[2] The upper zone of the mountain (above 700 meters) was made part of Gorongosa National Park by the Mozambican government in 2010.

The main part of the park lies at a lower elevation to the east of the mountain.

The mountain is composed of granites of Late Jurassic age, ringed by gabbros on the western and southern slopes.

Moist oceanic air masses moving in from the southeast rise up the mountain slopes and cools, and the moisture in the air condenses and falls as rain, or forms low clouds and morning mists.

The cooler, wetter climate of the mountain sustains several communities of plants and animals, distinct from the surrounding lowlands.