21-Nov-2017 -- This is the second out of 4 reports reaching confluence points during a one-week trip through Malawi. The story continues from 11°S 34°E.

In the early morning at 5 AM I started from the village Chintheche located at Lake Malawi by car. Daylight comes at 4:30 AM such that I consider 5 AM as “late”. However, after a drive of 20 minutes southwards on the main road M5, I turned into a local track. I took this track, which is only passable by 4WD for a while, but decided that running would be faster and more fun. So I parked the car at a distance of 4.8 km from my target and continued on foot, only equipped with my mobile phone, GPS device, and running shoes.

Based on the satellite image, I had already decided which of those footpaths I should take. These paths took me through villages, valleys, schools, fields, mountains, and this family. 200 m from the confluence, I passed abandoned houses and had this view to the confluence point.

At one point I overtook a young man, who was going up the whole escarpment to visit his uncle. He kindly asked if we could run together. So we ran together for about 2 km until our paths split up.

The confluence is located on a hill in an Eucalyptus forest with high grass. The area around the confluence is unpopulated and I didn’t meet people for the last 1 km. Just 30 m from the confluence there were lumbermen at their work. But since they hadn’t noticed me approaching, I quickly took the pictures and left the scene right afterwards. I wanted to avoid the discussion about my reason to be there.

I returned the same way that I had come and at 8:30 AM I was timely back at our lodge to have breakfast. For lunch, I tried Nkhungu, a bread that is high in protein - made of Malawi lake flies!

CP Visit Details:

• Distance of car parking: 4.8 km
• Time to reach the CP from the road: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Time at the CP: 6:27 AM
• Measured height: 696 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 1 m
• Position accuracy: 3 m
• Topography: mountainous
• Vegetation: Eucalyptus trees, grass
• Weather: partly cloudy, 25° C (felt temperature)
• Given Name: The Joint Running Confluence

More pictures of our trip are here. The story continues at 15°S 35°E.