The volcano race is famous for that. Hot lava lake in the crater of the Nyiragongo volcano in the Congo

Through calm and decent Uganda, my path lay in a country that was completely incomprehensible due to lack of information - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly called Zaire. Our trip with Oleg ended in the town of Kisoro on the border between Uganda and the DRC, from where he was supposed to return to Entebbe and fly back to Russia, and I remained to wait for a group of enthusiasts, with whom I planned a short foray into the enchanted world.

Bewitched in the sense that it is extremely difficult to get there, and no one knows what is happening there. The crumbs of leaking information are so contradictory that they give practically nothing to understand the situation. Our goal was one of the oldest parks in Africa - the national park Virunga(Parc national des Virunga), created at the beginning of the last century, when this territory belonged to the Belgians. Legendary naturalists such as Carl Ackley and Dina Fossey worked here at one time. Alexander Romanovich Prigozhin (1913-1991), a Russian ornithologist who left for Belgium after the revolution, worked in the same region, discovered several new species of birds here, and whose name is immortalized in the names of four of them.

The park was created for conservation, but there are several volcanoes here that are very interesting to visit. Some of them are extinct, but some are active. And very active! The most interesting is the Nyiragongo volcano ( Nyiragongo ), in the crater of which there is an open lava lake.

This is what Nyiragongo crater looks like at night

Zaire is one of the most major countries on the African continent, and perhaps one of the richest - large deposits of gold, diamonds, uranium, copper. The colonial Belgian past, the mass of internecine wars and political upheavals since independence. The bloodiest war after the Second World War was also here. Weak central government and local confusion. These are just a few characteristics of the region. The country is one of the five most troubled criminal states, along with Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq ......

The east of the country is sometimes calm, large UN forces are concentrated here, including our Russian helicopter base. True, as recent events have shown, this did not help much. The rebels recently recaptured most of the region, including the capital Goma, where our pilots were based. The national park has been closed to the public for several months now. No one knows what's going on there.) Our group broke through there in a relatively calm period.

Speaking about the activity of Nyiragongo, I did not exaggerate at all. Since 1882, he has been rowdy 34 times, i.e. almost every 4 years!

The last eruption was in 2002. And every time everything took place with casualties and great destruction.

In 2002, everything happened on January 17th. Lava flows quickly reached Goma, the city itself is only 12-15 km from the volcano, in good weather it is perfectly visible. But to us, because of the eternally cloudy weather, he did not want to show himself in his full glory! The mountain was constantly shrouded in clouds, and even when the sun suddenly appeared and most of the clouds disappeared, the sky above the volcano was invariably overcast, and it was still impossible to see its peak.

This is what Nyiragongo looks like from the road. Soon we will have to go to its top many difficult kilometers.

2002 Along the way, the lava swept away everything in its path, 14 villages simply disappeared, as if they were not there.
Goma was partially covered, mainly its northern part, 14 thousand houses were destroyed, several hundred thousand people were evacuated (according to official data, about 400 thousand). Even more fled on their own to neighboring Rwanda, where special refugee camps were opened.

But time goes by...

After almost 10 years, the surroundings of the city look dull, although, of course, new ones have already been built on the site of the burned-out villages - this is not a tricky thing in the tropics). This is not for you to sculpt for the Russian winter!

In a few years, these remnants of lava will no longer be visible - everything will be covered with grass and bushes .. well, unless of course there is a new eruption.

To climb the volcano, a permit from the administration of Virunga Park is required. For the integrity and safety of tourists, armed guards are attached to them.
Everyone can also take advantage of porters from among the locals living in the villages nearby. Those wishing to carry your backpack, as a rule, are several times more than necessary. This is understandable - people have practically no work and a small additional income is needed just to survive!

Our guards

Porters with our belongings, at a halt

The ascent to the top is quite difficult, it takes about six hours. During this time you overcome about 1700 m in height.
The path first goes along the frozen lava - the places where the fiery stream passed in 2002. Separate dead trees create an unsightly atmosphere and an unpleasant feeling stirs inside "but won't everything be repeated in the next minute?"

We then entered a typical montane rainforest. Here the atmosphere is already easier, and the familiar feeling of waiting for a meeting with birds distracts from gloomy thoughts.
However, the severity of the ascent did not allow me to completely immerse myself in the birdwatcher's worries - it was impossible to lose the pace of the ascent, otherwise we would not have reached the top before dark.

