Chelinda to Karonga via M9/S101

[lirritma]

We are planning to visit Chelinda in April next year. From there the plan is to travel to Mbeya (Tanzania) in one day. I looking at following the M9/S101 from Chelinda to Karonga and then onwards to Tanzania over the Songwe border crossing. I would appreciate information and comments about the route to Karonga and the border crossing. Thanks in advance.

[River Rat]

We are planning to visit Chelinda in April next year. From there the plan is to travel to Mbeya (Tanzania) in one day. I looking at following the M9/S101 from Chelinda to Karonga and then onwards to Tanzania over the Songwe border crossing. I would appreciate information and comments about the route to Karonga and the border crossing. Thanks in advance.

We did this exact route in September this year and there's a section known as the shortcut which is a series of roughly nine steep climbs, which we managed in H4 with one requiring L4, there's also a rickecty log bridge en route. It starts after you cross the bridge at the North Rukuru river but beware I found T4A to be all over the place on this section, OSMand was far more accurate. This section is known at the Shortcut and the guards at the north gate of the park will have the most up to date information on the road conditions, I would be concerned if wet and don't discount the trip down the escarpment the roads are rough. The trip of 120km took us 3 hours and it was one of the more scenic drives of our trip, the alternative route via Rumphi is 450km and will take about 6 hours. I can't tell you about the border crossing.

https://youtube.com/shorts/7mCvGvO5ccI?feature=shared

[River Rat]

The "bridge"

[lirritma]

We did this exact route in September this year and there's a section known as the shortcut which is a series of roughly nine steep climbs, which we managed in H4 with one requiring L4, there's also a rickecty log bridge en route. It starts after you cross the bridge at the North Rukuru river but beware I found T4A to be all over the place on this section, OSMand was far more accurate. This section is known at the Shortcut and the guards at the north gate of the park will have the most up to date information on the road conditions, I would be concerned if wet and don't discount the trip down the escarpment the roads are rough. The trip of 120km took us 3 hours and it was one of the more scenic drives of our trip, the alternative route via Rumphi is 450km and will take about 6 hours. I can't tell you about the border crossing.

https://youtube.com/shorts/7mCvGvO5ccI?feature=shared

Thanks River Rat. Are you sure it is after you have crossed the North Rukuru? Is it not this section that is showed on T4A? I see it makes reference to the wooden bridge.

On Google maps I can see a small gravel track that goes in the forest and the S101 continues north west after the bridge.

[Topi]

We crossed Songwe border in August this year from Malawi into Tanzania. We are driving with a CDP and immigration and customs were easy. But you also have to pay road tax and to get registered in the Tanzanian system. To get the button for your windscreen and the payment it's for now necessary to get out of the building to find the place where it can printed out. they are just working on that to get evrything under one roof, but I don't know when it will start.
Cheers Topi

[River Rat]

Thanks River Rat. Are you sure it is after you have crossed the North Rukuru? Is it not this section that is showed on T4A? I see it makes reference to the wooden bridge.

On Google maps I can see a small gravel track that goes in the forest and the S101 continues north west after the bridge.

Nope it's this section and the reason why I mention the North Rukuru as a marker is because there are some climbs before this that make you think you are in the meat of it but it's the easy part. Here's the rough section.

[ortelius]

We didn't drive this route, but last August, we met two intrepid cyclists at Chelinda camp, who drove that route from north to south on their bicycles. Check their blog here: https://cyclingpirates.bike/2023/08/11/23-3-malawi/