‘Our feet have nerves and senses so why cover and protect them, let them feel the earth man!’ This was the response Gideon, our guide, gave us before our ascent of Mount Mulanje. Having spent a reasonable time in Malawi my time was starting to become shaped and days were becoming routine, but here was an experience that threw me and added another dimension to Malawi.

The Mulanje Massif is about 3000m high so doesn’t require weeks of planning and loads of equipment and training. I really did climb it barefoot and with two people who had never climbed a mountain before. You start off early to miss the intense African sun and enjoy a gentle walk through tea plantations and sweet cedar forests that surround the base. Although the mountain isn’t of monumental heights, its inclines can be pretty brutal so prepare for your thighs and buttocks burning. Walking through clouds refresh you and can even get a little cold. Once moving over the peak you hit the plateau of rolling grassland. The Mountain has 8 huts where I had probably the most peaceful nights sleep ever. The cedar fire and the supplies of blankets and food that we bought up the mountain made a perfect secluded retreat.

The Mulanje Massif is an experience for all, some find it spiritual and relaxing, others just like the physical climb and natural beauty. I loved the time spent relaxing as well as the physical exertion, bathing in the waterfall pools, carrying everything that you need and being able to spend quality time with only a few people with no-one else even close.