Lake Chivero

Saturday 30th July
Number of participants: 14
Meeting Point: Sheerwood golf club
Leader: Babara Maasdorp

This weeks walk was at lake Chivero, which is a 20- 25min drive outside of harare on the Bulawayo Road. We left the golf club at exactly 1:15pm.

The walk was  on the Hunyani hill which overlooks Lake Chivero and is behind the Mazowe sailing club and Shabalala Gardens.
Once there, we collected together and made our way up the side of the hunyani hill. It was quite a steep climb as well as quite exhausting as there was a lot of loose stone, so one had to be ever careful not to slip. Once up top there was an awesome view of the lake.

The stuff that looks like lush green grass is not grass, but a water weed that has taken up residence in the lake for years now.

The lake has sadly become over run with a water weed that is very hard to remove. The local authorities have tried for many years to tackle the weed and get rid of it, but it is an ongoing process. On the walk that day, it seemed that the weed had engulfed the Mazowe sailing club side as well as the water tower. The weed also moves with the wind, so most times it is on the other side of the lake.

Now back to the walk. So once we had reached the top of the Hunyani hill, we proceeded along the top with views of the lake on one side and views of green houses on the other side. At 3 pm, we made a rest stop to catch some well deserved rest as well as a small snack and refreshment.

After our rest, we continued on. Now the plan was to go up the hill, walk along the top, and then down the side and back round on the lake side. Once we got to the end of the hill top, we had to make the ascent down the other side of the hill, with no path to follow and again a rather steep decline, with loose rocks to deal with. After about a good 20 minute walk down the side, we came to what must be a service lane. We walked along that which took us close to the dam wall and then went away from the dame wall and along the lake shore back to the  Shabalala gardens again.

Arrived back at 4:45.

The water tower, which you can sail around when the weed is on the other side of the lake.

 

Wind currents on the lake water

View over the lake towards Jacana Sailing Club