Mount Nyiragongo - Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.)
7SummitsAfrica (www.7summitsafrica) is a marketing brand that promotes conservation through tourism on the African Continent, destination marketing, and new tourism product development to stimulate economic growth near marginalized National Parks and Reserves throughout Africa.
The itinerary was fantastic. There were 10 of us Mountaineers on a 44-day expedition in Virunga and Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the great wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, and encounters with rhino and big cats on Ol Pejeta Conservancy at the foot of Mt. Kenya.
Besides, 7SummitsAfrica supported the N.G.O. "PAMS Foundation" www.pamsfoundation.org in memory of founder Wayne Lotter who gave his life for the conservation of Africa's National Park and Reserves.
The seven mountain peaks included in the 7 Summits Africa Expedition
Mount Nyiragongo - Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) 3470m
Mount Karisimbi - Rwanda 4507m
Mt Kilimanjaro - Kilimanjaro National Park - Tanzania 5895m
Mt Kenya - Kenya 5199m
Mt Stanley - Rwenzorí's - Uganda 5109m
Mt Speke - Rwenzorí's - Uganda 4890m
Mt Meru - Arusha National park - Tanzania 4562m
Mount Nyiragongo - Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.)
Quick Facts:
Height: 3,470 m
Altitude Gain: 1,870 m
Duration: 2 days/1 night
Highlights
An active volcano, located inside Virunga National Park.
Most recent eruption was in 2002 (of 34 eruptions)
Permanent lava lake is visible
Mt. Nyiragongo, DRC
Across the rift valley to the west of Virunga National Park sits Nyiragongo volcano (3470m/11,382 ft). Visitors that climb to the top are treated to a spectacular view of the World's largest lava lake. Nyamulagira volcano is a little to the north and is considered the most active volcano in Africa. The faultline causing the instability and hotspots throughout the reason is the Great Rift Valley of which the Virunga range and Nyiragongo itself is the western edge of the faultline, also referred to as the Albertine Rift. The Rwenzori mountains were formed due to extreme uplift during the rift valley formation about 3 to 4 million years ago.
The World's largest lava lake is the main attraction when climbing Mount Nyiragongo, a beautiful stratovolcano in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The volcano's forested lower slopes are home to various animals, including chimpanzees, monkeys, and bushbuck. Nyiragongo's summit rim is mostly devoid of vegetation and is sometimes dusted with snow. Visitors can peer down into a churning lava lake and see and hear hot gases exploding up though a mosaic of molten lava from the edge. Although predictable and therefore safe for tourists, Nyiragongo is greatly feared during eruptions because of its lava's low silica content. Nyiragongo's lava flows are extremely fluid; during the 2002 eruption, some of Nyiragongo's lava flows were recorded traveling at 100 km/hr (62 mph) and reached to Lake Kivu.
I met the group in Kigali, Rwanda, at the Serena Hotel for the opening forum. There, we all started talking about our impending doom trek up Mount Nyiragongo.
The fact that we were going into the Congo would be one of the most extraordinary adventures in my life.
I had to put my nerves aside, as I had never done such an audacious adventure before. So I kept up my morale and confidence.
The night before our climb, we stayed in Gisenyi on the Rwandan side of the border, crossing into the D.R.C. early the following morning. Sally and Carel, the trip leaders, organized everything in advance with their local contacts, so it was all pretty straightforward, and surprisingly, the border crossing was a dream.
Rwanda DRC border crossing
The official trip started in Democratic Republic of Congo, November 4, 2017
On the Goma side, we piled into two vehicles and made our way towards the mountain, stopping briefly at the supermarket to pick up some last-minute supplies of water and snacks.
The hike up Mt Nyiragongo starts at 1,984 meters (6,510 feet) and finishes at 3,470 meters (11,385 feet) so it’s about 8 kilometers of walking straight up. Okay, maybe not straight up, but it’s very steep!
Upon arriving, we signed in, Sally arranged with our porters/equipment and had a mini-conference with the chef (explaining what we'd brought to eat), bought our walking sticks (right decision), went for one last trip to the toilet, and met our (armed) rangers/guides.
After a quick briefing, we began our ascent. We were told that it would be a challenging uphill hike to the summit, and they weren't lying; that was one of the steepest mountains I've ever climbed.
National Albert Park sign filled with bulled holes.
We started in good spirits.
