Ngomakurira Mountain
| Ngomakurira Mountain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Domboshava,Chinhamora Communal Lands |
| Nearest city | Harare |
| Coordinates | 17⁰33′27.30″S 31⁰14′06.65″E |
'Ngomakurira' (”Drums Sounding”) is a mountain and is located in Domboshava Rocks Mashonaland East Province.
For more see Zimbabwe Mountains ,Hills And Rocks.
Background
It is believed that Shona ancestors protect the place. The Mountain is administered by the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe who charge a small fee for you to either climb or drive to the beacon on the top.
For more see Zimbabwe Mountains ,Hills And Rocks.
Touring the mountain
The climb up from the small office at the base of the mountain to the beacon will take you from 90 minutes to 3 hours dependent on your fitness. If you opt to climb you will find magnificent examples of San Art rock paintings. The routes are clearly marked.
A drive up in a 4x4 vehicle will take an hour. If driving proceed further along the road to the turn off where you turn left and start the climb up the hill. There are normally school children around who are very willing to run alongside your vehicle and show the way.
For the more adventurous 4x4 drivers you will note a number of arrows painted on the rocks which will take to the beacon. If you can touch the beacon with your bumper you will have “kissed the beacon”. It would be good to see pictures of you kissing the beacon!
Along with the spectacular views enjoy the aloes, lichen and moss that cover the rocks. Keep a look out for Klipspringer buck, rock rabbits and the colourful lizards that sun themselves on the rocks. As this is a traditional spiritual mountain you may find artifacts left to appease the spirits. Please respect them and leave them be.
Why Visit
Visitors who prefer a more strenuous hike than Domboshava need to travel out a little further into the Chinamora Communal Lands to Ngomakurira which is Domboshava’s big brother. Ngomakurira is known to many Harare residents as an area of intense beauty and great spiritual significance. Many of the hilltops and woodland areas have stone altars that are used by the Zionist churches as places of worship. Only thirty minutes by car from the capital, many visitors and tourists walk there amongst these beautiful massive granite outcrops interspersed with indigenous Miombo forest. On the side of the massive orange-colored vertical rock face of the main mountain, a giant batholith, there is some well-preserved San rock art. Some say that Ngomakurira deserves the status of world heritage site for the combination of great natural beauty and cultural significance it offers.
How to get here
Leave Harare on the Borrowdale Road, distances are from Borrowdale police station, 13.4 KM the road crosses a grid and enters the Chinamora Communal Lands, 16.3 KM pass the signpost to Domboshava National Monument, 26.6 KM turn-right at the signpost to Ngomakurira National Monument, onto a gravel road, 27.2 KM ford small stream, 27.9 KM turn left towards the hill and at signpost to Ngomakurira National Monument, 28.1 KM reach car park
