Nyanga Mountain
Zimbabwe's highest peak, located in Nyanga National Park in the Eastern Highlands, known for its rolling hills, high rainfall, and stunning views, but also for folklore about disappearances, leading to mandatory licensed guides for hikers due to unpredictable weather and mysterious incidents.
To hike Mount Nyangani, one is required to go with a guide, largely because of long-standing stories of people becoming disoriented or disappearing in the mountains. As a scientist, I am instinctively skeptical of Zimbabwean folklore, but in this case, skepticism did not come with an exemption. So we hired a guide (image below), who turned out to be perfectly fine. And if nothing else, we supported the local economy, navigated the mountain safely, and, importantly, did not mysteriously disappear, just in case the folklore was true afterall.
Wildlife in Nyanga National Park. Female Kudu (no horns) and Male Kudu (with horns)
