Kisang'a-Lugalo Forest Reserve: Trip II

 

Bracken highland with some views.

It had been several years since we last visited Kisang'a-Lugalo Forest Reserve so we figured it was due time we return (Trip I). We had big plans that included camping at a river but we ended up reducing the trip to a simple day trip. The ride up was beautiful though the views were not as clear as we remembered, probably due to extensive burning in the area. If you're the adventurous type the trip up is worth the journey. 

When we entered into the forest reserve we immediately met a truck filling up with timber. The workers explained that they were harvesting eucalyptus trees (planted in the past to demarcate the border) and that they had received permission to use the forest reserve road. It was a weird interaction but they invited me to view their plot of land, which I declined. We continued on the road through a nice part of forest until we reached a beautiful area with several montane grasses and plants. The clear views allowed us to survey the forest and we began to see signs of previous logging and heavy human use. We continued down a very steep road to a small river. On our previous trip we were told there was an irrigation project in the area and sure enough we saw a water catchment system and massive pipe running down from it. We were a little disappointed as we had imagined setting camp next to a quaint stream in the forest and instead we were faced with a bit of an eye sore in a cleared patch of secondary forest. We had identified another possible camp site next to a stream earlier in the road so we decided to double back. 

On our way back we followed two newly cut logging tracks. One of them we followed until we reached another eucalyptus cutting ground and another we followed until we heard the sounds of chainsaws. We found stacks of planks on the road and decided to not pursue any further. Our mood had soured with the sounds of chainsaws and lack of walking trails and as a result we decided to head back home. I think the prospect of setting up camp at 4pm in a non-forested area with the sounds of chainsaws was not what we had in mind. Although it was disturbing for us as tourists it is a good thing that the trees can be harvested and provide some economic value to the nearby inhabitants. However, cutting new tracks through forests is not only less than ideal due to the obvious cutting of trees and shrubs but these roads also tend to open up the forest to other extraction activities (pole cutting, honey harvesting, etc). 

Most of the forest reserves in the area have been heavily logged and continue to be exploited for mostly small scale use. We are still keen to explore these areas but I suppose we have to taper our expectations and be ready for anything!

Views going south.

Water catchment system.

Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi): Trip II

 

Enjoying a walk in the evening.

In what seems like a perfect pairing, we once again hiked Mt. Rungwe en route to Matema Beach (Trip I). It's one of the closer large bodies of water to us and the Livingstone Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop to the massive lake. Having grown up on a Great Lake in Wisconsin in the USA, being next to a massive body of water is comforting. The only unfortunate thing is that the lake likely has Schistosomiasis, an acute and chronic parasitic disease. Although it can be treated, it's still not ideal to get. Reliable information on its presence is sparse but it appears the lake was free of Shicstosomiasis in the 80s but there have been rising numbers of cases, especially in the southern part of the lake. With that being said, we absolutely swam in the cool and clear lake. 

Matema is a strange village in that the agricultural activities sprawl in every direction but the dwellings and village proper are very densely arranged. There is a roundabout that serves as the nexus of activity in close proximity to the market and Lutheran Center. There is local beach access hosting a variety activities from fishing to bathing to washing. People are also just hanging out on the beach as well with a good number of people coming out in the evenings. 

On our previous visit we did not go snorkeling, falsely believing that snorkeling in a fresh water lake would be lackluster. This time around we arranged to go to the snorkeling spot and we were in disbelief at how plentiful and varied the fish were. We knew that the lake was famous for Cichlids and that over 600 of the 1,000 species of fish in the lake were endemic, but we were not prepared for a variety of fish that rivaled the quality of snorkeling in many places in Zanzibar. There was a rocky area where the fish fed off the algae and plankton, basically serving as a "rock reef". The water was extremely clear and the only perilous part of the journey was the rickety boat ride taking in water at an alarming rate though one can make arrangements with a more lake-worthy vessel if one chooses to do so. 

The rest of the time we spent hiking around, watching the Trumpeter Hornbills come in to roost at night, and swimming in the lake. At night the sky is clear with the milky way clearly shining. Many fisherman were also out at night using lights; I counted 75 boats around 10pm. I'm sure there were many more out there further out in the lake.

 

Some of the riverine vegetation with hippos nearby.

Snorkeling spot.

Boat ride to the snorkeling.

 

Mt. Rungwe: Trip II

 

Peak!

We had visited Mt. Rungwe in the rainy season but failed to summit. Now we're in the heart of the dry season we figured we'd give it another try. We felt well prepared to camp two nights which would allow us to spend the entire day hiking while also enjoying the environs of the campsite. 

The campsite has rustic though worn covered huts and basic tables and benches. There is a small stream very close to the camp that provides water for cooking and bathing. There is a basic pit toilet with a plastic covering to provide some sort of privacy. The only downside of the camp is that depending on the wind, you can sometimes hear music and noise from the nearby village but it's quite distant and irregular. 

Our hike was overall a success though the last quarter to half was steep and challenging. We felt the thinness of the air and moved extremely slow on our ascent. This begins at the bamboo zone and continues up through the grasslands and peak. As you can see from the elevation map below, it's straight up! 

The views at the top were nice and the air was chilly. There were loads of interesting montane grasses and flowers and we enjoyed a White-naped Raven and a pair of Hawk-Eagles that soared at eye level. The descent was much quicker though taxing on the knees. At the second campsite we saw a trail towards the east and we later found out this leads to a crater, perhaps next time we will find it!

Elevation change and distance on the descent.

Beautiful bamboo layer.

A view midway up.

The campsite.