Africa offers endless opportunities for highland trekking and mountain climbing, from gentle hill walks in the Drakensburg heights of South Africa to trekking on the slopes of Mount Kenya, or total endurance trials, climbing the world famous grandfather of them all, Mount Kilimanjaro, the glacier-capped "Shining Mountain" which rises from the clouds, 5895 meters above the rolling plains of northern Tanzania. It is the highest stand-alone mountain in the world and must not be underestimated.
Although there are a number of trails up the mountain, representing different levels of ability and endurance, it is a grueling undertaking, and can pose a very real risk to life. You do not need specialized mountain climbing skills nor mountaineering equipment on this challenging vacation on Africa's highest peak, but you will need the skills of an experienced support team we provide while in Tanzania.
Apart from the personal triumph of attaining the summit of this magical peak of Kilimanjaro, there is also the unforgettable trek from summer to winter in a matter of days as you traverse the very different zones that mark your progress from verdant plains, through tropical forest, alpine meadows, inhospitable winter scree and glaciated snow fields to stand above the clouds as the sun rises in a world so inhospitable that you can only bear its wonder for a matter of minutes before being forced to descend from its oxygen-starved heights. In this alien place on Kilimanjaro mountain, you will find plants that grow nowhere else on earth: bizarre giant groundsel and senecios, like sentinel columns wrapped in fur or topped by cabbages. Other incredibly aged vegetation has adapted to being regularly uprooted by the cycle of freeze and thaw in its Arctic wastes. You will find a place like you few have ever seen before, and you will face yourself, your limits and a personal discovery you could never have achieved elsewhere on Earth.
Mount Meru is less frequented, more gentle and forgiving, but still a wonderful trekking experience. It is a younger, exploded volcano with steep cliffs and a central ash cone still showing signs of life. More beautiful to some minds than the grander pair, it is home to a wide range of wildlife. Affording fantastic views over the Arusha National Park plains below and the algae-rich Momella Lakes, it is a more relaxing introduction to an acclimatized holiday in Tanzania. Further north, the "Mountain of God," Ol Doinyo Lengai, is a sacred site. The Maasai people believe the Engai God triggers eruptions or drought, and make pacifying family pilgrimages to bless their children and livestock, or to beg the favor of fertility. It offers a challenging day-long scramble and should not be undertaken lightly.
Mount Kenya is Africa’s second highest mountain, like Kilimanjaro, it is an extinct volcano. It is almost 700 meters short of Kili, and can be used as an acclimatizing introduction before going on the tackle of the real giant. But it poses challenges of its own. Only one of its three peaks is accessible without real mountain climbing skills and specialist climbing guides. By contrast, a quest of the Aberdare Highlands in Kenya’s National Park in the Great Rift Valley, offers a less demanding trek, with a richer wildlife experience and lusher vegetation. The bongo, one of the largest antelope, is found here with a diversity of game, predators, herbivores including mighty pachyderms and hundreds of species of magnificent birds, from massive eagles to diminutive sunbirds. Similarly, Chyulu Hills offers a rich natural ambience for an off-beat vacation with Gofan Africa spent hiking or even horse riding on its hills. Amongst other amazing destinations for a fantastic highlands holiday in Africa, are the hilly wildernesses of Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo and South Africa. The Simien Mountains are cool, gentle, grassy ridges, forested with tree heathers, and populated by rare species of ibex, fox, klipspringer and baboon, a distinct wonderland for travel in Ethiopia. They end abruptly at a 30-million-year-old volcanic escarpment with breathless views 2,000 meters above the Tekeze lowlands.
A tour of Uganda must include, Mount Elgon one of East Africa's most distinct trekking destinations, with one of the largest volcanic caldera, with five major crater peaks which may be reached either from Uganda and also Kenya.
Also in Uganda, trekking the Rwenzori, "Mountains Of The Moon" follows the border with the Congo. Third highest of Africa's mountains, the snow encrusted heights tower above lush, montane and bamboo forests thickly populated with rare birds and rarer vegetation endemic to the Albertine Rift. A week’s active trek in Rwenzori will enable experienced visitors to climb to the Mount Stanley summit of 5109 meters at Margherita, though neighboring peaks are less strenuous.
The Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa are a favorite place to take an active family trip or for photographers, birders, hill walkers, bikers and climbers. Another World Heritage Site with spectacular Tugela waterfall and unique displays of San Rock Art, the hilly area attracts energetic vacationers, camping, backpacking or staying in caves in this vast Southern African wilderness playground.
