The first descriptions of eruptions Ol Dono Lengai are in 1883 is also described periods of activity between 1904 and 1910. and later between 1913 and 1915. Violent eruption occurred in June 1917, which resulted in volcanic ash dropped from up to 48 km from the summit of the volcano. Such strong eruptions occurred in 1926, and between July and December 1940, during which the volcanic ash flew up to 100 miles from Ol Dono Lengai. A few more quiet eruptions recorded in 1954, 1955, 1958. and the beginning of 1960 Eruption August 14, 1966 described by geologists JB Dawson and GC Clark, who visited the crater a week after the eruption.
Numerous volcanoes scattered across the great African rift fault length of 6,000 kilometers, the age of 30 million years. At the top of the volcano Ol Doina Lengai are white streaks - traces vylivsheysya lava from the crater. Ol Doina Lengai volcano unique, so there is no lava no other volcano in the world. The Volcano peacefully grazing giraffes. Ol Doina Lengai is one of the most amazing volcanoes on the planet. Climbing to Ol Doina Lengai is particularly difficult, given his height 2962 meters and its steep slopes.
At the top of the volcano is a huge rift, the land here is hot. Ol Doina Lengai - Mount the black god. Previously, you had to go down to a hundred meters below to get to the bottom of the crater, but now it's filled to the brim with layers of frozen lava. Unusual lava represents natrokarbonatidy - volcanic limestone is high in calcium and sodium, carbon, the lava is flowing like water. When the lava flows is entirely black, and after the rain, after three hours, it turns white as snow, and if it does not rain, it is enough moisture in the air, so that in three days, she brightened. By Color Lava, you can determine how many days the lava, this is the only volcano on the planet, which spews out a lava. At the top you hear the explosions, which means that the volcano is active.
Boiling lava dome conceals the slag, which is constantly trembles boiling substances. Through small cracks in the volcano throws up lava black. Ol Doina Lengai youngest and only active volcano that throws so unusual lava. Unique and unpredictable it is confusing to volcanologists around the world. Natrokarbonatitov on the ground is very small, it is the only active volcano, releasing the substance. There are other volcanoes of this type, but they have long ceased to operate. The only thing that unites the volcanoes emitting natrokarbonatity is that they are located in the open rift.
The origin of this unusual lava and remains a mystery. In 1960, during the phase of the eruption of the volcano crater collapsed. Then, after a powerful eruption crater 100 meters deep. Collapse zone contours of the volcano crater. At a depth of 60 kilometers is magma reservoir. At the top of the hidden layer of rock is a small lava lake. Extremely fluid lava formed a layer thickness of 6 meters, it produces three times more carbon dioxide than other volcanoes. In the phase of the eruption of ash emissions sometimes reach 120 kilometers in diameter. Now he regularly fills the crater and lava falls.
Ornitho (hornito) - are emissions of lava particles are superimposed on each other to form a small cone and lava which continues to be released from the vent ornitho. So ornitho grows up to several tens of meters in height, but they exist for long. Ornitho include mini volcano, although it is not true to the volcanic system, but the principle of its formation is the same.

