Mount Shimbiris

Shimbiris rises to around 2,460 metres on the Cal Madow escarpment in northern Somalia and is the highest point in the country, standing above a drop that falls to the Gulf of Aden coastal plain a short distance north. Juniper and boxwood forest survives on the upper slopes, the last substantial woodland in the region, and it holds species found nowhere else. The Cal Madow range runs for around a hundred and fifty kilometres along the northern coast and holds most of the region's remaining forest.

What you actually see

• The summit - around 2,460 metres, the highest ground in Somalia.
• The escarpment - the drop north toward the Gulf of Aden plain.
• The juniper forest - the last substantial woodland on the range.
• The endemic species - plants and birds found only in these mountains.

When to go

October to April is the cooler season and the practical window. The escarpment catches mist that keeps the forest alive. Summer heat below is extreme.

Honest expectations

The forest has been badly reduced by cutting and grazing and continues to shrink. Access needs a guide and four wheel drive on rough tracks. There are no facilities.

Nearby

Erigavo is south, and Daallo is west.