Rising up from the hills about 15km northeast of Gurúè are the mist-shrouded slopes of Mt Namúli (2419m), from which flow the Licungo (Lugela) and Malema Rivers. If you find yourself in the area with time to spare, it makes a scenic but challenging climb for which you’ll need a good level of fitness and lack of a fear of heights (as there are several near-vertical spots where you’ll need to clamber on all fours). The mountain is considered sacred by the local Makua people, so while climbing is permitted, you’ll need to observe the local traditions, although this has taken on a very commercial aspect these days. Guides (essential, as the route isn’t straightforward and it’s easy to get lost) can be arranged in Gurúè through Pensão Gurúè , but allow several extra days to sort out the logistics. The going rate for a guide is from about Mtc300. If you try to organise things on your own, it is helpful to get a letter of introduction from the Conselho Municipal , in the upper part of town, to bring to the chief.
Before setting out, buy some farinha de mapira (sorghum flour) at the market in Gurúè (it shouldn’t cost more than Mtc50), to be used to appease both the spirits and the local régulo (chief, who is currently a queen). Also set aside an additional Mtc300 to Mtc500 per person for further appeasement of the queen, and pack along some water purification tablets for yourself.
The climb begins about 6km outside Gurúè near UP5, an old tea factory. To reach here, head south out of Gurúè along the Quelimane road. Go left after about 2km and continue several kilometres further to UP5. With a vehicle, you can drive to the factory and park there. With a 4WD it’s also possible to drive further up the mountain’s slopes to Mugunha Sede, about 40km from Gurúè by road and the last village below the summit. There’s no public transport.
Shortly before reaching UP5 you’ll see a narrow but obvious track branching left. Follow this as it winds through unrehabilitated tea plantations and stands of bamboo and forest, until it ends in a high, almost alpine, valley about 800m below the summit of Mt Namúli. The views en route are superb. On the edge of this valley is Mugunha Sede, where you should seek out the queen, request permission to climb further and ask for a local guide for the remainder of the way. If you don’t speak Portuguese, bring someone along with you who knows either Portuguese or the local language, Makua. If you’ve come this far with a 4WD, you’ll need to arrange to leave it here. The sorghum flour that you bought in Gurúè should be presented as a gift to the queen, who may save some to make traditional beer and scatter the remainder on the ground to appease the ancestors. The queen will then assign someone to accompany you to the top of the mountain, where another short ceremony may be performed for the ancestors.
About two-thirds of the way from the village is a spring where you can refill your water bottle, although it’s considered a sacred spot and it may take some convincing to persuade your guide to show you where it is. Just after the spring, the climb steepens, with some crumbling rock and places where you’ll need to use your hands to clamber up. Once near the summit, the path evens out and then gradually ascends for another 1.5km to the mountain’s highest point. The top of Namúli is often shrouded in clouds, so you may have better views during the climb than from the summit itself.
