Oldoinyo Lengai Trekking
“The Mountain of God”
“Oldoinyo Lengai” means “The Mountain of God” in the Maasai language. The summit of this stratovolcano is 2962 meters above sea level and affords direct views into the caldera of Tanzania’s only officially certified active volcano and the world’s only carbonatite volcano; records of eruptions have been maintained since 1883, the largest of which deposited ash 100 kilometers away in Loliondo on the Kenyan border to the northwest. Oldoinyo Lengai trekking is one of the best experiences.
It is located in northern Tanzania, lying just south of Lake Natron in the Rift Valley, in the heart of Maasai country, and is locally regarded as a sacred mountain. Looking north from its summit crater, the hot, barren salt flats of Lake Natron stretch into the distance. To the south stretch the Crater Highlands and the Ngorongoro Game Reserve. The eastern horizons are dominated by Kilimanjaro, and to the west, the forested escarpments and hills comprise the western slopes of the Rift Valley. Every seven years, Lengai erupts, and plumes of smoke billow out of the crater.
It is possible to walk across the crater floor. The ascent of Oldoinyo Lengai is demanding on account of the daytime heat, lack of water, steep and unsuitable slopes of ash and crumbly rocks, and considerable height gain. Normally you can start ascending to the summit early in the morning and reach the summit at sunrise. A shirt and a warm jacket are suitable for the ascent; also, long trousers are good, as the summit before dawn can be cold. The access route from the North West allows an early descent to be made from the summit in the morning shadow.
Standing at 2,878 meters above the Soda Ash Lake Natron, the Mountain of GOD is famous to the Maasai community that inhabits the area. Mountain Ol’doinyo Lengai is situated in the Ngorongoro highlands and the African Rift Valley about 120 kilometers northwest of Arusha, Tanzania.
Since the past ancestors, the Holly Lengai has been used by Maasai for their prayer to their GOD known as NGAI. Ol’doinyo Lengai is the only active volcano in the world that erupts nitrocarbonatite lava, which is cooler than other lavas by about 510 degrees Celsius compared to the temperatures of basaltic lavas (1,100 degrees Celsius) with less silicon.
The mountain frequently does minor eruptions and forms cone-like structures at its crater base.
While on the summit of Mount Ol’doinyo Lengai, one can clearly see Lake Natron, which accommodates and consists of good nesting sites for different bird species, especially the flamingos, pelicans, and geese; more than 350 different types are recorded to date.
Unlike the other two highest mountains, Lengai takes about six to seven hours to the summit crater. Also, the mountain is an ideal place for a working safari escorted by the Maasai guides with weapons; tourists can sight wild animals like olive baboons, velvet monkeys, monitor lizards, hyenas, lions, leopards, jackals, Grant’s gazelles, impalas, and zebras.
After Oldoinyo Lengai trekking there are nearby Maasai BOMAS that give you a chance to interact with the indigenous and learn their cultures, taboos, and traditions.
Climbs are mostly organized during midnight to reach the summit at sunrise. Although the route is hard because of the heat (40°C) and hikers are advised to be extremely cautious, the views from Mount Lengai are astonishing. In the north Lake Natron is visible, in the west the Great Rift Valley, and the eastern part offers majestic views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Phiona - Travel Consultant
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