Mount Rungwe

Rungwe is a dormant volcano of about 2960 metres in the southern highlands, wrapped in montane forest that is a fragment of a much larger forest now cut back to patches. In 2003 researchers working here and on the Udzungwa scarp found a monkey nobody had described, and in 2005 the kipunji was published as a new species and later placed in its own genus, the first new African monkey genus in over a century. The climb takes a long day from the forest edge.

What you actually see

• The kipunji - a monkey described as new to science in 2005, found only here and in Udzungwa.
• The montane forest - a surviving fragment of the southern highland forest belt.
• The summit - a crater rim at about 2960 metres above the Rift.
• The crater lakes - small lakes in the volcanic field around the mountain.

When to go

June to October is the dry season and the only reliable window for the climb. The wet season makes the forest trails very difficult. Mornings are clearest before cloud builds.

Honest expectations

The climb is long, steep and muddy even in the dry season, and a guide is necessary. The kipunji is shy and rarely seen. There is no formal park infrastructure and arrangements are made locally.

Nearby

Lake Ngozi is south, and Kitulo is northeast.