Mountain Karisimbi Hiking Safari at Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park offers visitors some of the best options in climbing and hiking up its Volcanoes. Mountain Karisimbi, named after amasimbi which denotes white shell in Kinyarwanda due to its white capped summit is a strenuous yet very rewarding hike which is normally done as a complement to gorilla trekking, and all done within Volcanoes National Park. This volcano features as the highest out of all the 8 Great Virunga Volcanoes. It stretches up to 4507 meters above sea level and features as the sixth highest in Africa.
A hike to Mount Karisimbi summit is not an ordinary one, since you need two days and above where you will first camp around 3700 meters and catch a glimpse of stunning Mount Bisoke. The second day takes you to the summit and return to where you started from. The hike rewards visitors with views of many geographical features, vegetation and sceneries, several bird varieties, primates like monkeys and Gorillas since the volcano lies in the primates’ park of Parc National des Volcanoes (Volcanoes national park). It is also known for its unfamiliar plants in its four belts of vegetation, from the dense forest at its base to the barren volcanic core at the summit.
The hike up the summit is characterized of muddy trails especially during rainy season, though due to the altitude, it can rain at any time of the day. You need relatively good health and fit to hike through the slippery slopes to reach the summit which is white capped as a result of hail and sleet which accumulate in the higher elevations from its frequent storms. This implies that one may have to incur an extra cost of hiring a porter to help in carrying your luggage and hiking equipment.
Karisimbi is also close to the Karisoke research center where the grave of the re-known mountain gorilla conservationist and American zoologist; Dian Fossey lies. This means that one has a chance to visit the grave as well as trek the golden monkeys in addition to the Mountain gorillas. For any inquiry regarding hiking in Rwanda, do not hesitate to contact us at info@beyondkigalitours.com, they will design a trip around you, to match your interests, tastes and budget, and created with an absolute commitment to quality.
