Gisenyi to Nyiragongo - Day 315

Date: June 29th, 2010
Altitude: 3,470m (11,385ft)
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Song of the Day: Volcano - The Presidents of the United States of America

I left most of my stuff (bike) at Trude's place and headed to the grand barrier. This is the entrance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It goes right into Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province. I guess that is the one where all the rebel activity is. Still, when you want to climb an active volcano, rebels are the least of your worries.

I was met by my guide though and things seemed to go pretty smoothly. (There was one hiccup where I forgot my Yellow Fever card. So I had to run back and get that.) Getting checked out of Rwanda was easy and professional. Getting into DRC was anything but. I didn't get any hassles for bribes, but the lady working there was worse than any postal worker I have ever seen. It was a level of laziness and contempt I have not seen in the government workers in my own country. Well done, madame. (I must admit I haven't worked with any welfare agency, though.) First she sat there doing her hair while we waited. After five minutes my guide asked if she could hurry it along. I didn't understand what she was saying, but she apparently had some snide comments for him in Swahili. So we waited. Then she took my passport and demanded the $35 visa fee. I handed her two $20 bills. Apparently my money wasn't clean enough though. I wanted to explain that it was money, and the value is not based on appearance, but I figured it wouldn't go over well. So I handed her a crisp new $100. That was too much and she didn't have change. To get to Goma you need pretty money, and exact change. My guide hunted up someone to give me change. We went back to immigration, and the lady was out. No one else could let me into the country either. We had to wait for 10 minutes, for no reason. Finally it all got worked out and I was let in.

From there we raced off to the park. The rangers set of at 10:00 AM, and it was 9:40. So we were in a bit of a hurry. I got the quick tour of Goma, though. Much dirtier than Rwanda, but nothing terrible or sinister about the place. Well, it was also dominated by various UN camps. So that was a little weird.

We arrived at the Park and had to wait around for about an hour. I would be heading up the mountain with a group of local volunteers. They were installing a trash can at the top. (I wasn't sure who was going to take the trash down the mountain, but I would let them figure that out.) One of their members was late. Once everyone arrived we set off to conquer Nyiragongo.

The first hour or so was just a pleasant hike to the base of the volcano. It was a good dirt trail, and nothing too steep. After that, things just kept getting harder. The trail switched to loose volcanic rock. We passed through a gap between the lower cone and the main crater. From there it was through a section of mountain jungle. Lots of mud and rocks. The final push to the top was brutal. It was about on at least a 45 degree slope. Over loose rocks and moss. The clouds that were being blown over kept everything damp and slippery. I did make it without falling though. I think I am in pretty good shape but even so it was a tough climb. Then again, I was carrying all the gear I would need (tent, sleeping bag, food, etc.).

Once at the top I took a quick look down into the crater. There was a disappointing view of the lava. The crater was filled with clouds or smoke. Occasionally you could make out a bit of orange where the lava was. Not much to see. So I set up my tent and started cooking dinner. It was supposed to be better at night anyway. For dinner I had some pasta and sauce and a can of veggies. I did forget to bring my spoon though, so I had to carve one on the way up. I think it turned out pretty well.

By the time I was finished with dinner it was dark and the clouds had started to clear. Before too long we had a great view down into the volcano. You could really make out the lava lake. It is an egg shaped area near the center of the crater. The crust was broken into rivers of orange light. In places you could see the lava bubbling out like a giant stew. It was quite mesmerizing to watch things slowly change.

I also showed the Congolese kids I was with how to take a good picture of yourself with the lava in the background.
What you will need:

1. Camera with the flash off.
2. A good flashlight.
3. One active volcano.

How to do it:
Shine the flashlight in your face and take a picture. The light from the flashlight should be enough that your face will come out clearly, but it won't wash out the lava in the background. I hope you like it. Everyone up on the mountain was excited when I showed them how to do it.

After that it had gotten late and was getting cold, so I went to bed.

-Dravis