The last and at the same time the most difficult section was at the top.
Here the woody vegetation fades away and a belt of shrubby junipers begins, and above - giant lobelia and some kind of tree-like shrubs, similar to rhododendrons. But heavy fog and, again, the pace of ascent prevented us from enjoying the beauty of the surrounding nature.

In the belt of giant lobelias, a fine rain suddenly began to drip. Our heated bodies took it as a salvation. But this did not last long.
Not long in terms of fine rain. He got stronger. Strengthened to a downpour by a wall!
At the same time, a cold ... or rather, even an icy wind blew. And the rain began to turn into hail. In a few minutes, everyone was wet to the last thread and, in addition, chilled to the very last cell. But the most unpleasant thing was that the path along which they climbed, and all the slopes around, turned into a stormy water stream, which became more and more dangerous with every minute.

The fog didn't stop though. Only the smell of sulfur intensified, coming from somewhere above and telling us that the final goal was already very close.
At some point, through the fog, everyone saw an indistinct silhouette of some building. It flashed through my mind ... "lower camp" .... Yes, indeed, we got to this conditional point, where we could at least somehow hide from the weather. But as soon as the first people were in the camp, the rain stopped.

Of course, it is difficult to call these remains of buildings a camp, but in this situation they turned out to be enough to change into dry clothes and warm up.
In addition, I had a bottle of Hennessy in my stash just for such occasions, which we immediately put into action!
Or rather, expense!

I must say that no one had despondency ... both before Hennessy, and especially after him.
Everyone was in the mood for combat envy. Then there was only the last spurt - the ascent from the lower camp to the crater.

Above the lower camp there are only practically bare screes of crumbled lava.

Not long before our ascent to the volcano, the administration of the park set up small houses there for tourists like us who climb here overnight.
What a joy it was to climb inside and fall on the bed!

But not for long! Just take a breath. Literally a few tens of meters from the houses begins the crater. Meeting place can not be Changed!
I put on the last remnants of warm clothes. Altitude 3470 m.a.s.l. And even though the range of central Africa - the temperature is only about zero.
Vysotsky's words "in yellow hot Africa, in its central part" are spinning in my head .............. Yeah! Quite the opposite!

And here is the volcano itself. He is covered in smoke. Nothing is visible! Here is the horror! Around the fog, in the crater - smoke... i.e. whole milk!

We stand for ten minutes ... half an hour ... an hour - the same picture before our eyes: clouds of smoke rising from below, red flashes sometimes flash in rare gaps.
There is only one thought in my head - is it really in vain that we climbed, really we won’t see the crater? Really in vain?!

The onset of darkness puts everything in its place. The temperature drops, and in the wake of this, the fog recedes down to where it is warmer.
The crater, although still in smoke, is clearly visible at certain moments. Especially when the upper layers of lava gradually cool down to form a crust, preventing smoke from escaping.

Then, under the pressure of hot lava from below, the frozen crust begins to crack with bizarre cracks-patterns, its individual sections sink down, and liquid lava breaks out upward.
Here you need to catch the moment, because immediately after that, clouds of smoke break out of the depths, covering the whole view. Each time this action takes place in a different way - watching this kaleidoscope is an incredible pleasure.

In such a hunt for moments, several hours pass in complete darkness. People replace each other at the top post, and a little lower in the houses the fighters on duty are warming up!
Here is camping food, a stash of smoked lard sausage .... well, and other warming attributes - an integral part of such outings.

A great many shots have been made, but most of them are in the furnace. Finding the right mode proved difficult. Although you shoot at night, lava is extremely mobile - long exposures are unacceptable, and bright lava clots instantly overexpose.

Here are some frames from the footage.

This is how this volcano opened up to me. There is not much to say about the descent. Everything went as planned, the only thing was the weather was much better.
Due to the high pace of birds, it was not possible to observe at all, although in the belt of giant lobelias I met a cool nectary, which I really wanted to see - Nectarinia johnstoni in a typical setting - feeding on the inflorescence of lobelia. It's nice though a little)))

Once in national park Virunga in the Republic of the Congo, one can easily believe that the possessions of Sauron really exist. The boiling lava of the Nyiragongo volcano is in no way inferior to the fire-breathing Mordor. Nyiragong o is one of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga mountains, it is located 20 km north of the city of Goma and Lake Kivu. This is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa, in its crater (about 2 km wide) hot lava lake.

