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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga
New Overnight Trek to Nyamulagira Volcano Eruption Site!
Ranger Romeo on his 2nd trip to the eruption site. ©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park specializes in some pretty amazing experiences, including visits to the critically endangered mountain gorillas, and an active volcano with the largest lava lake in the world. It’s hard to top these attractions, but I think we actually have, and it’s for a limited time only. Starting now, we’ve opened up overnight treks to the site of our newly erupting volcano, Nyamulagira.
After checking out the site on Wednesday, it was decided that we could allow visitors into a safe area just south of the eruption, and set up a basic tented camp there. Since there are no guarantees for how long this eruption will last, we had to move quickly to get everything ready for our first group on Saturday.
On Friday around midday we set out on our trek with a group of men numbering about 100: a section of rangers, the park warden – Emmanuel de Merode, Dario Tedesco - a renowned volcanologist and his team, a couple of carpenters, and about 75 porters. The trek took about 3 hours to get to a view of the erupting volcano.
Emmanuel stands in the closest area allowed by volcanologist Dario Tedesco. ©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
Dario felt we could safely get closer so we hiked a bit further until we came to a section where the vegetation ended and the ground was covered in small pebbles of weightless lava gravel. The thundering roar of the volcano was incredible and the heat of the 100 meter column of lava clearly tangible. Here Dario put the mark for “no further” (and believe me, I don’t think I wanted to get any closer…).
The eruption site is truly amazing. It’s located on a flat area, but the sides have been building up around the crack over the last week. Dario pointed out that it is not just one crater, but a crack in the earth about 500-1000 meters long, and what makes it different is that the crack has appeared perpendicular to the Albertine rift, which is highly unusual. The lava of Nyamulagira has a low silica content resulting in lava with a low viscosity (very fluid), which in turn results in the amazing lava fountain. Because the lava flowing north is mostly flat land, it is not moving fast.
Setting up camp near the volcano. ©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
While we stood there in complete awestruck exhilaration, the wind changed directions and the debris from the lava started turning toward us and slowly began raining down on us. It was cooled, highly aerated lava – scary, but the pebbles weigh close to nothing, so it would be comparable to a heavy hail-storm - a bit sharp on the edges but not dangerous. With darkness closing in, we decided to head back to a safe distance to establish the tented camp in an area of untouched vegetation.
The camp has a remarkable view of the eruption and actually stayed pleasantly warm throughout the night due to the proximity of the eruption. Trust me, no campfires are necessary. We spent hours watching the fountain change shape and size, from barely visible to massive columns of fire 200 meters high. Absolutely incredible.
©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
Following the trek, Dario wrote us saying, “This is definitely the best and most spectacular eruption of Nyamulagira I have ever seen. The 200-300 meter lava fountains, the closeness and the arrangement of the camping site, and finally the incredible show given by the lights of the incandescent lava made everything special… more than special.”
It was the most intense experience of the power of the earth I have ever witnessed. I would say it’s a once in a lifetime experience, but I would be lying. It’s a once in a century one.
The overnight treks to the eruption site officially opened on Saturday the 12th at Virunga National Park, with a camp located at a safe distance, but with the best view in the world! Come and check it out for as long as the eruption lasts. For more information contact [email protected]
©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
Cai Tjeenk Willink, Development Director of the park. ©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
Location of the camp in a safe area. ©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National Park
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14 Responses to “New Overnight Trek to Nyamulagira Volcano Eruption Site!”
[...] Ok the Congo has opened it’s latest and most dangerous attraction so far, overnight trekking to the newest volcano in the country. As they say it’s a limited time offer as they don’t know how long the eruption will last, so if this is your thing, go to Nyamulagira. [...]
Thank you for letting the world see this.
It’s on Dutch news-tv! Nice video [wíth some life noise]:
http://nos.nl/video/313298-vulkaan-nyamuragira-uitgebarsten.html
And a second one:
http://nos.nl/video/313344-spectaculaire-beelden-van-vulkaanuitbarsting-congo.html
Fabulous photos!
[...] park in a Democratic Republic of a Congo (DRC) has launched overnight volcano treks, holding tourists to see a fantastic tear of Mount [...]
[...] Tjeenk Willink and volcanologist Dario Tedesco hiked to the eruption site and set up a camp for a new overnight tourist trek to take some pictures, — including the one above. Virunga National Park (courtesy NPR) [...]
[...] Iceland), following on previous eruptions in the Canary Islands (El Hierro, November 10th), and Nyamulagira, Congo. The current European and Asian storms stretch north through Great Britain, Orkney and Scandinavia [...]
I cant belivie it i hope the gorrilias are giong to be ok God bless u all
Hey !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gorillias how yall diong
is ayyone giong to do anything about the gorillias endangered PLEASE i need the answer for my homework asignment now
PLEASE ANSWER
Dear Yovanka,
please don’t worry about the gorillas, they live in another area of the park and are not in danger of this eruption.
[...] source, gorillcd.org. Setting up camp near the volcano. ©Cai Tjeenk Willink-Virunga National [...]