Mt. Hanang

We set out one Saturday morning out towards Babati. Leaving Arusha towards Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks. Just passing the turn for Tarangire we continued for about another 2 hours on a bumpy road. Pretty soon it looked like we were on a game drive, the landscape was desolate and beautiful, the dirt turning clay red contrasting with lush greens. Soon we were in Babati town after passing Magugu. We turned right at the Support for International Change sign and again left near the White Rose Hotel, curving up a hill where we encountered the SIC gate. Erica had spent the last several months setting up the SIC office. This was the focal point of what hoped to be many volunteer programs for the years to come.
It wasn't long before we set out for Katesh, the small town about another hour away, whch is where we would start our ascent for Mt. Hanang. After an evening of 'nyama choma' we went back to our small hotel and got some rest before our 5am wake up call. During those hours of rest, the rain came down like I've never heard it before, thinking that the roof was going to possibly cave in. Were we going to be able to climb in the morning? Only the morning would tell. As the light barely creeped into the room, the beginning signs of life came about; the early blueness of day and birds chirping- we got up. The rain had stopped and we quickly started putting food and water into our packs for the day.
We soon were met by our local guide and started walking in the village towards a trail, leading to a view of just one of the false peaks of Mt. Hanang. The proposed itinerary was to summit, eat lunch at the top and then hike down, hopefully before dark....
Mt. Hanang is the fourth highest mountain in Tanzania, standing 11,200 ft. Hanang is an extinct volcano amidst the Rift Valley, 200m from Oldonyo Lengai. It has its own soda lake, from which you get breath-taking views of at the top, Lake Balangida. There are very few people who come to take the time to hike Mt. Hanang.
Quickly the terrain gets steep, walking uphill in forests, this day being extremely muddy. The mud made it very difficult to keep balance and gain upward mobility, due to loss of traction. Soon, we could look back at vistas of the lake, making a little dent into ascension. The grassy hills with small trails were slippery, but the sun was coming out slowly, drying the path. Big dung droppings indicated that some large mammals had been grazing up in the mountain. Soon the group would take rests and catch their breaths. The mountain is steep, really no joke for an average climber. At the top of every hill, we thought that the summit was near towards the top of the mountain. To the groups surprise, the peaks were false. Where was the summit?
After a multitude of false peaks, we finally found the summit. To our left we could see views of the soda lakes and Rift Valley. It truly was spectacular to see such rare vistas. We encountered no one on our hike and our local guide explained that not many people come out to hike Mt. Hanang. On average he gets 40 people a year, compared to the hundreds of visitors who seek to climb Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro. We should feel privileged to of hiked such an unscathed mountain. Our day ascent was tough, but nonetheless extremely beautiful. I can see how future populations extending outside of Arusha and heading into the Manayara Region will force tourism to develop more in this region. In a couple of years, Mt. Hanang could possibly be a famous local attraction for visitors. Already many conservationists and NGO's alike are choosing to seek future endeavors in this region.