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2023
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Trip

Range Guinea Highlands

West Africa III 2023

Our main goal for this trip to Sierra Leone was to climb the isolated ultra peak of Loma Mansa. Any other peaks we could climb would be considered a bonus. And of course we added an extra day or two just in case something went wrong with our plans. We landed at Lungi airport in…

2614.8 km+17086 m
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Place

RegionWestern Area

Freetown

We have plenty of time to explore Freetown before our evening flight home. We visit Leicester Peak and then experience the lively city with its street food, markets, shops and traffic. We then head to a sandy beach to watch the locals catch fish with nets hundreds of metres long. After a quick lunch at…

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Summit

Range Guinea Highlands

Leicester Peak

After breakfast in a small street restaurant next to the hotel, we drive almost to the top of Leicester Peak. There is a checkpoint, but as far as I can see, all tourists are allowed to drive to the viewpoint on the western slopes of the peak. There is a fairly large car park and…

590 mP 315 mI 0 km
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Summit

Range Guinea Highlands

Picket Hill North Summit

We are sailing from the Banana Islands to the mainland and are very close to one of Sierra Leone’s three P600 peaks – Picket Hill. We are aware that the highest point may be a mile in south of where the trail ends. However, we hope to find a path between the two peaks. Hope…

888 mP 93 m
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Summit

Range Guinea Highlands

Ricketts Island Highpoint

After climbing to Dublin Island Highpoint, we cross a stone causeway that connects two islands. We then walk just over a kilometre on a flat, wide path to the nearest point to the summit. From there we head straight for Ricketts Island Highpoint, the highest of the three Banana Islands. At the top we found…

246 mP 246 m
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Summit

Range Guinea Highlands

Dublin Island Highpoint

Situated off the coast of Yawri Bay, south-west of the Freetown peninsula, the Banana Islands are a group of three islands. The name comes from their shape, which resembles a banana. Dublin and Ricketts are connected by a stone causeway, while Mes-Meheux is privately owned and used as an adventure tourism destination. Dublin Island is…

167 mP 165 m
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Summit

Range Guinea Highlands

Sankan Biriwa

A great day despite not being able to start climbing Sankan Biriwa, the highest peak in Tingi Hills Forest Reserve. An interesting journey from Makeni to Kundema-Lei village and also interesting negotiations in Kenewa village. After breakfast at the Makeni Hotel, we get in the car and head east. The tarmac road is good up…

1715 mP 1198 m
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Summit

Range Guinea Highlands

Loma Mansa

Climbing Sierra Leone’s highest peak, the 46th most isolated in the world, is an experience not to be missed. It is also an ultra-prominent peak, one of the few in West Africa. Not only is it a beautiful natural environment, but the trail and cultural experience are also interesting. On this trip, Loma Mansa peak…

1945 mP 1665 mI 1570.8 km
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Place

RegionNorthern Province

Northern Sierra Leone

From Freetown Airport in Lungi, we drove north-east towards the city of Makeni and then towards the Loma Mountains. The scenery on the roads was very colourful and vibrant; every few metres there was a new story to tell and time flew by. It took us the better part of a day to get to Kabala…