Virunga: Part 2

We had just spent intimate time with eastern mountain gorillas, our second-closest cousins. Now, we would see the center of the earth. 

We were gathered at the base of Mt Nyiragongo, an active volcano which holds an interesting record: the word's largest lava lake, to receiving our second briefing. 

Nyiragongo is a very active volcano. In 2002, it erupted twice. A 13 km fissure opened in the side of the mountain, releasing a lava flow that reached all the way to Goma and coated a portion of the town 2m deep in lava. 147 people died from carbon dioxide asphyxiation and building collapse due to the lava flow and earthquakes. Apparently, its lava is especially liquid and, combined with the steepness of the mountain, has reached speeds up to 60km/h. Frightening! 

The very trail we walked on followed a large lava flow, evident by the bare rock and holes left where tree trunks had previously been. The walk, which started at a leisurely 11:30, was fairly difficult but with a porter I would say it is easy. I did not have one and carried my own food, but I would recommend getting a porter as its good to support the locals and you will enjoy yourself more. 

Up up up we went, up the steep slope, in the sweltering heat, but in good cheer and good company. It was a very large group but all were serious travelers. My friend John and Magda has told me a story of a fat Chinese man who had gotten four porters to carry him a large portion of the way on a makeshift stretcher. Even with a backpack, it is a very difficult walk! 

Luckily there were no such shananigans in our group. Ramata's 18 year old porter Justin did an excellent job, insisting they hold hands almost the entire way down. He received a few elbow jabs from his friends at the rest cabin. 

The rangers enjoy their work

Thanks to hard-working porters, many people are able to experience Nyiragongo

Hampered by a knee problem, Steve did not let it hold him back

Afromontane vegetation in the mist

After what I can safely say was a serious hike, we had the crater rim in our sights. Everybody's motivation was boosted and our tempo increased. At last, we peered over the rim into a pit of fog and sulfurous gases. We would have to wait until nightfall for the lava lake to reveal itself, about 400 m below us. 

As the night drew nearer, about 20 people waited with anticipation,  lined up along the crater rim. We could hear the lava churning. Every few minutes, a fumarole somewhere blasted a spat of gasses, like an orchestra tuning up for the performance to come. Then, a small window in the fog revealed an orange glow. A collective gasp of awe was produced by the every giddy onlooker. 

The first reveal of lava

The glow intensified...

As darkness set in, the glow intensified and a cool breeze swept away the fog like curtains marking the start of an epic performance. And it was epic.

 A mini eruption last year had produced a small blast of lava on the right side, which had left a bed of cooling lava above the central lake. Lava from this mini-eruption seemed to still be draining into the main lake via a lava waterfall (seen on the extreme right of the rim). The source of the waterfall had become the fumarole which we were hearing. Plates of cooled lava formed a mosaic on the lake's surface, which shifted around and occasionally opened up into fissures of boiling lava, which I reckon shot up to 10m in the air at times, although difficult to judge from our distance. The lava churned and boiled and even began forming waves at one point. We stretched out our hands and could feel heat radiating from the lake like one would feel in front of a fireplace. 

Our sleeping quarters were reinforced steel huts that were apparently constructed from materials carried entirely by porters with no help from helicopters (even the concrete for the foundations). One of our porters told me, in a matter of fact way, that he was part of that effort himself. 

My version of five star accommodation: a mattress, a roof and door, and a hell of a view

I woke up at 4:30 am to enjoy another hour of ever-changing volcanic activity all to myself. I could not stop staring at at the lake. 

The center of the earth

Sunrise over Nyiragongo

Sunrise from the crater. Mt Nyamuragira can bee seen in the distance

This huge crater, on the slope of the mountain, was formed during the 2002 eruption, I was told

Views of primary rainforest where calls of Rwenzori Turaco could be heard

We took one final rest stop near trailhead, and received a very uplifting speech from one of the guides. He thanked us for supporting the park, and told us that many people avoid coming here due to fear. We see tears and suffering and wars, he said, when the news reports on the Congo. But in reality, he continued, "you have now realized that what you mostly see is smiling faces and friendly people." He was absolutely right. Visit Virunga!

https://visitvirunga.org/