First Blantyre Three Peaks Walk. 28 August 1983
· From a walker's point of
view
The idea evolved
earlier in the year when some of us were restoring ourselves at the Mulanje
Club after a good trip up the mountain. In the happy aftermath, it seemed to be
an excellent idea to have something similar to the Yorkshire Three Peaks Walk
to cover Michiru (1,473m), Ndirande (1,612m) and Mount Soche (1,533m) in the
Blantyre area.
During the months that
followed Ian Mason, assisted by a few devoted helpers, reconnoitred a practical
route.
It was felt that it
would be best to hold the walk in the cool season and a date was therefore
fixed for a Sunday at the end of August. As the walk measured approximately 26
miles, it was also felt desirable to make a very early start to make the best
use of daylight.
Eventually the great
day dawned and six lunatics assembled themselves at the Blantyre Club at 5
o'clock in the morning. We hung around for the seventh but he did not
materialise so we set off at 5.10am. Walking through Chilomoni in the cool of
the morning, we set a cracking pace and were on top of Michiru at 6.55am, three
quarters of an hour ahead of schedule and before the arrival of the helpers
with breakfast. A cryptic note was left at the road head. After a brief pause
at the summit for liquid refreshment, we descended in fine style to Mountain
Park Headquarters, there to be met by Petzold who, late as usual, missed the
start.
About a mile further
on, we met up with a somewhat agitated support team who gave us breakfast. We
then set off via Swiya village for Ndirande. The combined group of seven were
met by astonished stares from the villagers as they passed.
The leader brought the
party to a halt out of sight of the Johnstons' swimming pool for a rest,
knowing full well that he would have had difficulty in getting the party past
it if he had stopped at it. We then went on to tackle Ndirande in the heat of
the day and it soon became clear that two of the party were making heavy
weather of this. The leading group reached the summit of Ndirande (5,279ft) at
about 11am where the marshal had very thoughtfully taken up some very welcome
Greens. These provided the necessary stimulus to carry the party down to lunch
at Kamuzu View.
After a very long and
welcome lunch break, the party turned for Mount Soche. At Nkolokoti Village, we
met up with Gordon Beldon who had retired after completing Ndirande, and Mike
Pardoe who had also stopped there. Mike rejoined the party. The walk across to
Soche Secondary School was very uneventful. Here there was a long pause to take
liquid refreshment. The ascent of Mount Soche went remarkably well. At the summit
we were met by Commissioner Green who had surveyed the route for us through the
rain forest.
We set off from Mount
Soche in good order and were met at Chimwankhunda dam and greeted by an
enthusiastic crowd of supporters and local residents.
From there it was just
a matter of slogging down Kapeni Road and Mount Pleasant to get back to the
club. The party summoned up their last reserves of energy that existed to
stagger up the final excruciating hill slope alongside the golf course to the
club where they collapsed with great relief and were administered several
restorative Greens. Ian "Mad Axeman" Mason
· From a marshal's view
Stumbling about in the
pitch dark laden with baskets of maps, first-aid kits, water bottles and beer
is not my idea of how to start a Sunday morning, but it was all happening on 28
August.
After seeing off the
six stalwarts at 5.10am a pause for breath and a reviving cup of coffee were
indicated so, after making a quick spot check on them in Chilomoni, this was
the plan. Panic! They were hurtling along in the rising dawn as though they had
a train to catch. The car now transformed into a mobile
bar/cafeteria/left-luggage office, we zoomed up Michiru — I'm thinking of
doing the East African Safari next year — certain we'd find them around
the next corner. We didn't. Helen scuttled up to the beacon while Pat Moss
turned the car and discovered, by chance, a note saying they had gone through
at 6.55am! It was now 7.20am. A reverse performance of the manic drive ensued,
and we finally caught up with them on the road near the Michiru Forest Park,
where we discovered they had increased and multiplied. That was the first
breakfast/beer stop.
A rather more sedate
ride to the railway line saw them safely over and heading, still at a cracking
pace, for Ndirande. Another pause to take on fluid at the Johnstons' house
— one of them not going so well now — in the blazing sun. Belt to
Graham's to say 'move out fast', then frantic phone calls to all marshals
putting forward their starting time by an hour — we're having difficulty
keeping up!
Pausing only to
collect the dog and the sword stick, 'just in case', another wild drive up
Ndirande put the mobile service station just short of Kamuzu View. Ndirande
police had very kindly put a constable on the top, and we passed the time of
day with me clinging grimly to the dog's collar.
The walkers seemed to
take an inordinately long time to get off Ndirande, but eventually they did,
and partook of a semi-liquid lunch before disappearing in the direction of Hynde
Dam. Two of the walkers cadged a lift, as one had gone lame, and off we set to
meet the team — Mike and Theresa, Bernard and Marjorie, Dave, John B,
Edith, Ivan — at the dam.
The lads sprinted
through and the marshals scrambled, leapfrogging through Limbe, with everything
going like clockwork, to the foot of Soche, where John Green, Liz and Richard
were at the top. A few of the marshals joined the trip, just for fun, and
hooter signals advised the summit party how many to expect. At least, that was
the theory — the hooter got hiccups half way through and we had to start
again! John seemed to think he'd got the right number.
Then the convoy rolled
around to Chimwankhunda Dam, where we parked John B in his bright yellow kombi
and brighter orange shirt in the middle of the dam wall as a beacon. He was
just the teeniest bit put out at having his pitch invaded by all the other
marshals and tramped off to meet the team, while we had a quiet beer in the
afternoon sunshine, surrounded by a horde of wondering children — until
we let the dog out — whereupon they vanished! Eventually a veritable
Halley's comet appeared over the crest, followed by two from an entirely
unexpected direction, having apparently decided to vary things a bit by taking
a deviation. More beer was hastily consumed.
The crates were taking
rather a hammering by now, and off we set again, leapfrogging through
Zingwangwa and Mount Pleasant to the final checkpoint at Smythe Road —
John B's again! — where we all gathered to see them through before following
the triumphant procession to the club, where more celebratory beer was
consumed. Frankly, I don't know who was more exhausted — the walkers or
me — but we all agreed that it had been a marvellous day. Pauline
"Polygon" Green
Participants: The four that made the entire walk
were Ian Mason, Barry Quinn, Hans Salvamoser and Kevin Ward. Gordon Beldon
dropped out as mentioned earlier. Mike Pardoe climbed all three peaks but
missed out a section from Kamuzu View to Nkolokoti Village. Mike Petzold did
the walk from Mountain Park Headquarters back to the club. It took the party
exactly 11 hours.
These articles were
originally written for and published in the MMC newsletter
©
WDYFO, 1983