Mount Mbapit

Mbapit is a young volcanic cone rising out of the plateau north of Foumban, a symmetrical hill of around nineteen hundred metres with a crater at the top holding a small lake, and the climb from the villages at its base takes a couple of hours through grassland and scattered trees. From the rim the country falls away in every direction across the Noun plain, with other cones and lava flows visible on the same plateau, and the lake sits in the bowl below. The mountain has traditional significance for the communities around it and guides come from the villages. It is one of the more approachable of the volcanic features of the western highlands.

What you actually see

• A crater lake at the summit - water in the bowl at the top.
• A symmetrical volcanic cone - the young shape of the hill.
• Views across the Noun plain - the plateau and other cones.
• Village guides on the climb - the routes up from the base.

When to go

November to February, once the rains have gone. A day. The climb takes two to three hours each way and is unshaded. Guides are arranged in the villages at the base.

Honest expectations

The climb is hot with no shade or water on the route. There are no facilities. Access requires arranging a guide locally rather than turning up. The crater lake is small and shallow.

Nearby

Foumban is south; Magba lies north.