The lava lake in the Nyiragongo crater is the largest in the world, its depth varies depending on the activity of the volcano: in different years it ranged from 3250 m to 600 m. Nyiragongo erupts very often, 34 eruptions have been recorded since 1882.

unique lake formed due to the fact that erupting lava is unusually liquid and fluid. This is due to its special chemical composition - it contains very little quartz. Lava flows flowing along the slope of the volcano can reach speeds of 100 km / h, occasionally they reach the city, presenting a danger to residents.

The most dangerous eruption occurred on January 10, 1977, when lava broke the walls of the crater. The elements took less than an hour to flood several nearby villages, killing at least 70 people (according to official figures). According to other sources, the number of victims reached several thousand.

During another major eruption on January 17, 2002, the lava flow rushing towards the city was huge: up to 1000 m wide and up to 2 m deep. 400,000 people were evacuated from the city. Despite precautions, about 147 people died in the eruption from asphyxiation, carbon dioxide, and many buildings were destroyed by the earthquake.

Why we went to the volcano and how we got to the start of the ascent, I have already told.
It remains to say a few words about the volcano itself and quickly climb up.

Nyiragongo is a volcano in the Virunga mountains. It is located on the border with Rwanda, the Congolese territory.
The main crater of the volcano is 200 meters deep and 2 km wide; there is a seething lava lake in it, which in recent years has been constantly active and does not fade.
It is believed that the largest lava lake on our planet.
Nyiragongo's lava is unusually liquid and fluid. Such features are caused by a special chemical composition - it contains very little quartz. Thus, during an eruption, lava flows flowing along the slope of the volcano can reach speeds of 100 km / h.

Due to the turbulent situation in the region, armed rangers accompany everyone who wants to climb the volcano.
These are the beauties.

For our large group (as I wrote before, there were only 20 people who wanted to climb that day), we were given three rangers with three guns.
Therefore, our multinational group could not worry about their safety.

One ranger went in front, the second in the middle, the third - covered the rear.

After listening to the instructions and wishes of a good journey, we set out on this very path.

The path itself is not very difficult. However - to whom, as well as about this, I will write more. But at least it can be overcome by anyone.

It takes 5-6 hours, 8 kilometers, climb 1500 meters.
Along the way there are 4 places with benches for rest.

And here, almost at the very beginning of the journey, one unpleasant feature of organized walking on this volcano became clear.

Seeing three escorts (plus porters and chefs, the most advanced of which served as assistants), we joyfully decided that the group would now be divided according to strengths and interests.

Moreover, the forces were well, very different. And we had only one interest - to come before everyone else and while there are no people to assess how possible the descent into the crater is.

We somehow did not think about how to solve the issue of descent by giving a small bribe.
Therefore, I wanted to study this issue without a crowd of people, without attracting much attention.

But alas. The slowest participant of our ascent was put forward. And to my requests to allocate one accompanying person to us, the main guide said that we would definitely do this, but only after three stops. Before that, everyone needs to stick together because a meeting with robbers is possible.

And we slowly shook up.

Brave porters brought up the rear of our cavalcade. Take a look at our beautiful wheeled suitcase. I imagine what the person carrying it was thinking.

Next to me were the guys who were discussing races in the mountains. So I stuck to them and, like a radio, listened to the training of foreign colleagues.
Then we met another German who walks in the mountains, was on McKinley. He proudly showed me his sticks of the company of the same name. To which I replied that there is no such mountain now :)

Sasha said in surprise:
- Wow, he knows both English and French.
“And I also know a little Russian,” he immediately answered modestly.
Then it turned out that in total he knows either 10 or more languages.

In general, it was fun and pleasant for us to go.

Rest was even more pleasant. On vacation, the cook of each group gave out something tasty to his wards. The banana, the nuts.

Everything would be fine, but the lead clouds on the horizon, which promised to turn into rain, were very embarrassing. Therefore, I really wanted to get there faster in order to get less wet. But it couldn't be faster.

The rain soon began to fall. It got very wet. And with the climb, it's still cold.
Well, I expected that as usual - while you are walking, it is not cold. And upstairs already put on dry warm clothes.
Alas, with "while you are walking" it did not work out very well.

Therefore, I whined the most and constantly asked when it would be possible to split up and where the robbers were.
There were no robbers, so after three hours those who wanted to go faster were finally allowed to fulfill their desires.

