Chongoni Forest Reserve Rock Climbing

Climbing in the Malawi College of Forestry and Wildlife forest (Chiwawu) and the Chongoni Plantation forest (Chentherere). 4km away from Malawi College of Forestry and Wildlife.

Chongoni Forest Reserve in Dedza is a natural woodland which forms part of the Dedza Forest Complex. This site has significant history of Malawi. The early settlers of Malawi were the "Akafula" also known as "BaTwa" hunter-gatherers who inhabited this area until the late Stone Age period. They lived mostly in caves, gathering fruits from the forests and hunting with their bows and arrows. Evidence of their existence can still be seen today from the red, concentric rock art paintings they left behind. The rock art is 10,000-20,000 years old. Chentcherere rock art site is nearest and is within this forest, Northeast of Chibenthu. The Chewa were the next people to migrate to Malawi in the early Iron Age. They co-existed with Abatwa for a while but eventually displaced them, as the Chewa became the more dominant tribe. On the same rock, white paintings (mostly of animals and masks), over 2,000 years old, can be seen next to red ones. There are 127 sites like these  around Chongoni that are associated with cultural ceremonies and rituals, but only 3 of them are open to the public---the others are protected as UNESCO world heritage site. Altogether, these form the largest and richest concentration of rock art painting in Central Africa. For these reasons, this area is protected by the Department of Forestry and the Department of Museum and Antiquities in Malawi. Rock climbing activities are permitted with a strict adherence to an agreement, between the two Government Departments and Climb Malawi, not to interfere with the protection laws of this area. 

Access is restricted.