Mount Nyamurangira, Volcano Hiking in Congo – Africa
Nyamuragira is one of the still remaining active volcanoes in Africa and the world as a whole which has erupted over 40 times since 1885. It’s located in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is among the volcanoes that lie within the Mikeno sector in the Virunga National Park. It is a vigorous volcano that numerously exploded several times since 1850s up to 2014.
Nyamuragira Volcano lies just a few kilometres away from Nyiragongo Mountain and they are both still active volcanoes with their lava flowing to the lower valleys and communities in their footsteps. This volcano is just as large as Mauna Loa of Hawai’i. It frequently produces eruptions from radial fissures emitting lava and which flows down the slopes travelling many kilometres into the sparsely populated area of tropical forest and farmland surrounding it.
The volcano is situated about 25 km north of Lake Kivu in the East African Rift Valley and northwest of Nyiragongo volcano. Much as Nyamuragira is still an active volcano, erupting almost every after a few years, it is not so open to tourists due to its impassable rugged roads, the unpredictable security and the uncertain eruptions.
The surrounding bamboo also makes it hard for tourists to reach its centre of attraction. This has left mount Nyamuragira only famous to the researchers interested in information about volcanoes who have also discovered that this sporty mountain will erupt again in the next few years after its counterpart Nyiragongo as this happens in sequence.
Nyamuragira Mountain has however attracted a number of adventurous travellers who come to witness the natural volcanic eruptions. On an adventure to the Democratic Republic of Congo, travellers also engage in amazing volcano hiking opportunities through the Virunga rain forests that harbour the great apes which include mountain gorillas, the chimpanzees as well as eastern lowland gorillas.
Moving through the lush vegetation, having to pave for yourself a path to go through is both thrilling and exciting. It’s one experience that all people in the world would not miss. Though on several hikes, most trekkers fail to reach the top of this volcano as the temperatures there are routinely below freezing.
The most recent flank eruption started at Nyamuragira on 6 November 2011. Lava flows moved many kilometres to the north, setting large areas of forest on a blaze, but it didn’t damage any infrastructure as the area is less populated. Tall spurting lasted about 1 week, blotching from active lava-lake filled vents and explosions.
The second cluster of vents opened about 1 km down-slope on the same fissure system in early January and also produced lava fountains. Another homogeneous complex of vents built up the renowned east Kimanura vent complex. Undistinguished from the activity of the western complex, lava fountains also merged into a form of intense spattering from piping hot lava lake activity and continued to feel large lava flows travelling to the north.
On 2nd February, the eruption was still continuing. This eruption positioned mountain Nyamuragira as one of the largest volcano explosions in the world during the past 100 years, both in time and the volume of lava that flew.
Have you just studied about volcanic eruptions, or active volcanoes, perhaps you have just heard about them and you would love to explore one in person, there is no other best place for adventurous tourists to find this? Mountain Nyamuragira is one destination that all tourists should visit and have themselves opportunities to spot the fuming volcano of the century. A safari in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a must-do on a bucket list for any traveller interested in supreme adventure.
