Mountains in Africa – a trekking guide
High peaks. Challenging ascents. Unusual landscapes. Rare animals. Summit views. Cultural experiences. There are various reasons why we choose to climb the mountains we do. With this in mind, here are 10 mountains in Africa that offer truly great trekking.
1. Mount Toubkal, Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Location: High Atlas Mountains, central Morocco Highest point: 4,167 m Reserve: Toubkal National Park
Trekking Mount Toubkal
Main trek: Summit climb (non-technical) Duration: 2-4 days Trek guide: Compulsory Best time: April, May, September and October
How to reach Mount Toubkal
2. Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Location: Amhara, Ethiopian highlands, northern Ethiopia Highest point: Ras Dejen (4,533 m), also spelled Ras Dashen Reserve: Simien Mountains National Park
Trekking in the Simien Mountains
Difficulty: Non-technical Trek guide: Not mandatory, but highly advisable Best time: Any month except April or May
How to reach the Simien Mountains
3. Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
Location: Oromia, Ethiopian Highlands, southeast Ethiopia Highest point: Mount Tullu Dimtu (4,377 m) Reserve: Bale Mountains National Park
Ethiopia is one of the top 25 biodiversity-rich countries in the world, and the Bale Mountains have one of the highest incidences of animal endemism of any terrestrial habitat on earth; the park itself holds 26 percent of Ethiopia’s endemic species.
Trekking in the Bale Mountains
Treks: Non-technical Guide: Highly recommended Best time: November to February and June to September
How to reach the Bale Mountains
4. Mount Kenya, Kenya
Location: Meru and Nyeri counties, central Kenya Highest point: Batian (5,199 m) Reserve: Mount Kenya National Park and Reserve
Trekking Mount Kenya
Main treks: Summit climb (technical) or peak trek (non-technical) Duration: 3-6 days Guide: Optional, but highly recommended Best time: January to February or June to September
How to reach Mount Kenya
5. Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania
Location: Northern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya Highest point: 3,188 m Reserve: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Trekking Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai
Main trek: Summit climb (non-technical) Duration: 8-12 hours Guide: Compulsory Best time: June to October
How to reach Ol Doinyo Lengai
6. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Location: Northern Tanzania, right on the border with Kenya Highest point: Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) Reserve: Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro
Main trek: Summit climb (non-technical) Duration: 5 to 9 days Guide: Compulsory
Many trekkers don't have the necessary endurance Folks try to ascend it too quickly and develop altitude sickness .
How to reach Mount Kilimanjaro
7. Mount Meru, Tanzania
Location: Northern Tanzania, 68 km from Mount Kilimanjaro Highest point: Socialist Peak (4,566 m) Reserve: Arusha National Park
Trekking Mount Meru
Main trek: Summit climb (non-technical) Duration: 3 or 4 days Guide: Compulsory Best time: December to early March and June to October
How to reach Mount Meru
8. Mount Stanley, Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda
Location: On the border Uganda–DRC border Highest peak: Margherita Peak (5,109 m) Reserve: Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Trekking Mount Stanley
Main treks: Summit climb (technical) or circuit trek (non-technical) Duration: 7 or 8 days for Margherita Peak Guide: Compulsory Best time: December to February or June to August
How to reach the Rwenzori Mountains
9. The Amphitheatre, Drakensberg, South Africa
Location: Northern Drakensberg, South Africa–Lesotho border Highest point: Mont-aux-Sources (3,282 m) Reserve: Maloti-Drakensberg Park
Trekking the Amphitheatre
Main trek: Summit trek (non-technical) Duration: 1-2 days Guide: Optional Best time: April, May, September or October
How to reach the Amphitheatre
10. Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Location: City of Cape Town, extreme southwest corner of South Africa Highest point: Maclear's Beacon (1,086 m) Reserve: Table Mountain National Park
Hiking Table Mountain
Duration: The better part of a day Guide: Optional Best time: March to November
Platteklip Gorge is the steepest, most direct route up the mountain. It's a challenging climb up the exposed northern face of the mountain, and as such offers stunning views of the city below, nearby Lion's Head mountain, and the Atlantic Ocean on both sides of the Cape Peninsula. India Venster is the most challenging and thrilling route as it involves some scrambling and walking along narrow ledges. Note that this route isn't suitable for anyone with a fear of heights. Like the Platteklip Gorge route, it leads you up the northern face of the mountain, so the views are incredible. Skeleton Gorge is a slightly longer route, and incorporates a different descent route, which is always fun. The ascent trail takes you from the world-renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens up a forested gorge. So it's a good option in hot weather. The descent route leads you down a more exposed ravine (on the southeast face of the mountain), so you still enjoy sweeping views. This is the ideal route for flower lovers, as you begin and end your hike in the botanic gardens. Kasteelspoort (or the Pipe Track) is a longer and gentler route that offers wholly different views to the other trails, including stunning vistas of Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles (a row of mountains overlooking the Atlantic Ocean). And while we say it's a gentler route, it still has its steep sections, but there are some ladders in place to make things easier.