Life got better. The road has become more scenic. We finally managed to warm up, and the rain almost stopped.

The slopes of Nyiragongo are lined with my favorite senetia, funny plants that also grow on Kilimanjaro. What do they say that it is endemic.

Meanwhile, the slope became steeper and steeper. And going was not so easy.

From time to time I had to look very carefully where to put my foot.

But nevertheless, less than five hours had passed, and we had already reached the house, from which there was a small passage to the top of the crater.

The transition was small, but on a very steep slope. Those who could not go further could be carried on a stretcher.
By the way, from the very beginning they said that those who wish can be conveyed from the very bottom for only $ 300.
Here is the service.

From this house, the roofs of our houses, to which we were so eager, were already visible.

It remains to carefully climb up the hill, not forgetting to admire the views.

The houses are getting closer. They are made of iron. Inside there is exactly room for two mattresses and some free space on the sides for things. Mattresses are good, sheathed with leatherette. Everything is clean and tidy. But it's very cold.

Smart people, of course, immediately went to occupy the houses and change clothes.
But did we go through half the world for this?
Therefore, who goes where, and we are on the crater.

And there...
Here it is - boiling gurgling.

True, at first it was very cloudy and not very visible. Therefore, having checked out on the crater, we, with a clear conscience, went to look for a free house and warm up, so that later in the evening, when everything was stretched and visibility became much better, we could enjoy the spectacle to the fullest.

Well, to see how to go down there, of course. We did not give up this idea, despite all the difficulties. A suitcase full of ropes and equipment stood exactly in the middle of the camp and waited in the wings.

Well, in the end - about the difficulty of the ascent.
My opinion is very subjective. But fortunately, almost all the participants of our ascent were not too lazy and wrote their impressions, which Misha korostelev collected in my journal.

Well, I'll take it. It's not just about getting up. It is also about overcoming oneself and all sorts of amazing discoveries, for the sake of which we fly to the ends of the world.

Misha
As for the difficulty of the climb. It's definitely not an easy hike, but it's not some hard climb either. It is difficult for someone, very difficult for someone, for someone this is a real test of his willpower. There is no way back, only forward. I am firmly convinced that every healthy person, but even an absolutely non-athletic person, can rise.
It is important to have good shoes, dry clothes in case of rain and a warm sleeping bag.

Olga K:
"My son and I climbed for almost 5.5 hours. 8 kilometers. It was hard for me. Rest according to my condition, but this is the case when there is no way back - only forward. Half the way we went in tropical rain. So it's not just a walk.
the next day the descent was almost 4 hours"

Yana:
"To begin with, for the unprepared and inexperienced climbing mountains, this is a very difficult test. A quarter of the way runs through the jungle, the path in which is very washed out if it rains (it's the rainy season now) - as a result, damp feet and mud up to the knees.
The next two-fourths of the way is steeply up the lava rocks crumbling. The last part of the path is on very steep rocks, about 45 degrees up, which in rainy conditions become very slippery both on the ascent and especially on the descent.
About half of the way passed under the downpour, we were completely soaked. And if we started climbing at a temperature of about +20, then at the top at night it was no more than +3 - they don’t make fires, it was only possible to warm themselves from coals.
The fastest reached in 5 hours, that is, this is a minimum - the maximum depends only on the physical capabilities of tourists.
In our case, it was impossible not to reach, although there were such thoughts))
The fact is that there was nowhere to go down - accommodation for those who failed was not organized below, a car with things on the other side of the border, of course there are no hotels in the nearest village, the population is not very friendly (rather the opposite) - even along the way the group was guarded by three rangers with machine guns from local robbers.
Therefore - dirty, damp, tired, soaked through - but it was necessary to go.
So it's a really tough climb with no chance to change your mind - not just a fun 4-hour hike. You need special clothes, shoes, attitude and fortitude. It would be nice to have more physical training)) "

Katia:
"yes, it was hard. I have never been a climber, and this path is not a walk, but an expedition. This should be taken into account by those who prefer easy tracking - this is not it at all. Yes, we got wet, cold, tired, there may be consequences for health is small in the form of a cold, dislocation or buzzing legs) and on the way 20 times you ask yourself what the hell am I doing here voluntarily. When you sit with tea near the coals at the top, hiding in a house from the wind, or watching the lava splash in the crater, you remember the ascent, especially on the way back, and you don’t understand how you managed to get there at all. all the weight that comes along the way, you feel strong, free, and damn satisfied.So the game is worth the candle if someone wants to test and strengthen their will (from the inexperienced, I mean).And if you want just walk on a flat path e in the forest - then, of course, it is not worth it "

