Hiking in Nigeria | The Ultimate Guide
Hiking is slowly gaining ground in Nigeria and it’s no surprise as it is a hikers paradise with various hills and mountains. Some have been conquered and others are just waiting for the brave ones to put on their gear and hike away.
There are many beautiful landscapes and a lot of breath taking views. This is sure to make the sometimes arduous climb worth it.
For those who have caught the hiking bug but are worried or not sure about how to go about it, this is a guide to help you from our little experience.
Where can I go hiking in Nigeria?
There are a lot but we’ll start with the ones we’ve been to.
Idanre Hills – Ondo State, Oke-Ado Mountain – Oyo State, Lido Hills – Kaduna State, Beetle Hill – Ogun State, Erin Ijesha Waterfalls – Osun State and Arinta Water falls – Ekiti State. (A bit of hiking is required to get to both waterfalls and there are about 7 levels).
Other hiking spots include Mount Patti – Kogi State (we will be visiting in 2 weeks), Shere Hills in Jos, Obudu Mountain in Calabar State, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Cross River State etc.
*please note this isn’t a comprehensive list of hike-able trails.
Do I need to be fit to go hiking? What can I expect?
Hiking does require a bit of stamina but it’s really nothing that can’t be handled. All that is required is a bit of pacing. Stop to rest when you’re tired, wear suitable clothes so that you don’t feel restricted or uncomfortable while climbing.
On most hikes, the trail isn’t usually smooth all the way through. Sometimes a bit of crawling, hopping and looking for things to hold on to will be required but the view when you get to the top is usually worth it. Going up is the hardest part of any hike. Getting back down is usually a breeze.
It’s also a lot of fun when you go in a group as you’ll all encourage each other.
Most of our unravellers aren’t the fittest people out there and if we can can do it, so can you.
How long does it take?
It all depends on the pace being used and your fitness level. The time of the hike also matters as its much easier to set out on earlier in the day. When the sun is out it makes it much harder.
Most of the hikes we’ve gone on take about 1.30 – 2hrs. Beetle Hill would have been a 4 hour hike if we had started from our camp ground but it was cut in half as we hitched a ride along the way.
I’m sure there are trails that take much longer but we are yet to conquer those.