HIKING TRIPS

Hiking Chimanimani Mountains

I can customise your single day or multi day tour to incorporate anything and everything you require.

HIKING TOURS FROM ONLY $70USD PER DAY

A hiker having her morning coffee with the mountains in the distance.

Hiking trips can be organized for all fitness levels and ages. I've even taken a couple of ladies of 72 and 78 right up to the camping hut overlooking Mount Binga so anything is possible.

My experience ensures that I can very quickly assess the best way up or down the mountains based around what you would like to see and how adventurous you are feeling that day.

We can camp at the mountain hut or in one of the caves if you want a more "outdoors" experience.

"Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”

― David McCullough Jr.

A DAY IN THE CHIMANIMANI MOUNTAINS

We start our day from your accommodation.

Base camp at Chimanimani National Park, which unlike it's more famous namesake has no snow, is 19 kilometers from the main village. We drive out either in your car or in the car I have organised on your request. The road is gravel, bumpy and dusty if it's dry, and boggy if its wet, so it can take us 40 minutes to get to base camp.

When we arrive we pay our park entry fee and our camping fee if we are staying at the mountain hut overnight. There are facilities at Base Camp so feel free to use those before we head up the hill. Base camp is around 450m above sea level and has overnight camping available if you choose not to camp at Mountain Hut. (See what to bring notes below)

There are multiple routes up to Mountain Hut. Banana Grove, Long gully, Baileys Folley and Hadange which is very tough. Once we have met and arranged our adventure into Chimanimani mountains, I will suggest which route is best based on what you would like to see and of course fitness levels will factor into it. While it may seem quite daunting to climb up Baileys Folley, we don't have to come return the same way we head up, so we could come down the Folley on our way out.

As part of your hike into the Zimbabwe mountains you will see some amazing cave paintings, we can visit water falls, trail the river, visit and (if you wish) camp in the caves and of course we can also take skeleton pass to the border of Mozambique.

Skeleton pass is named from the narrow canyons that can be quite a scrape to get through. This section of the pass is well over the border into Mozambique and we don't go that far so you have nothing to fear, skeletons or otherwise.

Multi Day Hiking In Chimanimani

The video below kindly supplied to us by a past client showcases the best of a 4 day hike through the Chimanimani mountains. Thanks to James Broadway for creating this great example of what you can see in while you are hiking in Chimanimani.

Possible Itineraries

One Day Visit

Leaving early from your accommodation, we could hike to mountain hut, have a quick lunch, head over up skeleton pass to take a peak into Mozambique and then head back down the mountain.

We could take it slightly easier, hike to Mountain Hut, have a relaxed lunch and then hike back down via an alternate route visiting the rock paintings on the way.

Mt Binga on the Zimbabwe - Mozambique border

Mt Binga, Zimbabwe's second highest mountain

Multi Day Visit

If you would like to spend more time in the Chimanimani Mountains, I would recommend an overnight stay at mountain hut. Typically the walk to the mountain hut is 2-3 hours depending on the route and how fast you would like to hike.

If we left early we could hike to the hut, have a relaxed lunch, trek down to the river for a swim or if you are very energetic hike Mt Dombi.

The next morning we could hike up to Skeleton pass and walk to the border of Mozambique. After a relaxing sit taking in the spectacular view, we would head back to Mountain Hut via the bubbling spring which is known to have strong healing qualities.

From Mountain Hut, we would then grab our gear and head back down the mountain and past the ancient rock paintings on the way.

While a day trip will give you a great overview of the Chimanimani Mountains, at least one night spent in the park will enable you to see and do much more

Climbing Mount Binga

While some very fit, very capable hikers do head up to mountain camp and on to Mount Binga and back in a day, it would be a VERY long day, you would most likely be coming back down the shaley rock in the dark which is in my experience quite unsafe.

Mt Binga is a tough hike and the weather in Chimanimani National Park can change very quickly and quite dramatically. Mount Binga is rocky and slippery and with exhausted legs from the haul up to the peak, coming down the mountain can be just as challenging as climbing up. I don't encourage attempting it all in one day and won't take hikers for a single day trip to the summit of Mount Binga. Your safety is my highest priority and I'm not comfortable attempting something that I do consider unsafe.

If you want to summit Mozambique's highest mountain and Zimbabwe's second highest (yes it straddles the border), typically we hike to mountain hut, and possibly visit skeleton pass the first day. Up very early the next morning, we head to Mount Binga planning to be back at Mountain Hut no later than 2pm. That will leave us time to get down to base camp should the weather turn bad in a safe and easy manner.

That's me overlooking the Bundi plains toward Mt Binga

Pricing

Start your walking tour from Chimanimani knowing how much you will pay and what you are paying for.

Day Hikes

$70.00

USD

Per person per day

Rates can be negotiated for larger groups or extra days.

This price excludes transport,park entry, food and accommodation.

A 30% deposit is required to secure the booking dates and can be made via:

World Remit
Mukuru.com or
Eco Cash

Mt Binga

$140.00

USD

Per person for a Mt Binga summit hike which is a 2 day hike.

I like to keep Mt Binga hikerscapped at 4 people. It's a tough hike and I like to be able to keep everyone together and safe.

I can add extra guides if more than 4 pax, however I will need to know at the time of booking.

Other Expenses

$100.00

Per car for transport to & from the park. (Aprox 19km from the village)

$10.00

Per person. Entry into Chimanimani National Park

$10.00

Per person for overnight camping at Mountain Hut

** All prices are USD and are to be paid in US currency.

What To Bring

Comfortable hiking backpack
Food for lunch, dinner and breakfast
Sleeping bag and pillow
Good size water bottle (I can show you where to fill up using the sparkling clean mountain water so excess water isn't required)
Consider bringing multiple water bottles if you are climbing Mt Binga. There can be little or no water at the top.
Tissues and/or toilet paper

Spare socks
Rain jacket
Warm layers in winter
Swim suit for the waterfalls
Small towel
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Rain cover for your pack.
Matches or lighter if you need to cook.

The Mountain Hut

The mountain hut sits at about 1630 meters above sea level. It is very basic and while it has multiple rooms, most of the mattresses are very old and there also aren't enough for the beds in the hut. The mattresses are mostly vinyl covered so are OK to use however a sleeping bag or a good liner are essential. If you have a small inflatable mattress, feel free to use that.

There is a fireplace and a few pots and pans however sadly these facilities are not maintained and we never really know if the cooking utensils are in a decent condition. Often we have to wash them prior to use so a little bag of washing detergent will be a good addition to your pack.

The hut is dry and doesn't leak so you will remain dry over night.