Ol Doinyo Lengai, Active volcano in Ngorongoro District, Tanzania.
Ol Doinyo Lengai is an active volcano made from carbonatite in the Ngorongoro District of Tanzania. The summit at 2,960 meters (9,711 feet) shows two craters, with the northern one regularly ejecting lava.
Scientists reached the summit between 1904 and 1915 and began studying the rare rocks. Later geologists discovered that the lava composition differs markedly from other volcanoes around the world.
The Maasai and Sonjo call the volcano "The Mountain of God", linked to a myth that the god Engai withdrew there after a hunter struck him with an arrow. The Maasai regard the peak as Engai's seat, and eruptions are read as the god's anger. About 300,000 people live in the region, where livestock farming is the main economic activity.
Climbing requires a permit and a guide, as the terrain is steep and has no marked trails. Most ascents begin at night so you reach the crater at dawn and avoid the heat.
The lava here is made of natrocarbonatite and flows at around 540 degrees Celsius (1,004 degrees Fahrenheit). It appears black at first and quickly turns white when exposed to moisture, a phenomenon seen nowhere else on Earth.
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