Mount Bisoke

Mount Bisoke: In the Virunga mountain range of the Albertine Rift, which is the western portion of the East African Rift, Mt. Bisoke is one of eight volcanoes. In addition to bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it also borders two national parks: the Virunga National Park in the DRC and the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Nonetheless, Rwanda is home to the majority of the Bisoke volcano, including its top. The locals called the mountain “Bisoke,” which means saturated with water, after these two crater lakes.

A stunning 400-meter-diameter crater lake can be found at the peak of Mount Bisoke, while another crater lake called Ngezi is located approximately 11 kilometers away. Bisoke Mountain is 3,711 meters high and was built following its most recent eruption in 1957. Instead of collecting snow, the summit is blanketed in fog.

Bisoke is a volcano formed by rift activity on the emerging divergent border of the east African rift, which is gradually slicing across the African tectonic plate, just like all the other peaks in the Virunga mountain range.

In addition to park tourists looking for gorillas or other wildlife, mountain climbers often frequent the peak. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) offers two-day trips to it and neighboring Mt. Karisimbi, which are often departing from the adjacent city of Musanze. It can be climbed in a single day from the Rwandan side.

There are two main hiking trails on the volcano, both of which lead to one of the crater lakes. The ascent is regarded as hard but manageable on foot. The most well-traveled trail leads to the summit’s Crater Lake; depending on climbers’ pace, it takes six hours to complete, including two hours for descent and four hours for ascent. The second trail, which leads to the second Crater Lake of Ngezi, is considerably shorter and only requires a three-hour climb, with two hours spent at the Crater Lake and one hour spent returning. Even a beginner can easily complete both one-day hikes, although they require more strength and good health. Along with tracking the Golden Monkey through a variety of mountain views, the trip also provides the chance to see mountain gorillas.

The climb costs $75 USD per person, which includes a park guide from the Kinigi headquarters of Volcanoes National Park. For an additional $20 USD, climbers can rent a porter from the park headquarters, and they can purchase a wooden stick from the local art stores. Visitors pay for climbing permits at the parks headquarters in Kinigi, where the hike begins at 7:00 am.

The grave of Dian Fossey, popularly known as “Nyiramacibiri,” a famous primatologist and American wildlife researcher who devoted her life to protecting mountain gorillas from poachers, is also located at Mount Bisoke.

Bamboo trees make up the first plant habitat on Mount Bisoke, followed by Hagenia-hypericum forests and Senecio-lobelia bushes close to the peak.

In spite of the insecurity that occurred in both countries, such as the Rwandan Liberation War (1990–1994), the Genocide against Tutsi (1994), the first Congo war (1996–1997), and the second Congo war (1998–2003), military action and refugee relocation during those times destroyed the ecology by deforestation and poaching of endangered species on the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda and the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as even the surrounding areas.