As the fourth most prominent peak in Africa and highest in West Africa, Mount Cameroon is a challenging place to hike.
Not only is the mountain tough, it’s also an active volcano that erupts every 10 to 20 years.
The best place to start out on a hike is from the cute colonial town of Buea.
Once there, you’ll need to get both a porter and a guide in town from the Mount Cameroon Ecotourism Organisation, as you can’t hike it by yourself.
The hike takes anywhere from 2-4 days, depending on how fit you are, but it’s best to plan for 4 days.
During the trek, you’ll go from hut to hut, and travel through rainforest, fog, and tough basalt steps.
In other words, it’s pretty tough, but the view from the top will definitely be worth it.
There are several tour groups outside of the Ecotourism Organisation that offers treks.
One of these is LCM Tours. They have been in business since 2008 and offer a 4-day hike up the mountain.
And if you’re looking for a bit more than just a hike, Discover Cameroon Tours offers a trek up the mountain as part of one of their tours.
The one week tour isn’t all about trekking — you’ll also have the opportunity to relax on the beach and visit some of the sites in Limbe before doing the big climb.
If you want to go a bit faster, every year in February, tourists and athletes from all over the world join Cameroonian athletes to run the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope.
No matter which route you choose, hiking up Mount Cameroon is a personal feat you’ll remember for a lifetime.
