The quartzite ridges
Pointed rock above the valleys.
Ton Rulkens from Mozambique — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ton Rulkens from Mozambique — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ton Rulkens from Mozambique — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ton Rulkens from Mozambique — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ton Rulkens from Mozambique — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ton Rulkens from Mozambique — CC BY-SA 2.0
Chimanimani National Park protects part of the Chimanimani Mountains on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, in the south of the Eastern Highlands. It is a range of sharp quartzite ridges, mountain meadows and forests, a destination for quiet hill walking far from the safari routes. The mountains include Monte Binga at 2,436 metres, the highest peak in Mozambique and second highest in Zimbabwe, and peaks such as Mawenje or Turret Towers at 2,362 metres. They rise out of the low Mozambican plain and catch moist winds from the Indian Ocean. The park and the neighbouring Mozambican reserve form a transfrontier conservation area. You walk between pointed grey-white rocks and golden grass, looking over deep valleys and hills stretching to the horizon. Small forests shelter in the valleys, with shrubs and mountain flowers among the rocks. The view is open and rugged, it is very quiet, and paths keep climbing and dropping. The park's mapped point is 111.4 km in a straight line south of Mutare. You get around on foot, so take a local guide, a map and food. The border is close and not always clear in the mountains, so carry your passport and do not cross it. Rain is frequent and weather changes quickly, so bring waterproofs and tell someone your plan.
Pointed rock above the valleys.
The highest peak in Mozambique.
Small forests among the mountains.
Chimanimani Mountains, on the Mozambican border
A local guide is best, as trails are rough and the border close.
Not really, as you get around on foot, so it suits hill walkers.