Mountain Karisimbi Volcano is part of the Virunga volcanic field, which forms a transverse chain in the western branch of the East African Rift. It is the highest and one of the largest of the eight major volcanoes in the Virunga field at 4507 m. Unlike Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes farther west, Karisimbi is not active although neighboring Visoke had a brief eruption in 1957. It is the highest peak of the Virunga Mountains at 4,507m above sea level and it‘s the eleventh highest mountain in Africa situated. Here mountain gorillas can be found. Mt Karisimbi is on the border with Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, surrounded by Mt Bisoke on the east side, Mt Nyiragongo on the west side, and Mt Mikeno on the north side.
Mt Karisimbi whose name means a white coated top in Kinyarwanda is a latent volcano with two craters and snow capped at its top. Along its trails, one can also come across a plethora of primate species including the golden monkey and mountain gorillas. A number of birds can also be seen during the hiking. It‘s advisable to hike Mt Karisimbi in dry season of June to October and December to March as the hikes are smooth, less slippery. During the rainy season, there is quite a bit of fog, mud and continuous rains.
Tourists meet the guides in the morning at the park headquarters from where it takes an hour to drive to the start of the trail. Trekking starts at 9am after briefing at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters. During the course of the trek, tourists will see different vegetation zones, starting with the bamboo forest on the lower slopes, where you can also visit Dian Fossey‘s tomb for an extra fee. Camping at night will be at 3,700m above sea level at a basic camp with tents and sleeping bags.
Get some rest as the next morning you will have to wake up early so that you reach the summit soon, the final ascent is physically tough as you will be hiking up moderately steep slopes at high altitude. The top will be reached in approximately two hours where you can gaze down into the crater at the edge of the Congolese border with nice scenery, Mountain Karisimbi
Prepare to have firm walking boots, a person kit with personal items sleeping bags, water warm jacket, and walking poles to ease you hike. Carry some snacks as well to help you re-energize on the Hike. The management of the park makes sure that all is available to make the experience as relaxed as possible. Those with heavy equipment or bags can always hire the services of a porter. After summiting Mt Karisimbi, you will head back down the volcano and re-join your vehicle and guide at the car park. The descending generally takes about six hours. This trek can be relatively tiring thus hikers need a high level of physical fitness. You need to be at least 15 years old for this trek.
The hiking permits for Mt Karisimbi cost USD 400 per person and can be got at the park headquarters and tourists are advised to book in advance though it‘s possible to get a permit on the day you hike.
