Music, poetry at Sapitwa

Mulanje Mountain will today host 86 nature enthusiasts who are expected to join musician Lawi in the Voice of the Mountain Hike.

   Minister of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife Michael Usi and musician Keturah will also join the hike.

The hikers come from a diverse background, including the general public, officials from the Department of Tourism, Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust, development partners GIZ Miera, a rescue and recovery team from the Malawi Defence Force, a medical team, the media and corporate partners such as Old Mutual Malawi plc, Nation Publications Limited and Malawi Gaming Board.

According to one of the organisers, Innocent Kaliati, the hike is expected to start at the foot of the Island in the Sky at 6am at Likhubula, before a stopover at Chambe Hut four hours later.

“From there, it is another four hours to Chisepo Hut, where we will have poetry and music performances, with braai and bonfire. After a night at the hut, it will be about another five hours to Sapitwa where there will be more music and poetry,” he said.

On the trek down, the hikers will spend another night at Chisepo before descending to the starting point on Sunday.

Earlier this week, both Usi and Lawi said they are set for the excursion that is aimed at raising awareness on local tourism and the environmental degradation happening on the mountain that has seen the depletion of Malawi’s national tree, the Mulanje Cedar