.  I tried to slow the pace down a little but we entered the forestry area way ahead of time.  I stopped for a toilet break, which was a mistake as I did not see all of the walkers take the path, and walked on the path with no-one in sight as the BACK MARKER.  Fifteen minutes later I caught Joel at the back and he confirmed we were the last.  The path was brilliantly cut so no-one could go wrong (IF they were reading the instructions and not following the main group that knew the way).  Our back group reached the top at 7.56 a.m., one minute slower than the ETA, so the ones on the way to the breakfast stop must have been 5-10 minutes earlier.  A quick view and then we were all haring down trail 4 to 3 to 2.  It was a little trickier this year as some new viewpoint trails have been cut, but we reached Michiru Conservation area bang on time to see at least 15 people ahead of us

 

THE ‘MISSING WALKERS’

Sipping a well-deserved cuppa tea I was surprised to find about 10 names missing i.e. they had got lost – turns out some had gone past the turning and some had gone the way of the cross and not read the instructions.  I received a funny phone call from someone who said they were at the summit and which way should they go – left or right – which told me they were not at the summit – they were in fact on the shortcut about 1 hour and 20 minutes behind.  We waited ten minutes past the departure time and then we had to get going.  We sprayed some paint at the Swiya turn off.  Thankfully there has not been so much development except a huge one storey ‘church’ just across the river.  I really like this part of the walk – passing locals in their environment - almost as good as Chirimba Market – which we got to about 40 minutes after the turn off.  Chirimba Market just buzzes with activity – charcoal, bananas, chickens, hordes of people going up and down, and cars fitting their way in to the space between.  Reaching the Old Chileka Road there was dust and workers and road widening.  The railway is still the same though, although they have fixed the bridge – Hooray and yet… there was a certain feeling of trepidation in years gone by as we walked from sleeper to sleeper and then there was a metre gap across the drop – easy yet…now it is easy to all who have no fear of heights.

 

NDIRANDE

Thank you Dr. Maria and Frank, for letting the Finches open your house for us.  There is nothing better when your feet are sore, to sit in a nice chair in the garden, have a cuppa tea, and then go wee in a nice toilet.  Bliss!  I was warned about the Buffalo Beans and their itchy ‘stings’ but forgot to tell everybody.  Luckily I did not see any on the trail through the small forest behind the J. House.  This time there was no problem connecting to the tiny path that eventually leads to the old road above Ndirande.  It is a changing environment though.  The maize field was full of people staking claim to building houses and I have no doubt that next year there will be 20-30 houses in that area; signs of an expanding township and city (wait till we get to Limbe). The walk to the gully is always tough, a relentless walk up the path, continually gaining height and your muscles starting to seize up.  That my muscles actually did as I got to the gully was no surprise and as I passed Adrian sitting down and recovering for 5 minutes in the shade of the gully I thought ‘What a great idea to stop cramp’.  Shame I did not do that and got some bad cramp on the way through.  Johannes Rathke had once again left his brother and at that point it was just me and Joel in the gully.  Fifteen minutes on the top and we reached the others at the summit, always an amazing sight; the ever expanding Machinjiri or should I say New Machinjiri, New Machinjiri and New New New Machinjiri.  Comparing Machinjiri to Ndirande – there is a great view from the summit of the delineation between ‘water board property’ and Ndirande; It’s amazing!; one side of the road a dense mass of housing and people, and the other a house free bush zone, although in dire need of afforestation.  In future it might be a good idea to have lunch on the summit as we all could have stayed there for 30 minutes or more, rather than Kamuzu View; the walk to the view looks easy but for some reason I find this small walk absolutely knackering.

 

SOCHE

Now we all felt the worst was over and that was true enough. A steep descent on the back of the view and a short walk to Nkolokoti and then a long walk to Soche School. A quick fill up with water from Joel’s dad’s car, no wasting time, and we were off, sore feet and all.  For some reason I did not find the walk to Soche School as gruelling as usual and by the time we turned off road towards the communication dish I was only 90% wrecked.  This area is fast becoming a real middle-class area, big houses being built and only local paths to negotiate.  Which way to go with a myriad of paths.  We left the job to Pilirani as she dog-legged her way right and left, right and left.  I thought she might go the wrong way but she did a perfect job and brought us out to the school.

 

The final tea stop and realization that a second group was coming in behind us, one that perhaps had had no back up since Michiru. 

I wish I could say I did as good a job as Pilirani on Soche but a new wall put me off the route through the township and having the path cut meant that it was NOT the normal path up.  Suffice to say with the help of Chichewa speakers and our usual children helpers we made it to the top, the wonderful rocky summit of Soche in great time.  I always fear someone will fall from that summit needle but thankfully we all made it to the top and back down.  It really is a great summit for viewing Ndirande Peak.

 

To BSC

We left it to Petal to lead us down to Zingwanga side and we were off the peak in 40 minutes.  A few hardy souls like Biko and Nathan ran from Soche summit and others once we hit the road but the normal people amongst us walked in about 5.30 p.m. for a quarter chicken and rice and a beer.  The ‘ missing’ group behind came in after 7 pm after Lloyd had arrived.  Congratulations to everyone who took part.  I will rethink how we stop people getting lost for next year, and thank Phil for being a stalwart back up with the vehicle.

 

Next year it will be my 20th 3 Peaks Walk on the trot – I can’t wait…. Honestly J

Gordon Benbow

 

 

 


© WDYFO, 2018