Every July there is the annual porter’s race up and down the slopes of Mount Mulanje. Our route this last weekend took us up the same track which the porters storm up during the race, though they are no doubt oblivious to the fantastic scenery they whizz past.
Intrepid hikers Rob, Gareth and Rick
Rob, Rick and I met our porter and guide at the manager’s hut early on Saturday morning, hoping to get to the hut before the midday heat. The hiking and the porters are regulated by the CCAP (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian – an offshoot of Church of Scotland) in Malawi, and are well organised, with the porters taking turns to carry bags on a rotational basis.
Small man, big backpack. No problem.
Timve and Peter, our guide and porter for the weekend, nonchalantly shouldered one of our large backpacks each as we began stretching in anticipation of a long difficult hike, tightening laces on hiking boots, having a last minute drink of water.
Peter, dwarfed by Rob’s enormous backpack, was wearing slip-slops, and no doubt found our frenetic preparation amusing. I asked him about the race while we walked. He said there are about 300 porters who run, the route taking them up to the plateau, across from one hut to another, and then down a different route.
The winners board on display in the office
This course would take about 18 hours to complete at a normal hiking pace. Peter said his time was 4h33, and he came 65th out of 300. The record time is held by Byson Willie (his real name, now famous in the district) who in 2005 did it in 2h12, a staggering achievement. The winner gets K20000 (£80), a T-shirt, and enormous prestige.
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