At last I have been able to return to this remote, magical piece of Africa. The first cache was muggled so I have replaced the cache in a more secluded place and hopefully out of the hands of the Baboons! The cache is a half litre plastic container so should be easy to find and house a trackable......just remember that if you leave a trackable it may not be recovered for many, many months due to the inaccessibility of this cache! The cache is placed close to the track to the old Chitake 2 site and can be retrieved by stopping your vehicle very close to the cache. The cache site is intentional as to offer the cacher protection from potential dangerous wild life by being able to stop a vehicle close to it.
Chitake Spring is a unique water source approximately 45km inland from the Zambezi River, in the Zambezi valley and is part of the world Heritage site, Mana Pools. The spring is home to a large number of animals, especially in the dry season, and hunting grounds for a large population of lions and other predators.
To access this area an overnight booking must be made through the National parks and Wildlife Offices in Harare. Normal park entry fees are applicable and the camp cannot be booked for day visits. There are no facilities available at the three designated camp sites. Access is by 4x4 vehicle only and one needs to be fully equiped to handle extreme bush camping, bush and wild life conditions.
Chitake is really a true African experience and is only for folk who are NOT afraid to camp in the bush. The possibility of Lion, Wild Dog or Leopard wandering through your camp is highly likely and campers need to be very adept to potentially dangerous wildlife situations. Large herds of Elephant and Buffalo visit the spring along with troops of Baboon, herds of Impala, Kudu, Nyala and Water Hogs. The bird life is also prolific with large populations of a variety of birds of prey. Special sightings of Cheetah and Wild Dog can be seen.
This Cache is extreme with respect to the location and accessibility. It is hidden within an area that is full of wild life predators who have the right of way in this very exciting and little known piece of Africa. When you leave Chitake Spring take with you your pictures and memories and leave nothing other than your footprints and the cache!