Climbing Ol Doinyo Lengai

Ol Doinyo Lengai – “Mountain of God”

The active volcano offers a dramatic scenic backdrop. Ol Doinyo Lengai is unique in the world. From a distance, the summit appears to be covered in snow. But that impression is deceptive. Instead, it is the only volcano that spews white lava during an eruption. The whitish color is caused by lava composed of sodium carbonate, from which Lake Soda also gets its name. Ol Doinyo Lengai means “mountain of God.” The Maasai believe that the sacred volcano is the home of their god.

The volcano can be climbed with a guide and offers an adventurous journey away from all tourism. The ascent of the volcano, with its steep slope of rugged rock, is quite challenging. The hike can be an exciting and unique trekking experience for any enthusiastic and well-equipped mountaineer. Around midnight, the driver will take you to the base of Ol Doinyo Lengai Mountain to begin the climb. You will be guided by a Maasai from the local cultural center. Before you begin this trek, you should understand that it is a tough climb. You will spend about 6 hours before you reach the summit. This is reached before the sun rises, so you can clearly see the molten lava. Then the sun slowly rises above the horizon, giving spectacular views. In clear weather, you can even see Mount Meru and the
Kilimanjaro
! Spend some time at the summit before descending to the foot of the mountain. Once you reach the foot of the mountain, it is almost 8:00 a.m., depending on the descent.