37th Blantyre Three Peaks Walk, Malawi. 26 June 2021
A record breaking 3 Peaks challenge
This Three Peaks Walk was the
most difficult of my 23 Three Peaks Walks in many ways; for me personally, for
the numbers involved, and for the future viability. This is my penultimate
time, the 21st time leading the walk (actually I need to check – it may be the
22nd time)
If you read last year’s Three
Peaks’ write-up, then you will see that we had over 60 with no advertising.
This year’s was a record breaker, almost 100. I knew this year that the
Paediatric unit at Queens was going to use the 3 Peaks as a fundraiser, and I
was okay with that as we had done this fundraiser before with no hitches. I think, in retrospect, I should have
discussed with their organising committee more but in hindsight I did not know
the numbers would be so high.
This time was different from the
others; I usually lead off and Fanwell comes at the
back. This year my right knee was bad,
and I hoped to complete Michiru ONLY. Vincent was the back marker and I stuck myself
in the middle.
We left at 5 a.m. on the dot –
and as 5 a.m. approached cars were still arriving. A beautiful time to start walking; a few
cars, a few people, a few runners confirming what we know, that more and more
Malawians are becoming serious walkers/runners.
Straightforward
this year; everyone up for it and walking fast. I
gauge my own fitness by the time I arrive on Michiru;
usually by 6.50 a.m. This year I was
there at 6.55 a.m., so I was very pleased.
Time for some to take photos; great 3600 views and
mist clearing.
You just cannot walk it down to Michiru conservation office. No matter how hard you try the
slope gets steeper until you eventually have to at least jog. Even so there
were plenty of walkers there well before me. My beautiful back up, wife Demelza, was well organized and had tea, water, biscuits,
crisps, fruit ready. It is hard to say how much we rely on the back up; to get
the bags out, serve and sign in, pack up, wait, and phone stragglers, drop
people off, and then get to the next check point on time.
The difficulty with so many
people now becomes obvious; how long can we wait for others to come in and how
long can my back up wife wait before she has to leave to join us at the
Johnson’s House. Still – a chance to
relax. Drink tea and chat with some of the walkers –– always eternally
grateful.
I really enjoyed the walk this
year to Swiya, across the river and through the
ever-changing villages towards Chirimba. The main
difference I see now is lots of motorbikes and fewer bicycles making their way
down the small roadways. Chirimba market was as manic
and chaotically wonderful as always, a great insight into Malawian society;
cars, bikes, motorbikes, driving through hordes of people, fruit, meat,
hardware, you name it, it was there. More building work pushed us even further
right before we were able to get on the railway lines on the Old Chileka Rd. and onto the Johnstone’s house, an idyllic
house in the middle of the lower Ndirande slopes.
This year Maria’s husband, Frank
Johnston died. Our thoughts are with
her. She was as hospitable as always - our grateful thanks for the water and
use of her loo in her in her amazing house.
Almost 40 years now.
We waited at Maria’s house longer
than we wanted. People needed access to their bags. Amazingly despite the huge
numbers Demelza made it. I was still walking and had
not yet dropped out – doped up on Brufen and we were
off through the woods, onto the very small footpath, up the fields onto an even
narrower path and finally joining the old road to Ndirande.
I am not sure how others felt as
we pushed onto the steep road up to the path that takes you to the gully, but I
was ‘dead man walking’. This was the hardest moment for me in the whole walk-
pushing myself up that hill, and then hiking up the steep slope and into the
gorge, pulling up on stony grips and dragging myself to the summit. Tough! Lots of walkers seemed relaxed and
happy; for me I did not want to stop – pain and exhaustion don’t go well
together.
Across
the saddle and down (and up) to the radio mast; a short break then down to Nkolokosi and through to Hynde
Dam. We were relatively ‘going like the ‘clappers’’. Demelza managed to find everyone near Speedy’s
garage for a water stop. By then I had been ‘resurrected’ by an energy drink
and two bottles of coke. It really is amazing what sugar can do when your
energy levels are low.
Arriving at Soche
School some hours and a bit later never has a cup of tea tasted so good. With a bit of TLC from Maryke’s
friend on the climb to Soche (I was having a blood
pressure drop) I managed to join the others on the summit of Soche and drag myself back to BSC. What a trip. Well done everyone for doing
whatever you did, whether Michiru only or the whole
48.5 km walk.
Martin Horrocks was a remarkable
teacher at SAIntS for 18 years. During his time in Malawi he led the School
Mountain Club for 18 years, was Chair of the Mountain Club of Malawi for 10
years and led the Three Peaks Walk for several years until I took over in 2001.
Gordon Benbow
© METHS, 2021