Mount Nyiragongo hike: After gorilla trekking, which is the main activity in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mount Nyiragongo hike is the most considered thing to do in Virunga national park in Congo. Rising 3,470 meters above sea level, Mount Nyiragongo is located in Virunga massif and features eight volcanoes: Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Mgahinga, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Muhabura, Mount Bisoke, Mount Nyamulagira, and Mount Mikeno taken together make the virunga massif quite beautiful to visit at least once in a lifetime. Mount Nyiragongo is still the most visited among all the eight volcanoes, though, because of its active lava lake at the summit that glows brighter at night and provides the best means of exploring this: a two-day and one-night Nyiragongo hiking safari will fulfill all your dreams as you spend an overnight at the summit. With “Focus East Africa Tour, Achieve Global safaris and Explore Rwanda Tours,” one is confident of good services in preparation to Nyiragongo hiking safari. There are various tour operators that arrange the climb to summit Nyiragongo alongside Virunga national park management. The Nyiragongo hike is carried out in Virunga National Park, a few minutes’ drive from Goma City. The Goma border, which serves as the entrance and checkpoint for all hikers before they are hauled up by a convoy to Kibati ranger post a starting point for Nyiragongo hikers. Starting everyday at 10:30 am all year round with a briefing, the Nyiragongo trek offers hikers the chance to rent porters, camping gear, and cooks before embarking on this exciting journey. Latecomers who miss the trek are not refunded so it is imperative to control the time very well and be at the starting location with others in time. Ascending Mount Nyiragongo is expected to last roughly 5– 6 hours filled with a lot of attractions along the way including the beautiful vegetation cover and wildlife such as primates, mammals, birds and butterflies that make the entire hike more attractive in that one forgets about the straining experience and focuses on the beautiful and thrilling attractions encountered along the way.
Hikers are rewarded while at the peak for a clear perspective of the surrounding Volcanoes and Virunga national park, so forgetting a breathtaking vista of Lake Kivu the most beautiful lake in Rwanda. Awaiting a brilliant crater lake view in case of rain, spend an evening getting clear images to save your memories long beyond the safari. After spending a night at the top, be advised that descent starts as early as 6:30 am to be at the starting point by 10:00am when a convoy is always ready to transport you back to Grande barrier under close security.
Mount Nyiragongo hiking safari needs and packing list
One requires several items to have a pleasant Nyiragongo trekking experience, and these are;
No permit no trekking; this is the gate pass to climb Nyiragongo. Mount Nyiragongo hiking permits are $300 nonrefundable and cover entrance fees, security, convoy, one night at the summit and ground transportation (pick-up and drop off at Grande Barrier). You simply pick your permit combined with the Congo visa upon arrival; this permit can be booked directly with Virunga national park administration or by utilizing a reputable tour operator to handle everything. Unless one book a Mikeno package that is completely supplied with everything including meals, rain jacket, sleeping bag, ample drinking water, porter, cook, and warm sweater at $100 per package, Nyiragongo hiking permit excludes porter fees and meals.
Appropriate hiking shoes: To help you stand lengthy hours of ascent to the top of Nyiragongo, a comfortable pair of fitted shoes is absolutely necessary and should be lightweight and waterproof.
The weight of your bags will help you to decide how many porters you need for your Nyiragongo trip. Apart from carrying the bags, porters push or pull the hiker to provide a helping hand in challenging terrain.
Sleeping bag: If you intend to book a Nyiragongo backpack, you will need to pack a suitable sleeping bag given the very low temperatures at the peak tend to be really low thus too much coldness. Should you schedule a Mikeno package, there is no need to bother about sleeping gear since the package for $100 is inclusive of all necessary items.
To keep you warm all through the evening, you should pack socks, gloves, long-sleeved clothing, a rain jacket, and a warm sweater.
Sunscreen: this too should be included in the backpack since it helps the hiker especially when hiking to prevent Ultra-violet ray of the sun from damaging her skin.
A cap and sun glasses will help to shield the face and eyes from direct sun throughout the climb.
A torch: It’s advisable to take a torch in your bags that will assist you in case you require any other light apart from the one visible from Crater Lake since the peak lacks any power.
A camera: who would not wish to record such exciting event over night? Clearly, nobody there for a camera should never be left off your packing list on a safari to hike Mount Nyiragongo. For birders, make sure a pair of binoculars is among the items brought for Nyiragongo safari since various bird species will capture your ryes during the hiking excursion.
Packed lunch and adequate drinking water: rising from the base of Nyiragongo to the summit is not a joke therefore it will make you hungry and thirsty at the same time and yet there are no shop along the journey or even at the peak. To get some energy to last to the summit, make sure you take some food to nibble on during the journey. Along with you, you really need enough drinking water to keep you hydrated all day long; else, you will become dehydrated.
A cook: Hikers must pay for cooks who will take care of them as long as they are at the peak as there are no motels there. Those who reserve a Nyiragongo backpack are lucky that the bundle includes cooks rather than merely the sleeping gear.
Since the cost of this hiking stick is already included into the Nyiragongo climbing permit, it is freely available and helps you to maintain good balance during the climb.
Tourists mostly use two border points—Goma border for hikers from the Rwandan side and Bunagana border for hikers from the Ugandan side—to reach Mount Nyiragongo. Though Rwanda Congo border in Goma is most often used border. From Rwanda, the best approach to reach Mount Nyiragongo for hiking safari is to land into Kigali Rwanda via Kigali international airport, then drive via Gisenyi town to Rwanda Congo border and then pass over to Goma. Once at Goma city, you will already be seeing the active volcanoes mountain whose previous eruption in 2002 ruined a lot of things and most human and animal life was lost. While in Goma, check in and produce all your documentation; get Mount Nyiragongo hiking permission and be sent to the trail head at Kibati ranger post, therefore enabling all hikers to Nyiragongo. All hikers gather at Kibati and participate in a useful briefing regarding the dos and don’s during hiking, expectations during hiking and are given an opportunity to rent all the needs including sleeping bags, porters etc.
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