Stage 4 — Crossing volcanic crater at 2000 m above sea level

The climb to the crater ridge is very steep, the narrow path is strewn with large boulders. The route to the highlands takes us through two different climate zones. We leave the humid jungle behind us and now hike through the pleasantly cool cloud forest. It owes its name to the humid weather, which ensures that the forest is always covered in fog. The flora and fauna are very diverse: various plants and grasses sprout everywhere. The more meters in altitude we cover, the warmer it gets. From a distance, we see the end of the cloud forest and recognize a steppe-like landscape. We finally reach the highlands of Cameroon. Our limbs are slowly aching, the bright midday sun is burning on our faces, but the volcano is still a long way from being in sight. Motivated and cheerful at the beginning, we now walk silently side by side and ask ourselves when we will reach the goal. Physically at the limit, we reach the crater ridge with the last bit of strength. Overwhelmed and speechless, we look at this incredible panorama. Only now do we get to see the full size of the imposing crater. The interior of the crater is densely vegetated. From afar, we see two bright green lakes, which lie in the middle of the crater. We really want to see them up close! But first, we all need a breather, except Camilo, who, of course, is faxing once again. #lionking

We successfully completed the steep descent into the interior of the crater without further complications. On the way, we meet a shepherd and his herd of cows. The hike continues through the dry steppe landscape. Finally, we reach the narrow ridge that lies between the two emerald-green crater lakes. We enjoy the picturesque view, but appearances are deceptive. From our guide, we suddenly learn that we are currently in a dangerous danger zone. For several years, there has been a civil war between the French-speaking and English-speaking local population. It is about who is entitled to that part of the country. The northern slope of the crater belongs to the Anglophone population, the southern slope to the Francophones. We look at him a bit stunned. We would have liked to have heard this not entirely irrelevant information earlier... We may not see any other people far and wide, but our instincts tell us that we are being watched. Fabian in particular is on edge; he prances nervously from one foot to the other. We quickly take a few pictures and take quick steps out of the danger zone. The sun hits us with unbelievable heat, but our adrenaline brings us to absolute peak performance. Only when we leave the danger zone behind us can we breathe deeply. Overjoyed that we're all still healthy together, we march to the other side of the crater. This hike could have ended differently...

The sun is slowly setting as we climb the opposite side of the crater ridge. With our last bit of strength, we pitch our tents and cook our legendary pasta over the gas stove again. While the pasta is cooking, the sun disappears behind the mountain. To be able to see better, we light our fire torches. Not a particularly good idea, as it turns out in retrospect. Just as we're about to get to grips with the food, two figures approach us. We are terrified because we would never have expected other people at 2000 m above sea level. The two men are discussing and you can see that they are not particularly pleased. Camilo talks to them to find out the reason for their visit. It turns out they're the two Landlords and they've seen our burning torches from afar. They thought we were invaders from the other side of the war who had spread across their land. Camilo apologized and explained to them why we set up camp up here. They tell us that we are not allowed to camp without registration, as it is far too dangerous. We should immediately break up our tents and descend into the valley. Our guide also takes part in the conversation and says that we did not know that. The situation is extremely tense and it is uncertain whether we will have to stop everything and descend into the valley. The Landlords, Camilo and our guide finally agree that we can stay overnight. However, we should pay compensation at the supervisory post in the valley the next day. We're so thankful they made an exception for us!

It is still very early in the morning, the whole group is slowly crawling out of their tents. The sun rises behind the mountain and enchants the beautiful panorama in an orange light. Sometimes we can barely believe this unique experience. As a true Appenzeller, Fabian can't help but do a quick yodel serenade at this view. Nice is different, but at least we're all wide awake now. We brew coffee and eat fresh fruit, which we bought and picked up at a market the day before. It's about time to set off. We still have a few kilometers to go today and absolutely want to cover most of the route before the strong midday sun. The tents are stowed away, our backpacks are packed: we're ready to descend into the valley.