Pico Cão Grande: The Towering Volcanic Plug

The Pico Cão Grande  or the Great Dog Peak is a towering needle-shaped volcanic plug peak in São Tomé and Príncipe, in the south of São Tomé Island in Obo National Park. It rises dramatically over 300 meters above the surrounding terrain. The summit is 663 meters above sea level and is often covered by clouds. The Great Dog Peak is notoriously difficult to climb because of the thick fog and mist that lingers around it, and the mosses growing on the surface that makes it slippery. “When it rains the stone is like a huge glass bottle,” said one climber. The approach to the rocky tower is impeded by a impenetrable forest of giant ferns and lianas. Snakes are reportedly everywhere, even on the tower.
São Tomé and Príncipe is a small nation composed of two islands - São Tomé and Príncipe - located in the Gulf of Guinea of equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. São Tomé, the island where Pico Cão Grandeis located, is 50 km long and 30 km wide.

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Source consulted: Amusing Planet