Explore Ol Doinyo Lengai : Oldonyo Lengai is also known as the “Mountain of God,” by the local Maasai tribe. Ol Doinyo Lengai has been known to have volcanic activity since 1883, and it continues to be the sole active volcano in East Africa. Ol Doinyo Lengai, which rises to a height of 2,886 meters (9,442 feet), is a sacred mountain to the Maasai people, who travel there to worship and make sacrifices to the Almighty.
The Maasai tribe visit the mountain to offer prayers for relief from any current calamities as well as for treatments for sickness or infertility. The Maasai bring young, pure female sheep as sacrifices to perform rituals. The Maasai shout thanks to God while the sheep are left in a dry watering hole in the evening. The sheep are gone when they awaken in the morning, leaving no signs of their departure.
It is a sacred mountain in the Maasai community and may be found in northern Tanzania, in the Rift Valley, just south of Lake Natron. Looking north from its top crater, Lake Natron’s scorching, desolate salt flats are seen in the distance. The Ngorongoro conservation area and the Crater Highlands are both to the south. Kilimanjaro dominates the horizons to the east, and the western slopes of the Rift Valley are comprised of forested escarpments and hills. Oldonyo Lengai erupts every seven years, sending smoke columns out of the crater.
The Maasai people fast until they leave, carrying sacrifices to the mountain. However, they claim that when they awake, their stomachs feel full and they can taste food. Additionally, the Maasai on Ol Doinyo Lengai think that God is really speaking to them since they feel His presence and hear voices yet cannot see anyone else speaking.
According to Maasai legend, anyone who attempts to climb the mountain while practicing witchcraft will be killed by God. Folklore in the area claims that this has not taken place because the locals are too terrified of God’s wrath to even risk visiting Ol Doinyo Lengai. The Maasai come from Tanzania and Kenya to pray and seek God’s intercession because this is the most sacred place for them to worship.
Ol Doinyo Lengai can be hiked, but in order to do so, visitors must be experienced hikers because the trail is strenuous and steeply ascends. They typically start their ascent at night and finish in six hours. Zebras and other animals can be seen on the descent, which takes approximately three to four hours after daybreak.
The mountain’s color-changing soil is another impressive feature, in addition to its height. The Maasai tribe has observed soil colors ranging from white to gray to red to brown to black to even yellow due to the volcanic activity. An American explorer referred to Ol Doinyo Lengai as “the enormous rock candy mountain” as a result of this sighting.
Other attractions, including Lake Natron, Maasai Bomas (“homesteads”), and Mount Gelai, can be seen when touring Ol Doinyo Lengai. Lake Natron may be home to flamingos and other species known to pair there. You can tour the geysers at Mount Gelai, which are close to the magnificent waterfall.
Trekking in Ol Doinyo Lengai Mountain
Ol Doinyo Lengai is a part of the Great Rift Valley’s volcanic system in eastern Africa. For the Maasai Tribes, the name refers to the “Mountain of God.” You’ll ascend to a height of 2,886 meters (9,524 feet). The volcano is distinctive in that it produces natro-carbonaitite, and hikers are rewarded with the opportunity to see the vivid glow of molten lava after a challenging ascent.
One can see the Soda Lake Natron clearly from Mountain Oldoinyo Lengai’s summit, and it provides suitable nesting locations for a variety of bird species, including more than 350 different varieties of geese, pelicans, and flamingos.
Lengai takes roughly six to seven hours to reach the top crater, unlike the other two highest mountains. A working safari led by Maasai guides armed with guns is a great way for tourists to see wild species such as olive baboons, velvet, monitor lizards, hyenas, lions, leopards, jackals, Grant’s gazelles, impalas, and zebra.
The Maasai bomas in the area provide you with the chance to connect with the locals and learn about their customs, taboos, and cultures.
Tourist Activities around Oldonyo Lengai Mountain
- Visit Lake Natron and see flamingos.
- Trekking to the waterfalls
- Visit Maasai Boma.
- You can spot zebras and other animals in this area.
