Mulanje Massif

Mulanje Massif with Chambe Peak (left ) (2004 )

The Mulanje Massif in Malawi is a mountain range, which rises 70 km south of Blantyre from the wide -scale tea plantations on the lowest slopes of its massif. The highest point of the Mulanje Massif and also the highest mountain in Central Africa is with 3002 m of Sapitwa (coordinates listed above). His most spectacular peaks and the highest cliff in all of Africa is the Chambe ( 2,556 m), which rises with its 1,500 m high, almost vertical west wall of the flat savannah grass between him and the Shire Highlands. On the Mulanje Massif is powered by a Mexican pine species intensive silviculture as on the adjacent Phalombe ( 2,289 m). Since a few years, tried to grow the domestic Widdringtonia whytei intense whose resin fliegenabwehrend, if not fly killing acts like the oil of Pyretrum - Chrysanteme Kenya. In consideration are repeated hydroelectric power plants, as the rivers Ruo Chapaluka and year-round water resistant lead and offer a vertical drop of over 1,000 m short track.

The massif is a rain catcher because of his height. It may fall up to 1,800 mm of precipitation per year. It was built before 130 million years by magma discharge. The volcanic crater walls of the Phalombe and the Chambe are still clearly visible and spectacular with their bare granite.

Tourism

Malawi has expanded for political reasons no tourism industry. Hotels by western scale, there are only in major cities, in the National Parks and Lake Malawi. Malawi is still regarded as a goal of exclusive safari tourism smaller groups and Spartan backpackers. The Mulanje Massif is because of its harshness, its gigantic granite walls and its impressive height popular destination for the day of safari tourists, trips to the Malawi. Tourists who want to hike up to the plateau, not only need a full equipment, but also local guides. In Blantyre and Lilongwe excellent maps are at a scale of 1:30,000 available that allow a very good orientation. The terrain is sometimes very difficult, the height differences in size. A stable circulation is essential. There are on the plateau scattered huts of the forest administration, but no hosting. But alpine hikers offered by Montan, pine, fog forest to high alpine meadows, rock crevices, ridge trails all. The terrain may be of huge boulders so rugged that a line kilometers requires a good three hours. From Blantyre, a road leads through Thyolo through endless tea plantations and Luchenza to the mountain massif, which further leads then to the border with Mozambique.