All activities / Trekking / Hiking / Mount Cameroon
Trekking / Hiking in Mount Cameroon
An active volcano rising straight from the Atlantic to 4095 metres on Cameroon's southwest coast, the highest peak in West and Central Africa, climbed from the old German hill town of Buea on its flank.
Why here
Mount Cameroon is the biggest single climb in West and Central Africa, an active volcano that lifts from sea-level rainforest to a bare 4095 metre summit in one continuous ascent from the town of Buea. Local people call it Mongo ma Ndemi, the mountain of greatness, and it is one of the most active volcanoes on the continent, with lava flows from its 1999 and 2000 eruptions still crossing the standard route. The classic climb is the two to three day Guinness route, named for the beer company that long backed the mountain race that runs the same ground: up through farmland and montane forest to alpine grassland huts, then across black lava and ash to the crater rim and Fako summit, with the Gulf of Guinea far below. Guides and porters are compulsory and arranged in Buea, and the reward is a genuine equatorial big-mountain traverse that few outside the region have heard of.
Best months
The mountain sits in one of the wettest places on earth, so timing is everything. The drier months from November to March give the best chance of clear summit views and firm ground; the June to September rains turn the trail to mud and cloud the top. Nights at the mountain huts near 2800 and 3500 metres are cold, and the summit can be near freezing with high wind even on the equator, so climbers carry warm and waterproof layers.
Getting there & around
Travel advisory · Do Not Travel
US State Department Level 4 Do Not Travel for Cameroon's Southwest Region (armed conflict and kidnapping tied to the Anglophone crisis) as of 2026-07; Buea and Mount Cameroon lie inside it. Check your government advisory and local security before any trip. The climb starts in Buea, about an hour by road from the port of Douala and its international airport. Guides and porters are compulsory and hired through the park ecotourism office; there is no self-guided access. Bring your own boots, warm layers and rain gear; huts on the mountain are basic shelters, so a sleeping bag and food carried by porters are standard.
Skill levels: intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (1)
EMICAM
OutfitterEMICAM, Ecological Management for Cameroon, is the NGO that runs the Mount Cameroon National Park ecotourism programme and the EMICAM Lodge in Buea, at the foot of the mountain. It arranges the compulsory registered guides and porters for the two to three day summit climb up the Guinness route to Fako peak at 4095 metres, along with shorter forest and crater hikes and birdwatching. Bookings and trek permits are handled directly through its Buea office and park website.