OVERVIEW

MOUNT OLDOINYO LENGAI AND LAKE NATRON 5DAYS/4NIGHTS
This is an active volcanic mountain estimated to be round 350,000-400,000 years old. Oldoinyo Lengai known as “the mountain of god” is one of the youngest volcanic mountains in east Africa and most actively. The eruptive records activities were firstly documented by Dr. Fischer in 1883, a first European to pass through this area of Maasai land. An interesting feature of Ol doinyo Lengai is that it’s the only known active volcanic mountain to produce carbonate lava, a form of molten rock that contains almost no silicon, it’s about 50 percent cooler than other forms of lava at around 510˚c and is also exceptionally fluid with a viscosity comparable to water. The mountain is hike able, though suitable to reasonably fit and agile travelers, the trail up to the Lengai top is very steep, with an altitude ranging from 500-3100m, while the descent can be very tough on knees and ankles. Climbing usually began at the campgrounds around Lake Natron and takes 5-6 hours though during the day it’s very hot making it rough, and inhospitable to travelers. On ascent during the day make sure you carry enough water to avoid dehydration, descent takes about 2-3 hours. There are some points for camping on the mountain, though it’s highly recommended that you set up camp in the inactive south crater rather than the active north crater, camping away from this northern crater made you avoid the risk of your camp being engulfed by an unexpected lava flow or bombard by eruptive rocks. All hikers should be cautious as this volcanic mountain is unpredictable.
LAKE NATRON - a salt and soda lake in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania. The lake has a surface of 600m and measures 57km long and 22km wide. The lake is quite shallow, less than 3m deep and varies in width depending on its water level. The lake covers a total surface area of 1040km2 and lies close to the Kenyan border and is in the Gregory rift valley, which is the eastern branch of the East African rift. This lake is fed entirely/principally by the southern Ewaso Ngiro River which originated in central Kenya and by mineral-rich hot springs. Temperatures at the lake are frequently above 40°C (104°F)-60°C(140°F) together with its high and variable salt content make it inhospitable to animals, it also receives irregular seasonal rainfall between DECEMBER and MAY totally 800m per year. High level of evaporations left behind Natron (sodium carbonate decahydrate) and TRONA (sodium sesquicarbonate dehydrate). The alkalinity of this beautiful lake soars to a season, as water evaporates during the dry season salinity levels increases to the point that salt-loving microorganism begin to thrive. CYANOBACTERIA do make their own food with photosynthesis as plants do the red accessory pigment in the cyanobacteria produces the deep reds of the open water of the lake and the orange colors of the shallow parts of the lake. This lake is a vital and only regular breeding area in east Africa for the 2.5 million lesser flamingos, whose status of near threatened results from their dependence on this one destination though 75% of the world’s lesser flamingoes are born on lake Natron. Different species do thrive and stroll along or near the lake and there are a number of campgrounds near the lake which is also the base for climbing Oldoinyo Lengai.