“Lamlam” means “Lightning” in Chamorro. Mount Lamlam is the highest mountain on Guam rising at 1,332 feet above sea level. Some people say that it is the highest mountain in the world if you were to measure it from its base which is at the bottom of the Marianas Trench. At 37,820 feet, this would make it taller than Mount Everest which is 29,029 feet. Even Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaii at 13,803 above sea level and, if you measure it from its base below sea level, is a total of 33,000 feet, is still not as high as Mount Lamlam. However, the claim of Mount Lamlam being the tallest mountain in the world is disputed because the distance is arbitrary and there are different geological processes that formed both the Marianas Trench and Mount Lamlam.
Don’t confuse Mount Lamlam with nearby Mount Jumullong Manglo which rises at 1,283 feet above sea level. Mount Jumullong Manglo is the peak with the crosses at which the faithful ascend to every year on Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday.
The trailhead is directly across the street from the Cetti Bay Lookout. It is recommended to wear sturdy shoes, gloves and bring water for the hike. The gloves will come in handy at the very last part of the ascent as you will be grabbing on to sharp rocks and branches as you make your way to the top. You can also use the following waypoints to get you there (don’t depend on trail markers as they are set by different people with different destinations in mind and you could end up wandering around for hours). The hike to the summit generally takes about an hour and a half at a distance of 1.7 miles and about 45 minutes to get back down.
- N13 19.963, E144 40.275
- N13 19.997, E144 40.262
- N13 20.056, E144 40.215
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- 10.N13 20.271, E144 39.999
