This cache includes a multiple day hike through mountainous terrain. It is not recommended to do this cache on your own, unless you are familiar with the area. Be aware of rapidly changing weather conditions and bring enough food and water with you.
The mountains are beautiful and exceptionally biodiverse, with vegetation ranging from lowland tropical forests and miombo woodland to evergreen forests and afro-alpine grasslands on the highest reaches. Much of the range is encompassed by the Chimanimani National Reserve, which is part of the larger Chimanimani Transfrontier Conservation Area (ACTF), together with Chimanimani National Park in Zimbabwe. Chimanimani is notable for its abundance of rare plants, with at least 90 species whose range is restricted to the Chimanimani area alone. Many are prized by traditional healers for their medicinal value. There is also a multitude of birds, including the rare southern banded snake eagle and the barred cuckoo. Rounding out the picture are bushbuck, eland, sable, duiker, klipspringer and countless smaller animals. Like the Penha Longa area to the north, the Chimanimani Mountains have a long history and rich traditional life. Rock art estimated to be 2000 years old, but possibly as much as 10,000 years old, has been found at several locations. Many of the rivers and pools in this area are considered sacred by local communities, as are some of the forest areas in the foothills of the mountains, and some of the peaks themselves. The Mussapa gap itself is the largest natural route through the mountains lying in the valley of the Mussapa Grande along an east-north-east axis. This narrows to a deep ravine just before the Zimbabwe border called Chimanimani, after which the whole mountain range has been subsequently called. From time immemorial it has been the main route through the mountains used by traders, migrants as well as local people. The route went on into Zimbabwe to the watershed between the Mussapa Grande and the Nyanyadzi Rivers and down the latter into the Save Odzi Valley and onwards to the main Zimbabwean plateau
The whole of the area lies in the basin of the Búzi River System and is the source of the majority of the flow of that river. The south and centre of the mountains are drained by the Lucite and the Mussapa Grande, and their tributaries, the Muvumodzi, the Mutucutu, the Muerera, the Maronga Mussapa, the Mukurupini, the Mussapa Pequena, the Rotanda and the Munzira amongst others. In the north several rivers flow northward into the Chicamba Dam and thence the Revue, which in turn flows into the Búzi; namely; the Munhinga, the Nhaminguene, the Bonda, and the Mupandeia. All the rivers rise from the mountains as clear fast flowing unpolluted rivers even though, in the last years, the Lucite and its major tributary the Haroni have seen serious pollution with red silts as the result of alluvial gold mining activities, principally inside Zimbabwe. The government of Zimbabwe still runs a huge goldmine at the base of the Chimanimani Mountains, which can be seen as a large red field during your hike from the Base Camp to the Overnight Hut. Because of the large amounts of gold present, illegal gold panning is a huge problem in the area. However, gold panning is allowed on the Mozambique side of the mountains.
The Chimanimani Mountains are composed of an upper sill of dolerite and sandstone, with the harder dolerite forming cliffs and ridges. The mountains consists of two apparently subhorizontal dolerite sills. The sills are intrusive into the basement granite terrain and to a thin sedimentary sequence overlying the granites. The sedimentary sequence consists of siltstones, sandstones and minor gritstones. To the west of the mountains, the terrain consist of undulating hills of granite intruded by dolerite, which makes up most of the valleys. It is uncertain whether the dolerite is in the form of sills or dykes.
The north-south trending quartzite bedding of Mt. Binga is upturned near the summit to an angle of about 40 degrees and dips to the east, the foot of the mountain and the Turret Towers range immediately to the south lying on a thrust fault. Consequently the eastern approach is more gradual, while the western face is steep to sheer in places. The northern face is cut off by a fault and is sheer near the top, changing to a vertical cliff lower down. Although little research has been done on Mt. Binga itself, several peaks in the same mountain range have been dated at 1099 Ma.
(Sources: www.lonelyplanet.com; https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/281337/1/01-chimanimani; www.wikipedia.com)
Chimanimani
The easiest way to get to Mt. Binga is to go to Chimanimani village in Zimbabwe.
If you don't have your own vehicle, you can get here by taking a bus from/to Masvingo/Bulawayo or Mutare and ask to get dropped of at the Wengezi Junction. From here, local buses can take you to the village. To access the Chimanimani National Park, you either have to register at the office in Chimanimani village or at Mutekeswane Base Camp. If you didn't bring your own vehicle, ask the staff in the office for someone who can drop you off at the Mutekeswane Base Camp.
Monte Binga
Although it is possible to hike from the Base Camp to Mt. Binga in one day, it is highly recommended to stay in the Overnight Hut (2-3 hours from Base Camp) and continue the next day to the peak, which is app. 7 hours in total (Hut -> Mt. Binga -> Hut). There are a couple of direction signs in the area and the trails are relatively easy to follow. At some points, the route is marked by arrows painted on the rocks or cairns (small piles of rocks). On top of the mountain you find a concrete pole, which marks the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
How to log this cache
Send me a message with the answer to the following questions:
- What kind of rock is Mt. Binga made off, which gives the mountain its desolate rocky appearance?
- What is a common practical use for this rock?
- Briefly describe the big rocks you see at the peak
- In your log, include a picture of (you and) your GPS and the concrete border pole at the top
- (Optional) Please describe your journey to the cache and why you decided to visit this cache
