This Year's Challenge

Mission Malawi III is a multi-activity challenge incorporating mountain biking, kayaking and hiking. The route is circular, commencing and finishing at Lilongwe. We mountain bike through rural Malawi, boating across Lake Malawi to the eastern Mozambique shore, then hike along the lakeshore in Mozambican territory. The first stage of the challenge involves cycling a distance of 255km over four days. From Lilongwe we cycle between the granite peaks that tower over the highland plains of central Malawi. We descend the Dedza pass to the floor of the Great Rift Valley. Finally we traverse the valley floor to Cape Maclear on the shores of Lake Malawi. The preferred route for all biking will be to follow dirt tracks and secondary roads through rural Malawi, with the tarred roads as alternative routes should rain and mud render the dirt tracks impassable. The three overnight stops will in all likelihood be at Nkhoma Mission, Dedza town and at Funwe farm. Vehicle support in the form of buses and trucks will back up the cyclists at all times.

From Cape Maclear we kayak to Mumbo Island lying 10km north of the peninsula. Here we can relax, swim and snorkel in Mumbo's clear turquoise waters. The next morning we board the boat for the six-hour crossing from Mumbo Island to Meponda, the southern-most village in Mozambique on the eastern shore of Lake Malawi. We camp at Meponda.

The hiking section of the challenge will cover 100km over four days. From Meponda we head north, following an ancient footpath that wends its way along the Mozambican lakeshore, all the way to Metangula, four days walk to the north. This is a hike through remote terrain, following footpaths that in many cases will not have been walked by westerners since the days of David Livingstone.

Finally we reach the town of Metangula where we board the lake ferry and head south towards its home port at Monkey Bay. We sleep out overnight on the ferry's open-air deck. The next morning we disembark at either Chipoka (those returning home directly) or Monkey Bay (those opting for an extension to Mumbo Island).

The dates for Mission Malawi 3 are 10th-24th May 2008. Each participant will be required to pay a £300 registration fee, and to commit to raising a minimum of £3200 in sponsorship. This may sound like a lot of money for one individual to raise, but the team ethic which we try to instill as part of Mission Malawi, means that group fundraising events happen all over the country - and the sooner we get collecting, the better! Don't forget, the wonders of GiftAid, which means you can claim 28% on top of any donation made by a UK tax payer.