Mozambique: Serra Namuli from the Queen’s house.
Route takes ramp to left then climbs gully
Descent is steep enough for 5 points of contact.
Malawi: Easy slabby scrambling on Sapitwa Peak ascent
Higher up on Sapitwa Peak – easy scrambling all the way
Namibia: Rough wide gully leading up Königstein
This was a twelve day trip to southern Africa, targeting three peaks on the Ultras of Africa peak list, starting in the rarely visted western part of Mozambique in the east, then via Malawi to touristy Namibia in the west.
Mozambique’s Serra Namuli (2419m) is a classy peak – a huge upthrust of granite, with narrow corrugations separated by green vegetation giving it a striking appearance. We were advised to get in and out before the 9 October election (sadly it’s not the most stable country) – and wanted to visit Namibia during the southern spring before the heat set in, so this set our time frame. The nearest airport is Blantyre in Malawi, quite close to 3002m Sapitwa Peak which was to be our second target. We worked with local guides who helped us navigate the vagaries of the border. Namuli is a day hike, with a half hour section of steep slabs you really wouldn’t want to fall off – we made sure we were there in the dry season. The crux is a short chimney with “fixed stick” protection – having scrambled up I checked the anchor – a fork in the (as yet) sturdy tree branch jammed over a rock feature. Classic African – not high-end tourist-priced East Africa, just functional.
Back in relatively civilized Malawi, we made a 2 day ascent of Sapitwa in the popular and spectacular Mulanje Massif. We reached the hut late morning, then the fun started: a short section of steep but harmless slabs followed by a kilometre of chaotic boulders which we scrambled over, round and occasionally under. I spent the night under the stars, just outside the hut. After a good breakfast we descended beside a bouldery stream, took lunch by the popular Likhubula waterfall, then found a hotel in Blantyre – then found a different one with a working power supply.
The Namibia national highpoint Konigstein (2573m) requires a permit, arranged well in advance, with mandatory guide. A porter is standard – it’s a 2-3 day round trip and there’s no water. For comfort we shared a second porter for our overnight gear – even in springtime this part of the country is pretty hot. Starting at first light we ascended towards a serious looking bouldery gully, stopping en route to examine the first of several examples of the country’s abundant rock art. Angling left before the gully, we crossed a shoulder, dumped our overnight gear and continued to the summit, with a little easy scrambling, and more rock art. At the summit trig pillar I produced my hand level and discovered that the true highpoint is a large boulder 50m away which apparently no-one ever visits. An easy scramble and a first ascent! (OK maybe not quite). Making good time we had a sudden hankering for a proper bed and a good meal. Finding a phone and data signal we made a booking and hustled down, making the trailhead just after dusk, and last orders with minutes to spare.
Our 2-3 day hike having become a single day, we headed to the Atlantic coast, visited some smelly noisy penguins, and found a tyre repairer (the kind that uses old style tyre levers and washing up liquid). Before heading home, I bagged two bonus “Ribu” peaks (1000m of prominence, just a notch down from our 3 main peaks which are Ultras). 2482m Moltkeblick near Windhoek was a known quantity, with a small access fee. 2319m Hohenstein was completely unknown, with the map featuring some steep contours. The summit comms complex is serviced by helicopter, but it turned out to be doable on foot with a little scrambling; the most satisfying peak of the trip in some ways.
Namibia is a nice autumn destination – good roads, straightforward car rental. Considering its popularity, it’s not expensive, well worth a longer trip than we managed.