At the top of the volcano beautiful stalactites hanging down, some longer than 2 meters. Stalactites are formed in two ways - if the level of the lava lake was high and during the emission wavelength on the surface reached a set of caves, the lava flowed into the freezing. Or the flow of lava, thrown out of one of ornitho got to the cave, and seeped through the cracks of the lava inside and the glass down. The lava of the volcano as water, enough slightest cracks or holes as it percolates down immediately, and then, dripping, drop by drop, forms stalactite.
Here is a description © axel its journey to the volcano:
the field (Moshi) was quite difficult to find an office that could be real and for reasonable money to organize a trip to the area. The road there is very bad, and very few tourists rides, so find travel companions did not, and individual trip was too expensive. All of which I could make a deal - is $ 1,050, including a 3 day safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Given the price ordinary safari ($ 145 a day), a trip to the volcano Ol Doina Lengai and climbing on it cost me 600! dollars, which of course is very expensive for two partial days.
Returning from safari, I stopped at one of the hotels in the Lake Manyara, where the next morning I had to take the car and drive to Lake Natron (Lake Natron), where the self and the volcano Ol Doina Lengai. Hotels and service in Tanzania is very far from European or Thai standards, but the prices are quite European, so I'm glad that out of the 14 days of my African trip, about 10 I was in a tent.
In the morning I was picked jeep with young Tanzanians and we drove towards Lake Natron. There's a small distance (yet so I do not understand why a trip there so expensive), but the road can just say no. A little more than 100 km we drove over 3 hours and went very quickly and were all in the dust. Usually this road at all deserted, but this time we met a lot of counter and trucks, according to my guide, they all went to the pastor, who invented a cure for AIDS, and even the President of Tanzania, was going to visit this place. On the way we passed three checkpoints, where each had to pay the fare, but I was all included in the price (of course! When a certain price). And now, after almost three-hour bumpy ride along the rocky road, seemed Ol Doina Lengai volcano (Ol Doinyo Lengai)
It was interesting up close and personal with the African Masai, who to this day preserved their traditional way of life and they barely touched the achievements of civilization. They also continue to live in houses made of a mixture of dung and earth, men have to carry some stick, and the women shave to bare. The only tradition that the Maasai have left against their will - the killing of a lion at his initiation into manhood. Local guide by the way, I was a young man from the tribe of Masai, funny and pretty good speaking in English. After a short break, we went to Lake Natron, which by this time quite dry
Even from far away, he began to make an impression, especially since I had never seen active volcanoes strewn pretty fresh lava and ash. After an hour we arrived at the lodge (or rather camp, as there were only tents), where I was to spend part of the next night. Unfortunately I do not remember the exact name of the lodge, but there was a nearby Maasai village (and all employees were Masai lodge) and a beautiful view of the volcano.
Climbing to Ol Doina Lengai, like Mount Kilimanjaro, was scheduled for midnight, to my requests come later, as I go to such tracks pretty quickly, again not heeded. According to the guide on the average rise is about 5 hours, so that by dawn we had to be on top.

Sleep before climbing did not work and after a little "breakfast" we got into the jeep and drove to the foot of the volcano. I had to drive about an hour to an hour and the night, in the dark, we are already out on the route. In the beginning we were quite quick and easy to solid ground with some UConn up, but after half an hour the trail was covered with volcanic ash, which began to sink your feet and go has become much more complicated.Feels like we climbed high enough, but the guide said that we were not even half. Half an hour later we made the first smoke break (Maasai guide did not smoke, but tobacco zanyuhal) about the middle of the route.
Guide said to me to decide whether we will wait for dawn or start to go down. After 10 minutes of meditation and walking along the crater, I decided that I must go down. By this time I was completely numb and I could not stand the stench of this, which was standing there. And not waiting for the dawn and you will not see in detail the crater of the volcano, we went down. The descent from the volcano is even more dangerous than the climb, but we all went without incident, and still in the dark, we went down to the car and drove back to the lodge.
From this point on, progress has been much slower since slipped back legs and drowned. This walking at an altitude much exhausting. The trail consists of a solidified lava on which the walk was hard and dangerous, and volcanic ash in which the feet sank up to his ankles.

In the dark summit seemed very close, but as time passed, and she was coming. Go getting harder and harder to rest had been often. After the middle of the path has become noticeable odor that grew stronger as you get closer to the top. Just before the top of the rise was very steep and was held on the frozen lava, imagine a slab of lava, which is under a decent angle and it should go up. Slip there was more than real and catch was not for that, so the bones would not be collected. So we moved on his heels and carefully. Hours at 3 am, we climbed to the top and goes along the crater of the volcano. The smell was already a very strong and unbearable, but you get used to it gradually. On top of a very cold and strong wind, which is trying to throw off the crest or the slope of the volcano, or in a crater with a depth of almost 100 meters. The rise took us about 2 and a half hours, which is almost two times faster than the average time. At the top at this time of complete darkness, though the eye is already set.