Brian Keating on CBC Homestretch: Lake Natron, Tanzania

Here in Calgary, this cold-spell would scare even the most intrepid hiker away from the trails. But in Tanzania, February is the perfect time of year to hike and Brian Keating is taking full advantage! This week we’ve tracked him down at Lake Natron camp in Tanzania, just east of Serengeti National Park.

Listen here: http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/the-homestretch/segment/15518822

Below is the view from Brian’s aircraft of Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano, which he had a stellar view of from Lake Natron Camp.

Here is the photo Brian took of the Empakai Crater. He hiked on the high ridge overlooking the crater, and camped up there, to eventually descend down into the Rift Valley.

Brian, his wife Dee, and their guide, Charles, posing in front of Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania’s only active volcano. They hiked over 30 kilometers from the caldera of the Empakai Volcano, first camping high at about 3,000m on the edge of the caldera, and then descending to 800m to reach their tented camp on the shores of Lake Natron. This peak, always looming in the background, was a constant reminder that they were walking in the heart of the Rift.