First of all, we stress that climbing Lengai volcano is a serious physical challenge and can be dangerous if you are not prepared: you should have experience with mountain hiking and be fit to climb 1700 m on a extremely steep trail on uneven, sometimes loose or rocky ground.
Tour character:
The two transfer days can be bumpy, dusty and hot, but are not strenuous.
The ascent of Ol Doinyo Lengai is usually done during the night or early in the morning, and is pretty strenuous: 4 to 6 hours straight up a steep slope. Although porters carry a lot of our luggage it is still tough. The trail is narrow, steep and sometimes dusty (therefore can be a bit slippery as well). The last part is on steep, hard rock. But…to see the sun come up and to reach the summit on the other hand is an enormous award you will never forget.
The 2-4 hours descend along the same trail is equally strenous; extreme caution is necessary especially on the first steepest part - people with problems with their knees should NOT undertake it! Walking sticks are recommended. By the time you get down, it will be hot, you will be covered with dust and probably be exhausted... but a refreshing shower is already waiting for you!
The days on the summit (almost 3000m) are very easy going although it can be very windy and cool in the evenings (expect temperatures down to around 7-10 deg C).
Unless you are looking for an athletic challenge, we do not believe that it makes much sense to climb and descend Lengai in one day as is often offered on many itineraries, for the following reasons:
1) You have virtually no time to see anything on this very particular, unique place.
2) You risk to have bad luck and arrive while there is fog, or rain; if your schedule is to go back, you will only get wet, cold and have waisted time, energy and money
3) It is possible to climb up and down in one day, but unless you're an athlete, it's usually too much. Most people who come down are seriously exhausted. Because the trail is very steep, it's not only very hard on your knees but can become dangerous as well when you're too tired.
For these reasons, we do NOT offer climbing Lengai up and down in one day, unless specifically requested by the client.
