African expedition update No 3

Okay so we know it is absolutely ages since our last update on the Africa climbing and touring experience, but in truth Angelo and I took a month out to visit family and girlfriends back home. We left Mrs. R in Lusaka, getting back to it in November.

So after our Kafue Gorge climbing moment in Zambia, where the mountain nearly fell apart into a pile of rumble as we climbed it (we do not really encourage climbing on the Zambezi escarpment, it is very loose, bad rock and very, very bushy), we headed out through the Luangwa Valley to the promised land of granite: Malawi.

Our thirst for climbing was soon relieved as we drove passed some quaint looking domes with smooth, friction climbing granite faces. Gosia lead off a smashing single pitch climb up a crack with a precarious flake, ready to peal off on suspecting climbers near the top of the otherwise classy climb. The final moves were awesome, layback walking up a sensational crack system. For granite friction climbers: to die for.

From the domes we cruised off to Lake Malawi, enroute delivering a package of washing powder just outside (so we were told, but it turned to be miles) Mzimba. There we spent a night in the village, being treated to supper and given a place to sleep. The villagers were super excited to see us since tourists in those parts are a certain species of endangered animal.

Our first sighting of the lake overwhelmed us all as a paradise dream, hardly touched by the western world. We were driving through the mountains to Usisya, east of Mzuzu in northern Malawi, when we came over a rise and bright blue lined with white beaches, mango and baobab trees and round African huts filled our vision. We wound our way down the mega-steep pass and “parked” directly on the beach’s edge.

Soon our meandering developed into an island adventure as we organized mokoros to a small island we could see in the distance. It proved to be rocky, with some steep cliffs lining the water’s edge – perfect for deep water soloing. The next day and a half was spent catching rays galore (even when trying to hide in measly patches of shade), swimming, snorkeling and climbing. We did a number of easy routes on the cliffs and an island traverse, somehow managing to keep dry feet.

The climbing on the island was on good rock and jumping into the water a refreshing reward, depending on how high you’d landed up climbing. At times when the free climbing spirit took over, we’d land up a little higher than we’d prepared for. But there were always options, lucky for us.

With the end of the lake adventures, we were faced with the Tanzanian border control. Being fully used to the Zambian system of money interchange at borders and police check points (the one police lady had gone as far as to say that it wasn’t corruption, we were merely making the officer feel better) the Tanzanian border control was a complete shock. Everything was by-the-book organized – made to milk rich tourist one time. And so they did, officially.

Tanzania, with its lush tropical vibe, spent no time ushering us into the jungle. We found ourselves, by-mistake, in a nature reserve. Being forced to pay we decided to spend an extra day checking it out. We walked to a crater through thick jungle that had a huge lake at the bottom of it. We scrambled down to it, climbing down tree routes like ladders in a magic faraway tree forest and trying hard not to loose balance, which would result in a disastrous snowball plunge down the free-fall slope.

We swam in the lake, sulphur bubbles tickling our skin as we walked into the freezing waters. The lake, due to being at a height of 2000m above sea level, was uncomfortably cold, though swimming out to gain a perspective over the crater did wonders for keeping warm. That night we slept in the jungle, surrounded by massive trees adorned with moss and vines, lush banana trees at every turn and dappled sunlight peaking through the trees into our clearing.

From here, our road winds to Arusha and the surrounding volcano peaks of Mount Meru and the Ol Dionyo Lengai Mountains. The plan is to climb Mount Meru and check out the volcano formations nearby. So far the famed African rains have kept away, hopefully holding out for the next week or so, as we again navigate the back roads, this time to Arusha.