5 days in Mulanje - 4 days and 3 nights hiking the mountain - Your first and last night in Mulanje will be spent at The Hikers Nest and your host is Ruth.
You will have an on the ground organizer, he will come to The Hikers Nest on the 20th June 2023 to meet you and confirm departure time and introduce you to your guide.
Dates can be flexible and discussed with Kay and the rest of the group
Hiking team - 1 guide, 3 porters, 1 chef
Hiker's Nest
Mountain Huts
This person will meet you at Hikers nest on arrival day and introduce you to your guide and arrange starting time for hike
This is your guide, he will lead your hike up and down the mountain. He reserves the right to make the last call on any decisions concerning hiking saftey
Porters will carry, your overnight items, food & sleeping bags. They can only carry 15kg per porter, if your pack weighs more we would have to add a porter at an extra cost. (please pack light)
This is your entry fee's for forestry department
Day 1 of Hike - Lunch & dinner. Day 2 of Hike - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. Day 3 of Hike - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. Day 4 of Hike - Breakfast, Lunch.
Plates, cups, Utensils, pots & pans
Transportation to and from Mulanje
Food at Hikers Nest on day 1 and day 5
Hiking snacks - please bring some with you for each day of hiking especially the peak. (granola bars, fruit, sweets, hard candy or chocolate)
Add the following to your first aid kit, if it does not already have it. Rehydration salts, pain relief tablets, plasters, bandages, antiseptic
Please bring your own head torch - you will need it for sunrise at the peak hike
It is customary to tip the hut man at each hut(he keeps the huts clean & operational, your local guide & porter at the end of the hike. (It does not need to be a huge amount, just a little thank you)
3 Large Backpacks to carry your overnight items(these are split among the group), sleeping bags & food. If you do not have one, let Kay know so she can arrange some for you to hire
If you have a sleeping bag liner, bring it with you to use in your hired sleeping bag or if you have your own sleeping bag let Kay know
1 ltr re-useable water bottle
Your first night will be spent in an En-suite room at The Hikers Nest in Mulanje. A small lodge run by the lovely Ruth.
You will be booked under accommodation only.
The lodge makes simple meals and you can order dinner on arrival or bring something with you(Mulanje pizza is a spot you can get a takeaway from). You will also need to bring something for breakfast, as you will depart before the restaurant opens. (Granola breakfast bars or fruit are always good)
Hikers nest is situated a few meters away from the beginning of the hiking trail. So it is the perfect place to stay the night.
Day 1 of your hike up Mulanje, will begin early with you, your local guide, 2 porters & a chef setting off up the mountain to the Chisepo Hut.
It is a 6 hour hike, with a stop along the way for lunch and a dip in a mountain pool.
Chisepo Hut - Altitude: 2,219m
Chisepo Hut is the newest hut on the mountain, perfectly situated for an ascent of Sapitwa, Mulanje’s highest peak (3,002m). There is one large room with a double-sided cooking fireplace and a large outdoor veranda. Chisepo can sleep up to 15 people. Male and female pit-latrine toilets are provided.
Take a small day pack in which you can carry, your phone/camera, sunscreen, a raincoat & your drinking water (minimum 1ltr- the guide will show you where you can safely fill up along the way. If you do not want to drink from mountain streams, please bring some water purification tablets)
The rest of your stuff should go in one of the bags for the porters to carry. Below is a list of things you should bring -
Clothes
Nightwear
Warm tops – fleece
Spare long trousers
Shorts
Swimwear
Hiking shoes
Flip flops
Hat
Sunglasses
Bandanna / handkerchief
Other
Food – snacks (granola bars, sweets, fruit)
Sunscreen
After sun
Insect repellent (although there aren’t many insects)
Waterproof lining / cover for day pack
Camera
Water bottle / camelback
Toilet paper
Candles
Head torch
Towel
Plastic bags or Drybags to keep valuables dry
First aid kit
Day 2 of your hike begins in the dark so you can watch the sunrise on Sapitwa (if it rains you will not be able to do the peak) The peak is 5 – 6 hour return trip from Chisepo.
Take some snacks with you and when you get back to Chisepo your chef will have breakfast ready for you. After breakfast, if you are still ok to hike you would hike to Lichenya hut, where you would spend the night. This is a 4-5 hour hike, with a stop along the way for lunch.
If you do not feel like hiking after Sapitwa, you can spend another night at Chisepo and hike to Lichenya the next day.
Lichenya Hut - Altitude: 1,840m
Lichenya is the largest hut on the mountain and can sleep more than 20 people. This makes it the most suitable hut for large groups. The hut comprises three large rooms with a large outdoor veranda area. Two of the rooms have cooking fireplaces. There are pools located within 5 minutes of the hut. A bucket-shower house and ladies and gent’s pit latrine toilets are provided.
Day 3 of your hike begins after you have a nice breakfast at the hut.
You will hike to a view point, the Linje pools and then to the C.C.A.P hut where you will spend your last night on the mountain.
C.C.A.P Hut - Altitude: 1,981m
This is the one mountain cottage that is privately owned, by the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Constructed in 1899, the cottage is testament to the quality of Mulanje cedar timber. It has three bedrooms with a total of eight beds and is also equipped with basic kitchen utensils. There is an outside pit latrine toilet.
Day 4 of you begin your descent from C.C.A.P hut to Likhubula, Mulanje Hikers Nest, where you will spend your last night.
This is a 4-5 hour hike with a stop along the way for lunch and maybe a dip in a pool.
Every good adventure comes to an end, and your Mulanje mountain adventure ends today. You could drive on to your next destination or I could book you into the Mulanje Hikers Nest on an accommodation only basis. (If you would like somewhere a little nicer to rest your tired muscles, I could book you into a lovely lodge on the other side of the mountain)