“The mountains are calling, and I must go.”
-John Muir
The mountain rose through the mist and high above the clouds. I eyed it warily, determination making its steady way through my body, trying to communicate its willingness to my head for this hike. Needless to say, I was more than a little bit scared. And enormously excited.
Finally, I was about to go on an adventure in Malawi. Finally, I was going to do something fun while I was here. Four members of Team Lit had decided to climb Mount Mulanje, one of the highest peaks in Malawi. We were, as some might say, overambitious, overzealous, and just a little bit crazy.
But we were nothing if not determined.
The day started with a 3 AM wake up call, and a six hour-long van ride to Mulanje, Malawi. In hindsight, my first clue that I would not enjoy our adventure to Mount Mulanje should have been the fact that we left at three in the morning. The second clue would’ve been the bumpy, winding drive that took us to the mountain itself. Africa is a crazy place full of crazy people and even crazier drivers.
It was terrifying.
Nevertheless, the four of us arrived at the base of the mountain in high spirits. Our plan for the day was to hike to one peak, where we would spend the night. The next day, we would hike to one of the higher peaks, and then hike all the way back down, stopping at a waterfall on our way. The four of us hired a guide to help us find our way up the mountain, and Hayden and I hired a porter to carry one of our bags up the mountain: we would take turns carrying the other one up.
Five minutes in, we hadn’t even started to hike yet and I already knew I was going to be in trouble. Winded, sweaty, and already exhausted, I found myself cursing the fact that I decided to join my team mates in this endeavor. I knew then and there that the backpack I was carrying was going to be too heavy to carry all the way up the mountain.
“Do you think maybe we could hire another porter for this backpack?” I asked our guide, knowing that neither Hayden nor I would be able to hike the mountain with the bag on our backs and weighing us down.
“Oh, no problem, I will carry it,” he replied, and took the bag off of my back and placed it upon his own. Hayden and I tried to protest, knowing that it was not his job to carry our bags for us. But he just smiled, and continued hiking up the mountain. Immensely grateful and already unreasonably exhausted, the both of us let him continue on with our bag upon his back.
And thus began our hike.
With each heavy step that I took, I cursed the Katie that decided I would be able to climb the mountain. Our guide informed us that because of heavy rainfall, it was necessary for us to take the short route. This “short route” basically just means that it’s on an insane uphill incline the whole entire time. At this point, we had been hiking for about two hours; going uphill the entire hike. Olivia and Meagan were rock stars, completely pushing through the pain in their bodies. But Hayden and I were different stories. With one look at her, I knew we would not be able to make it all the way up the mountain.
It was with great difficulty and heavy hearts that Hayden and I decided to head back down the mountain to stay at the lodge at the base. The determination to conquer this physical representation of the mountain that Africa had been thus far to us both was almost suffocating in its intensity. But we both knew that our bodies would not have made it up to the mountain. As we headed back down the mountain, we both started to feel okay with that. We both felt like God was telling us that we conquered the mountain that we could handle.
And that was enough.
The porter (whose name was Bright,) also headed down the mountain with us, as he had our bag on his back (and we still needed a guide.) I had retrieved our other bag from the guide before we parted from our other team mates, and proceeded to hike down the mountain with the extra burden upon my back. It was about 20 minutes into our hike down when I tripped and almost fell flat on my face. It was then that Bright took my backpack and placed it on his front, so that he was carrying both of our bags-which was going above and beyond his job description.
As we continued on our downward hike, Hayden and I got to talk to Bright about many things. Bright was a young man who lived his life with a perpetual happiness that was apparent in everything that he did. His eyes smiled, even when his lips did not. Never once did he complain about the heaviness of our bags (and they were really heavy.) He told us that he was only 17 years old, and that all he really wanted to do was go to school. Which is why he was a porter in the first place, so that he could earn enough money on his own so that he could attend school again. One school semester costs 50,000 Malawian Kwacha, which equals about $70 USD. He explained that he only had two more semesters to complete, but that his family just didn’t have the money to send him to school.
Hayden and I looked at each other then, and we both just knew. We knew the real reason God had brought us to Mount Mulanje that day-not to hike a mountain and to have an adventure, but to meet this amazing man whose story needed to be heard, and who deserved our help. Hayden then realized that she had a $50 USD bill just sitting in her wallet, one she knew from the get go that she would not be spending on herself.
We decided then that she would give Bright the $50, and I would give him 15,000 Malawian Kwacha, so that we could cover his first semester at least. When we got back down to the base of the mountain, and handed him his tip, his smile could light up the room.
“For your first semester of school, to bless you, and to thank you for all that you have done for us,” Hayden said as she handed him the money.
“Wow, thank you. Thank you so much.” Bright replied, hurrying home to show his family his earnings.
While Hayden and I may not have finished what we set out to do, we managed to accomplish a task that was far greater. We were able to share hope, bless a young man, and make some memories that are not likely to be forgotten.
What a time it was.
Part two is coming soon! Stay tuned!
