DR Congo’s Rwenzori Mountain hiking – Panoramic Views (4462 m alt) - 7 Days

From Uganda The mountains can be accessed by air transport where you can book a chartered flight from Entebbe airport to Kasese Airfield and later connect by road to Kasindi Customs. The mountains can also be accessed by the road where you use public means or a private vehicle from Kampala via Fort Portal to the park or from Kampala via Mbarara and Queen Elizabeth National Park then go down to Kasindi Customs. From Kasindi Border Customs, a guide from Kwafrika Travel, a Congolese trusted tour operator and member of ATOAV-RDC will pick you up from there to whisk you away to Mutsora Station. Mutsora Station is located at the foothills of Congo's Rwenzoris Mountains. It takes half an hour to reach the station from the Kasindi Border Customs. From Eastern Congo If you are already visiting eastern Congo, you may decide to go for the Congo’s Rwenzori Mountains, if in Kinshasa you will have to take a flight to Goma city then another one from Goma to Mavivi Airport. From Mavivi, a Kwafrika Travel representative will pick you up and bring you to Mutsora Station. You will be escorted with armed rangers and it will take you an hour to reach the station.

- Equatorial Snow Peak: Congo’s Rwenzori Mountains comprises of snow fields and a couple of glaciers including Mt Stanley, Mt Gessi, Mt Baker, etc. - Fauna: Congo's Rwenzori mountains harbours 70 mammal species and, 217 bird species. As you climb up the mountains, you will spot Rwenzori Turaco, Guerrezzas monkey, Cercopithecus (Red tailed monkeyguenon), sunlight birds, Chimpanzee,… Wildlife are however difficult to spot due to the dense forests. 19 birds species are endemic to the Congo’s Rwenzori Mountain. They Include : Handsome francolin, Cinnamon chested bee-eater, Rwenroris Batis, Barred long tailed cuckoo, Golden winged sunbird, Slender billed starling, blue headed sunbirds among others. - Flora: Congo’s Rwenzori Mountains are occupied with beautiful water falls, unique plat life, mountainous vegetation, snow fields, the vegetation is pervasively covered with beautiful tropical rain forest, Bamboo, Afro-Alpine, Montane Forest, forest heather, podocarp forest and plant species like groundsel, lobelia among others.

Mountain Climbing: Congo's Rwenzori Mountains is one of the popular destinations for mountain climbing where visitors hike to the snow-capped mountain peaks. Mountain climbing is an adventurous activity in Virunga National Park which requires hikers to be physically fit. Bird Watching: Congo's Rwenzori Mountains harbors 217 bird species with 19 species endemic to only Rwenzori Mountains hence making it a birding area for birders. Birding in Rwenzori majority starts monring at Ruboni to the Montane forest where birders will be able to view differt unique species such as Blue headed sunbird, Long eared Owl, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Batis, Barred long tailed cuckoo, Crimson wings, Montane sooty bou bou, Purple breasted sunbird, stripe breast tit, western green tinker bird, Golden winged sunbird, Handsome francolin, Cinnamon chested bee-eater, Stranger weaver, Black and swift eagles among others. Cultural encounters: You will have the opportunity to interact with the local communities around the park in Mutwanga village and its surroundings, Mutwanga is home to the Nande who live in the foothills of the mountain where you will learn about their daily activities like farming, animal rearing, taste their traditional dishes, visit traditional healers, craft shops and engage in entertainment such as traditional dances, music, dramas which make your visit rewarding.

Centre d’Accueil Touristique Mutsora: The best option during your Congo’s Rwenzori Mountains hike is a guest house erected just at the foothills of the mountains. It is a good option since it is a Park Station guarded 24h/7 by park rangers. The tented camps are equipped with all the basic amenities including hot water. As you sleep, you will have the impression that it is raining since you could hear the sound of water from a neighboring river, having its water hitting the ground and giving the impression that it is raining. Guest House hosted by nuns: It is the sole accommodation built of durable materials. It is hosted by nuns who use the proceeds of what you will pay to support their orphanage located just contingent to the guest house. It lacks some amenities like hot water compared to Centre d’Accueil Touristique Mutsora.

