Our road continued along Lake Malawi, where we had agreed with Nico and Joska on their way to the south of Africa. Plans are there to throw, so they decided the next morning to first ride a bit with us to the north, so that we could drive the road through the interior, the forest and the viphya plateau together. Plan was to arrive at Malawi with old and new. That was something else …….
The road that turned out to be no more road!
After 3 days on small paths, through villages, wild camping in the forest in special places, we arrived at the Viphya Plateau. There was a road in a distant past that would take us back to the lake. According to the locals at the beginning of the road, we could easily get it before dark. ‘No problem you will be there before dark and new years eve’!
We were looking for 4×4 challenge, well we got it! The first 4 hours there was an overgrown path that we could follow, but then we came to a piece where 3 years no car had been because of a bridge that was broken! Obviously we were warned by the locals half ways the road. Yet we were so stubborn that we wanted to see with our own eyes if there really was no way to defy the river. We knew that!
Splatter in the dark through the forest
On the last part (read 25 minutes walk) we have done 2.5 hours! We had to winch trees, cut down, search for the path! The last 2 hours in the dark with the help of a local who could not believe his eyes when the first tree was whipped away! He kept repeating ‘incredible machines’! And he loved it so much that he walked the whole piece with us without asking for it and gave directions which direction we had to go!
When, after 2.5 hours of splattering, we encounter a big tree, we decided to camp. The chief of the village was taken out of his bed to give us permission to camp at an abandoned cabin. He also thought it was fantastic that we came to visit his village! Especially when he saw the roof tents the next morning. There we were, in the middle of the Viphya Plateau and the whole village came to watch those weird mzungus who slept on a car!
A special old and new!
We did not reach the beach on New Year’s Eve, but the plodding through the forest, camping in the jungle, the hospitality of the residents, the matches that functioned as fireworks, made this an old and new one to remember!
The bridge proved to be a hopeless mission in daylight. Of course the locals wanted to make it for us, but after a long deliberation we decided that we did not want to wait for days in the middle of nowwhere in the hope that something would be made that could take 3 tons!
The adventure is also on the way back
Our way back was just as adventurous as the way out, since we now had to bend all the trees in the other direction for our cars or cut them all away. The rain made it even more exciting, but our cars have made it!
Unbelievable what our car can do and how strong it is! After these adventures we have a few wonderful days to recover at the lake, where we also saw Albi back who had already fixed his car. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Nico and Joska who went further south now and we went north with Albi! Thanks guys it was great to experience this with you !!
4×4 adventure on the Viphya Plateau
Back to Lake Malawi
