2 Day Summit Trip

You are responsible for making you own way to Likhubula.

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We will meet you on arrival and take you to one of the lodges at the trail head where dinner will be provided for you and you can rest and relax before the start of the hike the next day. We will conduct a briefing at the lodge in the evening and will be on hand to answer all your questions.

We plan to start early to avoid the heat of the day so we recommend taking the breakfast provided for you at 06.00am with the aim of starting the trek by 07.00am. Today we will walk through the lower forest and up onto the highland plateau . We will stop for drinks breaks and snacks and will aim to make it to Chisepo Hut by 14.00. We will have lunch and then dinner at the hut and you will sleep in the one large room inside the hut. 

We will get up early for breakfast and aim to set off at 06.00am for the summit of Sapitwa. This is an 800m climb but will take us around 3-4 hours of ascent and around  2-3 hours to descend again. The terrain is steep and rocky with many granite slabs to ascend and the final 2km is through a high boulder plateau which requires some scrambling and ducking through tunnels and arches in the rock.

We hope for views from the top but it is sometimes cloudy. We descend the same way and aim to get back to the Chisepo hut for lunch. After lunch and a rest we will descend back to Likhubula where we will give you a snack before your onward journey.

We will meet you in Likhubula and from then on until you descend from the mountain we will take care of everything.

Included are your accommodation and meals, your park fees and permits along with the services of a knowledgeable, qualified guide, a cook and a porter who can carry 10kg of your equipment.

Evening meals will be something like spaghetti bolognaise, chicken and chips, ginger rice and veg, while lunches are typically cold - sandwiches with a selection of things like salads, fruit, cheeses, meats, eggs and jams. Breakfasts are often  teas, coffee, porridge, eggs and sausage and toast. We have snacks like biscuits and bananas to keep you going through the walk. We also have all the the loo roll you will need  :-).   

This is a high mountain, be prepared for it to be hot during the day but cold at night. Also, be prepared for it to rain, this can happen at any time of the year. Even in the hottest months (September/ October) you might want a hat or buff and a jumper and coat on the summit.

Please plan to bring:

The clothes you will walk in (shorts or trousers, strong shoes, socks, a long sleeved shirt to keep the sun off and a wide brimmed sun hat)

A change of clothes for the evening - long trousers if it gets cold, a jumper  a second shirt a buff or hat, maybe some thin gloves. - having a change of clothes also means you have something to wear if you get wet during the day.

Three litres of water, a small day sack to carry some of your water and personal things; a rain coat; sun cream; bug spray; a small towel (limited hot water is available in all the huts), toiletries, a sleeping bag (2 season min) a sleeping mat - the huts do have some mats but they may all already be in use so bring your own (you can buy sleeping bags and mats at Game in Blantyre or hire from us).

You may also want - walking poles (we have some for hire at $3 a day) a Kindle or book, your phone and spare power bank - there is no electricity in the huts.

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Think about downloading Maps.Me from the App store - this will give you access to great maps of Malawi and shows the footpaths we will follow. You should also consider downloading OS Locate which will provide you with accurate heights and a digital compass.  

If you have your own vehicle you can easily drive to Likhubula in about an hour from Limbe (Blantyre) . There are many shared minibus taxis leaving from Limbe (Ilovo stage)  and a ride to Mulanje town will cost about $3-$5. From there you can get a local taxi ($20-$25) or motorbike to Likhubula for around $5. We can arrange a taxi to pick you up where the bus drops you in Mulanje, just let us know how we can help.

1. Your transport to and from Likhubula.

2. Tips for the hut custodians - these guys get paid a small amount but giving them and extra $5 to say thank you for keeping the huts clean, stocked with fire wood and heating hot water for you to wash with will go a long way.

3. Tips for your guide, cook and  porter. This is a very personal thing for you to consider and tips are entirely at your discretion. A guide gets paid $25 a day while a porter and a cook get $20 a day so, for the price of a coffee in a New York restaurant or a pint in a London pub, you will be able to show your appreciation for their hard work at the end of the trip.

We have a lot of up front costs, booking the park fees, the porters, cook and guides along with buying all the food. As a result we ask for full payment up front at the time of booking.

We understand that sometimes plans change or accidents happen, if you have to cancel your trip more than 7 days before the start date we will be able to refund your money, but if it is later than this then I am sorry but a refund will not be possible.

Please pay us using a money transfer platform such as Mukuru, Western Union or MotoMoney . Talk to us about how to do this if you are unsure but the process is usually quick to set up and can be done from your mobile phone.

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You can also pay directly into our National Bank of Malawi bank account and I can securely send details for this account via WhatsApp.

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