Mount Nyangani
| Mount Nyangani | |
|---|---|
| formerly Inyangani | |
Mount Nyangani summit
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,592 m (8,504 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,515 m (4,970 ft) |
| Listing |
Country high point Ultra |
| Coordinates | 18°18′00″S 32°50′30″E / 18.30000°S 32.84167°ECoordinates: 18°18′00″S 32°50′30″E / 18.30000°S 32.84167°E |
| Geography | |
 Mount Nyangani
|
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| Location | Zimbabwe |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
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 (171 mi) north west Mutare. 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 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 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 very rarely, 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
The mountain can be accessed from four base points within Nyanga National Park:
(1) The official car park, at the base of the Tourist Route. This is reached from Circular Drive.
(2) The Mountain Club of Zimbabwe hut, on the Kwaraguza Road, accessed via Circular Drive.
(3) Nyazengu Substation of Nyanga National Park, accessed via a road which goes south from just before the official car park.
(4) 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:
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Wikipedia