More of a climb up than other routes perhaps – but look at the views from the escarpment!

This was also a test of AI’s ‘more salt – less water’ doctrine, and it worked. Peanut butter and salt sandwich, with crisps and a boiled sweet every 30 mins – to replace the salt sweating out of my system.

Only 1.75 litres for the whole walk and climb up!

Grace picked me up in Troutbeck so no slog back up to School – chips instead!

A stretching 30km circular route between Troutbeck School and Nyanga, and back, while taking in the escarpment views from the westernmost point of Connemara (now called Eagles View on Googlemaps).

At least the tough descent is done early!

Apologies for the exaggerated vertical axis – it’s the Caltopo app.

Now the reason for the pilot trip up Nyamakanga the week before – a trip along the top of the  Nyamakanga spine / plateau (except its not) from north to south (and back).

I took a steeper way up onto the east side of the spine to keep the views of Nyanga in sight. Traversed the eastern side for as long a possible then had to mix it up with the trees and cow paths for (a couple of km) to get to the end, including a small drop down along the west side to get around the impenetrable rocks and trees and up to the stunning end point.

To find running water up there was a bonus for the supplies department concerned about hydration.

Just as I said – a plateau!

Tough in and out – easier on top

Still one of the quickest, best, and most exciting walks you can do from Nyanga Town.

Exciting = a tiny bit scrambling on the way up if you want it. There is a bypass on the way down

It’s always going to be steep and hot on the way up until you gain the altitude, the gradient calms down and you are under the shade of the trees.

Small caution: the pine trees are growing back with abandon since the logging a few years back so there is more route finding once you have done the main climb up and you want to go to Nyamakanga 2. 

For Nyamakanga 1 (with the trig point) just angle left (southish) across the dry stream bed once you are up the main climb.

Second time seeing one up here at 2200m, Troutbeck, Zimbabwe.