Virunga Mountains in Congo

Virunga Mountains in Congo is one of the top Congo Safari attractions tat a traveler can visit and be able to explore the wilderness in DRC. Virunga national park is one of the national parks found in democratic republic of Congo, the park is generally forested and lies in the Congo- Nile watershed area covering an area of 7,768 square kilometers. Virunga national park is more famous for hosting the endangered mountain gorillas and hosting numerous Virunga volcanoes, Virunga volcanoes are a chain of 8 volcanoes lieing between three countries that is Uganda, Rwanda and democratic republic of Congo and they are part of the Great Rift Valley. Virunga Mountains in Congo were formed as a result of volcanic activity from the past.

Virunga national park located in the democratic republic of Congo hosts 6 Virunga volcanoes that is mount karisimbi, mount Nyiragongo, mount Sabyinyo, mount Mikeno, mount Nyamurangira, and Mount Bisoke. This articles lists and explains more about the volcanoes found in Virunga national park

Mount karisimbi: Mount karisimbi is one of the volcanoes found in Virunga national park along the border of Rwanda and the democratic republic of Congo, mount karisimbi a dormant stratovolcano standing at an elevation of 4,507 meters which makes it the highest mountain in the park and 11th highest mountain in Africa. Mount karisimbi is among the 8 volcanoes making up the chain of Virunga Mountains and it’s the highest among them, the mountain lies in the western branch of the East African rift which is part of the Albertine rift. The mountain is flanked by Mikeno volcano in the north, mount Bisoke in the east, and mount Nyiragongo in the west.

Mountain karisimbi is named after a local Kinyarwanda slag “amasimbi” meaning snow, this is a description to snow which is found on the top of a mountain during the dry season experienced in the months of June, July and August.

Mount Nyiragongo: Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano found in Virunga national park standing at the elevation of 3,470 meters above the sea level, like other Virunga volcanoes mountains mount Nyiragongo lies in the Albertine rift and it is situated in a distance of 20 kilometers north of Goma town and lake kivu west of the border of Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Mount Nyiragongo has the main crater of 2 kilometers width and a lave lake during the rainy season, the lava lake consists of two cooled lava benches. one lave bench is at 3,175 meters and the lower one at 2,975 meters, the lava lake on top of the volcano has recently been known as the most voluminous lava lake with varying depth. The maximum depth recorded of the lava lake is 3.250 meters which were prior to eruption which took place in January 1977 and a recent very low elevation recorded was at 2,700 meters. Mount Nyiragongo has experienced series of eruptions with notable eruptions including 1977 eruption and 2002 eruptions.

Mount Nyamuragira: Mount Nyamuragira is an active shield volcano found in Virunga national park, the mountain standards at the elevation of 3,058meters above the sea level and it is located in Goma at a distance of 25 kilometers north of Lake Kivu and 13 kilometers north-northwest of mount Nyiragongo. Mountain Nyamuragira is one of the 8 volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains in Congo volcanoes chain, the mountain is an active volcano and it has been described as Africa’s most active volcano and it has experience over 40 eruption occurrences since 1885. Eruptions by mount Nyamurangira last occurred on 8 November 2011 and because of these eruptions, many smaller volcanoes have been formed from the flanks of the volcano.

Mount Nyamuragira covering an area of 1,500 square kilometers derives its name from a local kifuru and Kishi slag Kuragira Ngavu meaning herd of cows, the mountain is also referred to as Nyamulagira

Mount Bisoke: Mount Bisoke also known as Mount Visoke is a dormant straddling on the border of Rwanda and democratic republic of Congo in the area covered by Virunga national park on the side of democratic republic of Congo, the lake lies in the western branch of East Africa rift and is part of the 8 Virunga volcanoes found in the Albertine rift. Mount Bisoke lies on the elevation of 3,711 meters and approximately 35 kilometers north east of Goma town and near Lake Kivu, this mountain lies with volcanoes national park of Rwanda and Virunga national park of the Democratic republic of Congo.

Mount Bisoke is densely covered by equatorial rainforest and alpine meadows on its slopes which are habitats for the critically endangered mountain gorillas, the mountain is also west of Karisoke research center established and founded by Dian Fossey. Bisoke Mountain is recorded to have last erupted in 1957 and hosts the largest crater among the 8 Virunga volcanoes.

Mount Sabyinyo: Mount Sabyinyo is another mountain found in Virunga national park, this mountain is an extinct volcano one of the Virunga volcano ranges and the oldest of them all. Mount Sabyinyo has situated north-east of Lake Kivu and west of Lake bunyonyi of Uganda and stands at the altitude of elevation in meters 3,669 meters above the sea level, mountain Sabyinyo lies between three national parks which make up the great Virunga conservation area that is Mgahinga gorilla national park found in Uganda, Virunga national park found in Democratic republic of Congo and Volcanoes national park found in Rwanda.

Mountain Sabyinyo is named from a local Kinyarwanda slag Sabyinyo meaning iryinyo translated as tooth in English or an Old man’s teeth because of its serrated summit which resembles a worn tooth in a hum line, the slopes of this mountain are forested thus habiting many mountain gorillas which are trekked.

Mount Mikeno: Mount Mikeno is also found in Virunga national park and one of the 8 Virunga volcano ranges, this volcano is the second highest mountain among the Virunga Mountains in Congo standing at the elevation of 4,437 meters and it is the 13th highest mountain in Africa. Mount Mikeno completely lies in Virunga national park and its forested slopes are habitants to mountain gorillas which are visited while on mountain gorilla trekking experience in Virunga national park.

Mount Mikeno is named after a local slag Mikeno meaning poor.