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A birds-eye view of the Africa of our dreams |
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Inside Ngorongoro Trekking Routes
Mt Lemagrut
Click on the pictures for larger images!
| General maps |
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Mt Lemagrut is one of the major water catchment areas for the town of
Endulen and surroundings. It is one of 9 craters in the Ngorongoro
area and definitely worth exploring. The trailheads are about 20-25 miles from the Serena Hotel at the Crater. The views from the summit (10,397ft) are breathtaking with 360° vistas of the Serengeti, Oldupai, Gol Mountains, Ngorongoro Crater, Ndutu and Lake Eyasi. The mountain is often clouded over and rain can be encountered during the hike. We prefer an early morning ascent when the sun is rising behind us for a clearer view to the west over the Serengeti. The hike itself is rather steep in the beginning as you depart the trailhead. The ground is covered with short thorny bush so it is best to hike with boots. The thorns can easily poke right through sneakers! Near the crater rim the trail reaches the woodlands where buffalo and lion can hide! The collapsed crater area is covered in waste-high elephant grass and hiking is rather tough despite the flatness! There is a false summit on the final ridge. To reach the true summit, one has to turn right and up a steep stretch for about 15 minutes to an area marked with a cross. Most people will be able to reach the summit, but it is best to arrive in good hiking shape and with good hiking gear such as medium-boots, long pants and even walking poles and gaiters. Lion and buffalo can be encountered so the services of an armed ranger is compulsory. There are at least 2 trails to the summit. We prefer the Loongojo Trail because it is shorter and open - for better views and photography. It is also possible to start from Laandana Camp. The altitude at the trailhead at Loongojo Camp is 8,543ft. The trail to the summit is 2.20 miles long and will take at least 2.5 hours - longer if you stop frequently. You will gain about 1,854ft. The descent will take at least 1h15min and it can be hard on the knees. In total, you need at least 4 hours for a comfortable trek.
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| After about 30 minutes. That's Loongojo camp in the middle below |
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| The ranger |
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| You can see how steep it is. We do zig-zags |
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| Near the rim we need to be careful - lions and buffalo? Note the tall elephant grass. |
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| The are several false summits around the rim area |
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| In the crater. Note the hip-high elephant grass. |
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| The final false summit is the saddle on the left. Once there, we turn right to the summit near the middle of the hill. |
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| View north from the summit |
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| The summit! 10,397 feet. |
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