Once I have met mountain gorillas in Mikeno sector of Virunga NP, the time has come to explore the interior of the earth; the largest lava lake in the world was waiting for us in the Nyiragongo crater. The volcano is located about 19 kilometers from Goma, a city that almost met the destiny of Pompeii a few years ago.
Nyiragongo rises to 3,470 meters above sea level and is part of the Virunga mountain range. In 1977, two thousand people died as a result of an eruption; the city of Goma was badly damaged in 2002 and cut in two by a lava flow. This eruption started a period of increased activity of the volcano, which persists to this day.
Climbing Nyiragongo might be difficult for people who are not in their best shape, as the mountain gets very steep at the end. The walking sticks can be very helpful. The adventure lasts from 4 to 8 hours, as we need to adapt our pace to the slowest member of the group. The altitude change is over 1000 meters and the temperature at the summit drops to about 5°C in the summer. It is possible to rent a sleeping bag and all equipment from the park.
In the very morning we start the descent – Congolese fields and forests stretch ahead of us and the silhouettes of the Virunga volcanoes rise up in the distance, surrounded by clouds.
