Where<\/strong>: Buea, Southwest Cameroon, Central-West Africa Mount Cameroon<\/strong>, situated 180 miles west of Yaounde, is the highest mountain in West Africa. It is still an active volcano having last erupted only Few years ago. It is seen as a sacred place for the local\u00a0Bakweri<\/strong>\u00a0people who live on its surrounding slopes; they refer to it as\u00a0Mongo-mo-Ndemi<\/em>, or Mountain of Thunder.<\/p>\r\n <script async src=”https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7362755933628418″ The mountain is famous around the world for the annual\u00a0Race of Hope<\/strong>\u00a0which takes place in the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February. The course, covering a marathon length of 26 miles, is steep, exhausting, and unforgiving.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This gruelling competition attracts competitors and spectators from around the globe. More than 500 runners battle it out to be the first to race to the summit of Mount Cameroon and back again. Since it began in 1973, the winners have all been from the host nation and the Cameroonians are unwilling to relinquish their title. The star of this endurance race is a woman called\u00a0Sarah Etonge<\/strong>, who lives close to Mount Cameroon. She has been dubbed \u2018the Queen of the Mountain\u2019 as in recent years she has won the race four times in a row. She tries to\u00a0run<\/a>\u00a0to the top at least once a week as part of her dedicated training programme. Her accomplishments and dedication is even more of an achievement as when she is not scaling the mountain she is a single mother to seven children.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The starting point for the Race of Hope is\u00a0Buea<\/strong>. This small and unassuming town is swamped with over 50,000 people who\u00a0come<\/a>\u00a0to watch the race. This is also where tourists can start the climb on the\u00a0Guinness Track<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 the most direct route to the summit. The best way to do this is through the\u00a0\u00a0Ecotourism Centre<\/strong>, located opposite the\u00a0Buea Market<\/strong>\u00a0and beneath the local council office. A small fee is payable for a permit and the\u00a0money<\/a>\u00a0is used to preserve the mountain\u2019s unique ecosystem, wildlife, and plants.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The climb takes two to five days and the mixture of steep, stony slopes and alpine conditions at the summit make it a challenging expedition. The Ecotourism Office insists you hire a guide which is a good idea on this unpredictable terrain. They also issue you with porters who will help carry your equipment, food, and\u00a0water<\/a>\u00a0for the climb. Bring good walking shoes, warm waterproof clothing, a sleeping bag, tent and enough food and\u00a0water<\/a>\u00a0to be sufficient.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/p>
When<\/strong>: Held annually in the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February
What happens:\u00a0<\/strong>500 runners battle up and down the steep and unforgiving slopes of Mount Cameroon on a marathon length course<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhere Is it<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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<\/script><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat Is The Race of Hope<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Watching the Race and Other Beauties<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n