The journey up the mountain has 5 sections, so you get four rest stops of about 20 minutes each- unless you are at the back of the line like me and only ever make it to the rest stop for the last 10 minutes.
The first took us through the rainforest. It was hot and humid, and it wasn't long before we were all red-faced and huffing and puffing. Despite this supposedly being the 'easiest' part as it was less steep and relatively sturdy underfoot, this was the bit that a lot of us found the toughest as we adjusted to the heat.
Everyone hikes together on Mount Nyiragongo, an armed ranger at the front, an armed ranger at the back, and everyone else in the middle. But before long, it was very noticeable as to who the slow and who the fast ones were. In our group, Carel, Ake, Sibusiso, and Sally were the fast ones, Jacques ad Thommo hovered around the middle, while Patrick, Jessica, and I were bringing up the rear.
The trip's middle sections are a little more tricky, as the ground becomes very unstable as you are walking across loose volcanic rocks.
The last eruption was in 2002, sending lava flowing right down the mountain and through Goma city?
However, the one good thing about walking on loose rocks is that it forces you to go pretty slowly. By this point, I was starting to struggle. I spent the entire way up thinking, "I'm ok? I need water! I need to stop, and I was also beginning to feel the effects of the mountain.
I was tired, and the altitude was kicking in, so the porters had taken some of my bags, and there were a couple of times when they had to pull me up to certain sections.
We finally made it to the fourth and final resting point, where we took a break before beginning the last leg.
The last section was very steep and more 'painful' on the legs for sure, and you could feel that the air was thin, but it was much cooler now, and knowing that the end was near and being able to see the top was a good incentive to keep ongoing.
After 5 hours of walking (which is pretty fast, apparently), we all reached the top.
And OH MY GOD. It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!
We settled in our hut; There are 12 huts located just below the crater rim. It contained two-floor mattresses. It's cold after dark, and you have to make sure you have adequate clothing and a suitable sleeping bag. I was lying down to rest my warry legs when I heard a rumble, surly the volcano was not erupting, and I naively thought it was just a thunderstorm. I stepped outside, and a wive of Sulpher hit my nose. At the same time, Sally was calling for me to come to the rim of the crater. The show really gets going after dark.
The crater is enormous and would be spectacular enough on its own without the lava lake bubbling in its center. I’m struggling to find a way to describe the feeling of the bitter cold at the top of the mountain, and the intense heat from the lava. So many sensations.
It's hard to describe just how incredible the lava lake looks and feels in real life, and the photos just don't do it justice.
There's nothing quite as humbling and liberating as witnessing the raw power of nature first hand.
New cone formation erupted.
We were fortunate. The sky was totally clear. Sometimes the mountain is covered in mist, which means one of the porters has to keep watch for clear skies, but we had perfect views of the lava lake.
You can climb to the top and go back down in one day, but seeing the lava lake at night is out of this World, so it's worth sleeping up at the top.
We officially summited November 5, 2018, Mt Nyiragongo summit.
On top of Mount Nyiragongo which I climbed for my Granddaughter Isabelle!
Going down was less aerobically challenging, but boy did my legs feel wobbly. And walking down the mountain with all those loose rocks underfoot was very slippy; we were all over the place.
Having the walking sticks helped immensely, and the porters were absolute gents, holding our hands when we needed it.
The Cause: Rangers – the unsung heroes
At least 8 rangers have been killed in the Virunga National Park this year alone, bringing the total number of rangers dying to save the park’s animals to more than 158 in the past decade (the exact number is unknown, as some rangers are reported missing and never found). The park is home to some of the last remaining 900 wild mountain gorillas in the world. These brave men and women fight off poachers and anti-government militia attacks in the under-resourced park on an almost daily basis. It’s a mammoth and often-deadly task, and they need more support.
How you can help:
Share this stories as we climb for the unsung heroes. Follow the #7SummitsAfrica Challenge, presented by Great Migration Camps: www.7summitsafrica.co
Support The Fallen Rangers Fund
The Fallen Rangers Fund was launched to provide a financial safety net for widows and children of Virunga rangers killed in the line of duty. A ranger’s greatest fear is not losing his/her life, but the impact their death will have on family members left behind. Until the creation of the Fallen Rangers Fund, widows received little to no financial support and their families invariably became severely impoverished and destitute. These unsung heroes deserve more after giving their lives to protect the Virunga National Park.
Donate now: https://virunga.org/donate/
