The Virunga Mountains are also referred to as the Mufumbiro Mountains/Virunga Massif; is made up of 8 volcanoes found in three countries; Uganda, DR Congo and Rwanda. The word “Virunga” comes from the word “Ibirunga” which means “Mountains”. The 8 volcanoes include; Mount Gahinga, Mount Nyamurangira, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Mikeno, Mount Sabinyo, Mount Muhabura, Mount Bisoke and Mountain Karisimbi which is the highest among them.
The Virunga mountains/massif is made up of several of Africa’s finest and unique wildlife attractions such as the remaining population of mountain gorillas left in the world lives in the gazetted national parks found in these mountains such as Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda, Virunga National Park of DR Congo and Mgahinga National Park of Uganda. Most of these volcanoes are dormant; 3 of them are active and among the 8, 5 of them are found in Volcanoes National Park.
The fact that these volcanoes have lots of attractions; a number of activities can be enjoyed such as mountain climbing/hiking, gorilla tracking, birding, visiting the Batwa communities which are on the mountain slopes, nature/forest walks, golden monkey tracking among other activities. Basically, all these volcanoes no matter their location, they are open for the tourists into volcano climbing; truth is all they will have are unforgettable and remarkable experiences. Each volcano is explained below;
The Virunga Mountains are a chain of volcanoes in East Africa, along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The mountain range is a branch of the Albertine Rift Mountains, which border the western branch of the East African Rift. They are located between Lake Edward and Lake Kivu.
The mountain range consists of eight major volcanoes. Most of them are dormant, except Mount Nyiragongo 3,462 metres and Mount Nyamuragira 3,063 metres, both in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Recent eruptions occurred in 2006 and in January 2010. Mount Karisimbi is the highest volcano at 4,507 metres. The oldest mountain is Mount Sabyinyo, which rises 3,634 metres above sea level.
The Virunga Mountains are home of the critically endangered mountain gorilla and gorilla trekking is a must do if you visit the region. The mountain gorillas are listed on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species due to habitat loss, poaching, disease, and war. The Karisoke Research Center, founded by Dian Fossey to observe gorillas in their native habitat, is located between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke.
Mount Sabyinyo
Mount Sabyinyo is an extinct volcano in eastern Africa in the Virunga Mountains. Mount Sabyinyo is the oldest volcano of the range. It is north-east of Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes, and west of Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda. The summit of the mountain, at 3,669 metres, marks the intersection of the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda, and holds religious significance to local tribes. It also is within the adjoining national parks established by these countries: Virunga National Park in the DRC, the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.
The slopes of Mt. Sabyinyo are a habitat for the critically endangered mountain gorilla. The mountain carries the local nickname “Old Man’s Teeth,” because its serrated summit resembles worn teeth in a gum line
Mount Muhabura
Mount Muhabura, also known as Mount Muhavura, is an extinct volcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and Uganda. At 4,127 metres Muhabura is the third highest of the eight major mountains of the mountain range, which is a part of the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Muhabura is partly in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda and partly in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda.
Mount Gahinga
Mount Gahinga is a dormant/extinct volcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and Uganda. Gahinga lies between Muhabura and Sabyinyo, but is the smallest of these three. Mount Gahinga, also known in the local Kinyarwanda/Rufumbira dialect as “a small pile of stones”, has a swampy caldera on its peak. The caldera is believed to be about 180 m (591 ft) wide. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park also got its name from this volcano. Mount Gahinga, whose elevation is 3,473 m, is part of a chain of eight volcanic mountains of the Mufumbiro ranges. The volcano chain spans across Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The vegetation across the mountain can be described as afro-montane with bamboo composing the main vegetation. Like Muhabura and Sabyinyo, the bamboo forests on Mount Gahinga are a habitat of the endangered mountain gorilla. There are several other species of animals and birds that form part of the Mount Gahinga ecosystem. The golden monkeys can also be seen here
Mount Karisimbi
Mount Karisimbi is a stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is currently dormant. At 4,507 metres, Karisimbi is the highest of the eight major mountains of the mountain range, which is a part of Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Karisimbi is flanked by Mikeno to the north, Bisoke to the east and Nyiragongo to the west, on the other side of the Rift Valley. Karisimbi is the 11th highest mountain of Africa.
The name Karisimbi comes from the word ‘amasimbi’ in the local language, Kinyarwanda, which means snow. Snow can mostly be found during the dry season in June, July and August on the top of the volcano.
Mount Bisoke
Mount Bisoke (Visoke) is a dormant volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. It straddles the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the summit is located in Rwanda. It is located approximately 35 km northeast of the town of Goma and adjacent Lake Kivu.
Bisoke, like all the peaks in the Virunga Mountain Range, is a volcano created by rift action on the forming divergent boundary of the East African Rift which is slowly bisecting the African plate. Bisoke’s last eruption was in 1957 and has a crater lake at the summit, the largest of the range.
The mountain is within the Rwandan Volcanoes National Park and the Congolese Virunga National Park. The steep slopes of the peak are densely covered with equatorial rainforest and alpine meadows. The summit does not gather snow, but is often shrouded in fog.
Mount Mikeno
Mount Mikeno is a dormant volcanic mountain located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo section of the Virunga Mountains along with Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Nyamuragira, Mount Karisimbi, and Mount Bisoke. At 4,437 metres Mount Mikeno is the second highest peak in the Virunga Mountains after Karisimbi, and the 13th highest mountain of Africa. Mikeno means “poor” and is so named for its harsh slopes which preclude human habitation.
Mount Mikeno lies completely within Virunga National Park and is known for the critically endangered mountain gorillas that live on its slopes. Expeditions to observe Mikeno’s gorillas typically leave from the nearby Bukima Patrol Post.
Mount Nyiragongo
Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470m in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It is located inside Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 20 km north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu and just west of the border with Rwanda. The main crater is about two kilometres wide and usually contains a lava lake.
Nyiragongo’s lava lake has at times been the most voluminous known lava lake in recent history. The depth of the lava lake varies considerably. A maximum elevation of the lava lake was recorded at about 3,250 m (10,660 ft) prior to the January 1977 eruption a lake depth of about 600 m. A recent very low elevation of the lava lake was recorded at about 2,700 m. Nyiragongo and nearby Nyamuragira are together responsible for 40% of Africa’s historical volcanic eruptions.
Mount Nyamulagira
Nyamuragira, also known as Nyamulagira, is an active shield volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, situated about 25 km north of Lake Kivu. The name is derived from the Kifuru and kishi verb Kuragira ngavu, meaning to herd cows; ngavu means cow or cows.
It has been described as Africa’s most active volcano and has erupted over 40 times since 1885. As well as eruptions from the summit, there have been numerous eruptions from the flanks of the volcano, creating new smaller volcanoes that have lasted only for a short time (e.g. Murara from late 1976 to 1977).