MOUNT TONKPI

Or "Great Mountain" in yacouba, rises to 1,189 meters above sea level. It is the second highest peak in the country after Mount Nimba (1,752 meters). To undertake its ascent, plan a vehicle, because the starting point of the excursion is located at some 20 km from the city, and about 15 km by continuing after the waterfall. The trail (part of which can be covered by car) climbs in twists and turns through mountain and forest, gradually discovering an increasingly extensive view of the valley. It leads to the former governor's residence, whose terrace offers a magnificent view of the Sambou and Touradougou mountains and, in the distance, the Kahoué massif. From there, a path leads to the tower of the radio relay that caps the mountain at the top. This mountain is home to plantations of cinchona and arabica coffee, which needs altitude, the coffee being planted in the rest of the country is robusta, less refined. Wild orchids and tree ferns line the path. Access to its platform, which is accessed by a spiral staircase of a hundred steps, is theoretically subject to prior authorization. In practice, however, it is possible to make arrangements with the technical staff. This "stairway to heaven" offers a breathtaking view of the valley below, of Man and the surrounding mountains, and in the distance, the mountain ranges of Liberia and Guinea, a spectacle that is even more grandiose when the harmattan does not reduce visibility.