Nyangani

Overview

At 2592m, Nyangani is the highest mountain in Zimbabwe.  It is located within Nyanga National Park in eastern Zimbabwe near the border with Mozambique.  The closest town is Nyanga.  

Getting There

Nyanga National Park is a short 15km car or taxi ride from Nyanga town.  The main trailhead is another 16km within the park and is accessible by all cars.  When I visited it took me about 7-8 hours by public bus from the main bus depot in Harare to Nyanga.  Then I started hiking from Troutbeck Resort which is a little further along route A14.  

Route

There are three official trails, at least one of which is well-maintained all the way to the summit.  The main tourist path, which approaches from the west, starts from the main trailhead (16km by dirt road past the park office) and takes 1-3 hours to ascend.   Though the final section is over bare rock, it is liberally marked with blazes so there is little chance to get lost.  I approached from the north, starting from the Troutbeck Resort (not to be confused with the Troutbeck Resort Hotel which is nearby).  I came in directly from the north, cross country, and finally intersected with the main trail within a few hundred meters of the summit.  For the first few kilometers I followed back roads, then cut across fields passing cultivated fields, some with livestock.  Eventually I re-joined a road and encountered a sign indicating that I was entering the National Park, shortly after which I again went off-road navigating by sight and a single GPS waypoint for the summit.  The terrain was largely passable although sections were very steep with canyons and thick underbrush.  I also encountered wild pigs.