Ol Doinyo Lengai is the "Mountain of God," the sacred mountain for the Maasai tribe. The Maasai climb the mountain to pray and offer their sacrifices to God.
Local Traditions
The Maasai tribe called this the “Mountain of God,” Ol Doinyo Lengai. Since 1883, there has been recorded volcanic activity on Ol Doinyo Lengai and it remains the only active volcano in East Africa. As Ol Doinyo Lengai stands at 2,886 meters (9,442 feet), this is a sacred mountain to the Maasai where they go to worship and offer sacrifices to God.
The Maasai tribe may go to the mountain to pray for cures for illnesses or infertility as well relief from any other misfortunes that they are experiencing. In order to make sacrifices, the Maasai bring young, pure, female sheep as sacrifices. In the evening, the sheep are left in a dry watering hole while the Maasai sing praise to God. When they wake up in the morning, the sheep is no longer there without any traces of exit.
While taking sacrifices to the mountain, the Maasai people abstain from food until they leave. However, they report waking up with the feeling of a full stomach and the taste of food in their mouth. Also, on Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Maasai believe that God is truly interacting with them as they sense His presence and hear voices, but do not see anyone else talking.
According to Maasai legend, bad people (i.e. someone who practices witchcraft) do not attempt to go to the mountain as God will strike them dead. The local folklore indicates that this has not happened as these people fear the wrath of God too much to even risk going to Ol Doinyo Lengai.As this is the most sacred place to worship for the Maasai, they come from both Tanzania and Kenya to pray and ask God for His intercession.
Hiking Ol Doinyo Lengai is possible but i n order to make the hike, tourists must be skilled hikers as it is a steep ascent with a challenging and difficult trail. They usually begin climbing at night and reach the summit in six hours. After sunrise, the descent takes about three or four hours and zebras and other animals are visible on the way down.
In addition to its height, another remarkable aspect of the mountain is its color-changing soil. Due to the volcanic activity, the Maasai tribe have seen the soil colors range from white, gray, red, brown, black, to even yellow. This observation led an American adventurer to call Ol Doinyo Lengai “the big rock candy mountain.”
While visiting Ol Doinyo Lengai, you will also come across other points of interest, such as Lake Natron, Maasai Bomas (“homesteads”), and Mount Gelai. At Lake Natron, you may find flamingos and other birds that are known to mate there. At Mount Gelai, you can explore the geysers near the amazing waterfall.
Ol Doinyo Lengai Trekking
Ol Doinyo Lengai is part of the volcanic system of the Great Rift Valley in eastern Africa. The name means the "Mountain of God" for the Maasai Tribes. You will climb to an altitude of 2,886 meters (9,524 feet). The volcano is unique in its production of natro-carbonaitite and after a steep climb, hikers are rewarded with viewing the rich glow of the molten lava.
Activities
- Visit lake Natron and flamingos.
- Trekking to the waterfalls.
- Visit Maasai boma.
- You can spot zebras and other animals in this area.