Congo's Rwenzori mountains is an adventurous hiking destination in Congo where great hikers can climb for 7-8 days to reach the top of the mountain which offers great views of the peaks, vegetation, some animals and birds among others hence gaining lifetime experiences on your safari in DR Congo.

All Congo Safaris tours are fully guided from the moment you step over the border to your departure back home. Almost all our tours start and end in Kigali (the capital of Rwanda), and we ensure that our guests are assisted across the border without any hassle. Members of our team will collect you as soon as you land in Kigali, and will remain with you until you enter Congo – at which point the Virunga National Park team will take over. As the Park is responsible for the livelihood and infrastructure of the four million people who live around it, its officials, rangers and visitors are highly respected by the locals. You’ll be transported in our vehicles but escorted by official parks vehicles loaded with rangers, and will be made to feel safe and warmly welcomed by all whom you encounter. Virunga National Park has brought electricity, power stations, roads, schools, security and jobs to the area, and the locals are well aware of the fact that the tourism income generated by your presence is largely to thank for all of this. Virunga national Park is receiving an average of 500 tourists each months, they are enjoying new gorillas groups that have been habituated as well as the Picnics at the Tchegera Island. Since February 2019, Nyiragongo is giving a treat to every visitor that climbs her. The lava lake is at the highest it has been for years and now is overflowing its cone with the fissure growing daily with an occasional spew of lava. As one sits and watches the lava flow over the edge, it gives one a sense of what it would feel like to watch an eruption. Kahuzi Biega National Park as the third best destination in Africa by Best Top 100 Destination showing global leadership in actively protecting its scenic views, natural habitats and wildlife, and showing respect for animals, a basis for its sustainable tourism development. (https://greendestinations.org/2019-top100-awards/). Tourists are enjoying unique Eastern Lowland Gorillas found only in the DR Congo.

You can’t escape the fact that Nyiragongo is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. So is it really safe to climb an active volcano? I would say yes, but the truth is that you never know. Walking around independently might be dangerous, since volcanic area has fractures emitting gas, but locals know how to avoid them. Goma has its own seismologic observatory monitoring both Nyiragongo and its sister volcano, Nyamuragira, which is titled the most active volcano in Africa. Volcanologists should know well in advance what these giants are up to.

Park rangers lead the trek even if you have booked the trip through a tour company. Only one group can trek to the Nyiragongo summit daily and the group size is limited to 24 people, due to the accommodation capacity. During June and July, the treks can be fully booked, so assure your spot well in advance. The climb takes 4-6 hours depending on the weather conditions and overall fit of the group. It is possible to conquer Nyiragongo also on a day trip, but it will be a long and very challenging day (for sure). You must arrive to the Kibati ranger station before 9AM; the hike starts around 10AM. Be sure to pack full rain gear, warm layers, long underwear, enough warm socks, gloves, a hat, and some snacks. When finally reaching the summit, you need to change to a dry base layer immediately. Don’t underestimate the conditions, as temperature at the summit might be near freezing and the risk of hypothermia is real. Sleeping bags can be rented for 10$. If you don’t have a cook with you, bring also enough food. A hot 3-course dinner can really make the day after an exhausting trek, when you are shivering from the cold night. So consider hiring either a cook or cooking utensils. Porters can be hired at the Kibati ranger post for 25$ and I strongly recommend taking one to save your energies. The maximum weight for one porter is 15 kg.

As Virunga is located on the equator, the temperature remains roughly the same (hot and humid) throughout the year. The notable difference is between the rainy and non-rainy seasons. Ironically enough, the best time to enjoy clear blue skies (particularly for photography purposes) is during the rainy months (April, May, October and November), as it can get quite foggy during the dry season. The good news is that it rarely rains for a full day, and the periodic spatters actually make way for beautifully clear viewing conditions.