Mount Oldonyo Lengai

Mount Oldonyo Lengai it’s sacred to the Maasai; they still perform ceremonial ritual offerings in the mountains “kitchen” to “NGAI” God, in the Maasai vernacular. It is also known as O’ldoinyo Lengai.  Rising at an altitude of 2886 ALT-m (GPS) above the Soda Ash Lake, NATRON – (60mts wide, 1-1.5mts deep), with temperatures rising to over 50°C, that heats up the soda ash making it the most conductively favorable nesting fields, for over 4 million little flamingo chicks hatched annually, scattering around the rest of the E. African soda lakes. That heat and soda ash dust makes this place to be the hashiest living environment on Earth thus guarantees no predators close to the eggs or newly hatched chicks.

The Lengai is located along the East African Rift Valley wall escarpment north-east of the NGORONGORO highlands. The mountain of God is the most unique active volcano in the world mainly because it erupts Natrocarbonatite lava; (a much cooler liquid and non sticky black/grayish crude oil like lava) with temperatures of over 500°C, unlike the other volcanoes which produces basaltic lava with temperatures rising above 1,100°C.

The less violent active volcano has been witnessed by many volcano enthusiasts ever since the early seventy’s and has become a great attraction of late. While the lava flow appears like a white water flowing streams and brownish mud they form into solidified lava crystals that reflect sharp sparks when hit by rays.

The low gas content lava glows to extreme red-orange pool during the dark within the crater rim and around the solidified peaks of volcanic lava cones creating a spectacular display. The last minor explosions of Lengai are reported to have been witnessed by a group of touring climbers in the beginning October 2005.

There is a beautiful camping base for Mount Oldonyo Lengai climbers and hikers. Munge River water falls provides the most desired power shower after the tedious climb.