Malawi’s Island in the Sky

Sixty-six kilometres from the Malawi commercial capital Blantyre, the Mulanje Mountain sprouts from the lush-green tea plantations and rises high into the skies. The highest point, Sapitwa (which literally means unreachable) is at 3,002 metres above sea level, the highest point in southern central Africa.

For the adventurer, Mulanje Mountain, which is fondly referred to as The Island in the Sky, is the next destination. It bears the monicker from the peaks that form ‘islands’ on the massif.

It was around six o’clock in the morning when I, together with my guide Albert Marumo, set out from the Likhubula Forestry Lodge, where I spent the night. From a curios vendor near the lodge, I got a sturdy hard-carved Mulanje cedar walking stick and began the four hour hike to one of the more than 20 peaks on the mountain, Chambe. The peak is perched at 2,500 metres above sea level.

It was an idyllic hike of great views of the world miles below and a trek through evergreen forests in the river valleys, deep trenches and gorges. Along the way, springs of fresh waters helped us cool ourselves as Marumo told me the stories of the arcane mountain.

Apart from a hut at Chambe, where we spent the night, there are huts at Chizama, Sombani, Minunu, Thuchila, Madzeka, Lichenya and Chisepo where visitors can spend a night in the mountain. Ideally, it takes at least three days—a night at one of the huts on the way up and another on the way down—to Sapitwa and back to the foot.

One thing that will strike you at Chambe is the presence of beautiful shrubs sprouting from cracks in the big rocks. The basin is also characterised with the Mulanje cedar, which is endemic to the massif and was declared Malawi’s national tree in 1984.

A guide like Marumo, as you hike, will show you and name plants and animal species that are endemic to the mountain. That day, he spotted, among others, the pygmy chameleon (Nadzikambia mlanjesis), which is only found on the mountain. The mountain is rich in biodiversity, with over 500 indigenous plant and animal species, owing to its ‘isolated’ geographic location.

The mountain, which covers about 650 square kilometres, among the locals has so many mystery tales. The highest peak, Sapitwa bears its name from the local belief that it was ‘unreachable’. Fable has it that there were ‘spirits’ up the mountain that would take up those who tried to get to the summit.

One pool on the mountain, Dziwe la Nkhalamba (The old woman’s pool), has a tale of a mysterious old woman who appeared and disappeared from the pool. The local communities, who are largely Lhomwe, Yao and Mang’anja people, mostly believe the mountain is closely guarded by spirits.

Since childhood, I have heard stories of ‘spirits’ that would appear and disappear at whim for strangers who go up the mountain. Of strange food you would find by the roadside, food which only you had to eat without inviting your friends, lest you are taken away.

 

At the peak of these stories is the mythical Napolo. It is strongly believed that the ‘two tailed animal’ lives underneath the rocks of the mountain. When it migrates from one mountain peak to another, it results into flooding and rock avalanches. Locals believe such happenings are ‘the wrath of Napolo’.

Marumo narrated similar stories as we went high the mountain. Like many other locals you would talk to, these are stories that have been told from one generation to the next.

“I have heard these stories. They have been among us for generations. You only hear about these things without getting to experience them. I have been to Sapitwa for over 10 times, and never have I come across the spirits but I always respect what the elders say,” Marumo says.

According to Kondwani Chamwala, a programmes manager on communications at the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT), the mystery tales of Mulanje not only makes the hike more fun, but also adds attraction.

“I have gone to Sapitwa nine times. It is an experience for the fit and determined. Unlike the other peaks, where you have paths, the hike over Sapitwa is directed by arrows on the rocks. If you miss an arrow, you can get lost, which may have brought the stories that spirits take you up,” he says.

The best times to visit are July, he says, since the rainy season is over and the rocks not as slippery. Most important it is the month that the MMCT hosts the Mulanje Mountain Porters Race. This year, the race which is sold as Africa’s Ultimate Challenge will be held on July 13. It will be held, for the first time in 23 years, in two categories: One covering six kilometres and another covering 25 kilometres.

“It is a race like no other, bringing together locals as well as international tourists. We are pleased that this year we have Sunbird Hotels getting a franchise in Kara O’Mula, which is one of the most pacific places of accommodation in the land,” says Chamwala.

The Mulhako wa Alhomwe, a festival celebrating the culture of the Lhomwe people who dominate the district. The festival, which takes place every October at the foot of the mountain brings out the people’s way of life, food, dress, music, dance and deep belief in herbal medicine. It is one of the most noted cultural events on the country’s cultural calendar.

Journalist Lloyd Chitsulo who last year hiked the mountain through the Fort Lister route to Sombani Peak, calls the hike an experience that is ‘enchanting and challenging in equal measure’.

“Experiencing the deep gorges, the high grasslands. The stories of the spirits crossed my mind time and time again but the beautiful scenery and aerial view is just captivating,” he reflects.

He cites the breathtaking view of the Michesi Mountain miles away. Former tourism minister Ken Lipenga called Michesi a forgotten part of the inselberg.

The hike up the mountain was characterised by a scorching sun. Which is why starting up very early in the morning paid off. But, as the sun sunk into the west it began to get colder. Deep into the night, it was so cold we had to light a log fire to keep warm. In the morning we walk up to rain drizzles until we got back to the foot of the mountain.

“Changes in the weather are phenomenal. It is required to be prepared for changes in the weather. At the Sapitwa Peak, you can have changes every 30 minutes. Towards the end of July, it may be freezing cold, to the point of having snow,” says Chamwala.

As we drove back to the city of Blantyre, I could not help but agree with the thought that JRR Tolkien’s setting for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit may have been inspired by his trek on the mountain, the mysterious Island in the Sky.