Mount Bintumani is West Africa’s highest mountain and a popular option for keen climbers, hikers, and trekkers. Named after the mythical female spirit that lives on the mountain, Bintumani rises 1,948 metres up through dense rainforest and grassy slopes to its rocky summit.
Hiking to the summit requires a fair amount of preparation and fitness level, including seeking permission from the local chief, but it is a non-technical hike that can be completed in two days.
Mount Bintumani forms part of the Loma Mountains, comprising the northernmost outlying forest in Sierra Leone’s Koinadugu District and the largest area of montane forest in Sierra Leone. As such, it is home to a rich array of birdlife and wildlife, which are distinctive to those found in the country’s lowland forest areas, such as the Gola Rainforest National Park.
Travellers can use Kabala as their base for the Loma Mountains, travelling by 4WD on unpaved roads to one of the villages – Sinekoro, Sokurala or Yifin – from which they can embark on their hike up Mount Bintumani.
A scenic two-day hike up Mount Bintumani may reward outdoors enthusiasts with views of some of the birdlife and mammals, such as the western chimpanzee and western red colobus, which find sanctuary in the Loma Mountains. The region is particularly noteworthy for being home to some 245 bird species and 1,576 plant species, nine of which are endemic to the Loma Mountains.
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