Mountain · Burkina Faso
Tenakourou
Tenakourou is the highest mountain of Burkina Faso, reaching 749 metres. It stands in the south-west of the country, in a landscape of sandstone. Dry savanna and scattered farms surround its broad slopes.
Where is Tenakourou?
Tenakourou is part of the Sandstone massif, Cascades Region.
You will find it in: Burkina Faso.
The story behind it
In the south-west of Burkina Faso the flat country slowly rises into steps and tables of red sandstone, and Tenakourou, though the measured heights differ by a few metres, is the highest of them. Rain falls only in a few months of the year, and afterwards the grass turns yellow and the streams shrink to a trickle of clear water between the rocks. Baobabs and shea trees stand in the fields around the mountain, and their nuts and fruit are collected by the families who farm nearby. In the dry season a dusty wind called the harmattan blows from the desert and paints the whole sky a pale brown. There is no cable car and no marked route to the top, only cattle paths that climb through thorny bush, so walking up means following the slope with guides who know the way.
Questions children ask
How high is Tenakourou?
The summit is given as 749 metres above sea level. Different surveys have come up with slightly different numbers, because the top is a broad, flat area rather than a sharp point.
Which country is Tenakourou in?
The mountain lies in Burkina Faso, in the west of Africa. It rises in the Cascades Region in the south-west, not far from the border with Mali.
Can you climb Tenakourou?
The slopes are gentle enough to walk up without ropes or climbing gear. There is no signposted trail, so visitors go with local guides and carry plenty of water, because the sun is strong and shade is rare.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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