Mount Nyangani : ZIMBABWE
Mount Nyangani is the highest mountain in Zimbabwe, at 2,592 m. The mountain is located in the Nyanga District, about 275 km southeast of Harare. The mountain vegetation is largely composed of heath around the summit plateau with evergreen forest along the wetter eastern slopes and grassland to the western side. Annual rainfall totals are high (around 2,200 mm), but long spells of dry weather occur during the winter period of May to August. Due to its relatively low altitude and tropical location, snow falls at most once a century. Mount Nyangani (formerly Mount Inyangani) is the highest mountain in Zimbabwe at 2,592 m (8,504 ft). The mountain is located within Nyanga National Park in Nyanga District, is about 275 km (170 miles) south east of Harare. The mountain vegetation is largely composed of heath around the summit plateau with evergereen forest along the wetter eastern slopes and grassland to the western side. Annual rainfall totals are high (around 2200 mm) but long spells of dry weather occur during the winter period of May to August. Due to its relatively low altitude and tropical location, snow falls at most once a century, last recorded in August 1935
The mountain is composed of an upper sill of dolerite and sandstone, with the harder dolerite forming cliffs and ridges. The dolerite sill and the sediments underlying it are probably part of the Umkondo Group . The Umkondo Group dolerite sill north of Nyangani, on the Kwaraguza Road, has been dated at 1099 Ma eat it Nyangani is unusual in that the summit lies atop a small outcrop of rock around 40m above the surrounding area. The remainder of the peak is a broad moor of mainly rolling hills and plateau with an area of about 8 km2. The edges of this plateau then fall steeply to the east and west sides. The mountain can be accessed from four base points within Nyanga National Park: The official car park, at the base of the Tourist Route. This is reached from Circular Drive. The Mountain Club of Zimbabwe hut, on the Kwaraguza Road, accessed via Circular Drive. Nyazengu Substation of Nyanga National Park, accessed via a road which goes south from just before the official car park. Gleneagles Substation of Nyanga National Park, accessed via the Circular Drive, Kwaraguza Road and the Gleneagles road or from Troutbeck via Nyafaru.
The peak can be reached within 1–3 hours by anyone of average fitness. This ascent brings the hiker to an altitude of about 2200m and the remainder is mostly walking across the gentler gradients of the summit plateau. The hazards here are produced by bewilderingly fast weather changes that can switch from sunny skies to thick fog, and under these conditions several fatalities have occurred due to hikers losing their way and falling down ravines. There are three ascents that follow paths: The main access to the mountain is a Tourist Path from the west. This ascends along the edge of the upper Nyamuziwa river and crosses onto the main plateau north of the summit. From there it heads south across the plateau to the summit. A second path runs from the Mountain Club of Zimbabwe hut. This paths follows the east side of the northern ridge, before joining the Tourist Path on the main plateau . A third path runs from Nyazengu, southwest of the mountain on the old road to the Pungwe River causeway (Pungwe Drift). It branches from the Nyazengu Trail and ascends to the base of Tucker's Gap, which has a spectacular view of the montane rainforest to the southeast of the mountain (on the few days when the cloud does not cover the Gap). It is possible to ascend the north side of the gap (marked path) and then walk northwards across a boulder field to the main plateau, apporoaching the summit from the south. However, this last stretch has no path or markings.