Olya Rumyantseva (olly_ru):
"My opinion will be, so to speak, a professional on vacation :)
About the rocks of 45 degrees - Yana certainly exaggerated this. There will not even be 30 degrees on the last section of the slope, and these are not rocks, but rather an unpleasant path with slippery stones.
For everything else, I tend to agree. Trekking cannot be called easy, but really almost anyone can pass it, even those who have not noticed such feats before. The distance is only 8 kilometers.
But you definitely need good clothes, more importantly - good shoes, trekking poles. And be sure to have a lot of dry and warm clothes to completely change upstairs. Also, spare shoes will not hurt, so as not to walk upstairs in wet boots, since even the best boots get wet during long walking in wet mud.
For the first three hours, the group walks at the pace of the slowest participant. So even if you walk fast, then stock up on warm clothes and waterproof capes (it was my mistake, I hoped that if there were 3 guides, they would let us split up, it would be possible to walk at our own pace and it would be warm).
What does it mean who will be in the group, it will not be clear before the start of the ascent, they unite everyone who goes to the volcano that day. We were not very lucky, there were already 20 people. The first three hours went like this in one crowd. So it took five hours. So it would be possible to walk for 4 hours exactly. But you need to count on clothes for the saddest option.
And be sure to pack all your things in waterproof bags and do not forget a warm sleeping bag.
Well, in any case, remember that an unforgettable sight awaits you at the top, for which it is worth suffering a little."

Vania:
"Tracking was very likely not difficult, as Olga Rumyantseva says. But it seemed extremely difficult to me. The fact is that I lead an extremely inactive lifestyle: work is nearby, the car is at hand, sports are zero. Therefore, I was very tired after two hours of walking (to the second stop) I was so tired that (due to lack of experience and unsportsmanlike behavior in life) I thought that I would definitely not climb the summit. I definitely will not submit. However, thanks to Yana Selezneva (and the wish she made), with whom we were the last to teleport. Thanks to her support and the fact that I am not alone at the end, I found the strength to go further - forward and up.
When I finally saw the last halt and the people on it, I realized that we were not that far behind the other Mzungu. Behind this halt there was a very steep (for me) slope, it seemed unreal to me, but people were cheerfully stomping along it and the peak no longer seemed so unattainable.
In general, in the end I climbed last, except for the porter and the guide with a machine gun.
For me, the slope of Nyirogongo was proof that I can do much more than I could have imagined before. This serious discovery allows me to take a broader look at the possibilities that I may be retreating from when I just need to stomp, stomp, I can do it all. I am very happy and pleased with myself that I climbed this volcano, it revealed something about me that I did not know about myself.
Everything about the equipment was written correctly. I was poorly equipped, well at least the boots did not fail and I did not squish my socks for 6 hours. The rain took me by surprise: the raincoat is to hell - short and does not let moisture out. As a result, there is a bathhouse under it, and all the rain drains from it onto jeans, which in the end were through.
Thanks to everyone who traveled with me, I apologize to those whom I knocked off the pace. Mikhail Korostelev and TeamTrip - gratitude for the organization, I myself would never have been able to drive myself out of my comfort zone. One feels the rise of spirit and strength, the understanding of the wrong way of life pushes for changes. I hope that all this will not be lost in Moscow with its routine, and I will still change something in the current lifestyle.
I will definitely go to the next trekking, but later and definitely much better prepared and equipped."

And again Katya:
Life is made up of many things. From the choices that you make, from the minutes that take shape in Time, memories, casual acquaintances, changing plans and trials in which you recognize yourself anew. And feelings, of course. This feeling when you stand on the edge of the crater of a volcano, looking at the bubbling lava. Cold from the piercing wind, warm from a mug of hot tea in hand, tired from 6 hours of difficult climbing a volcano 3500 meters high, enthusiastic about everything that happens around. Reach - done, for the first time with bated breath look into the fiery bowels of the earth - done. But that's not all, because the day before the volcano - another adventure, an amazing acquaintance with the mountain gorillas of Uganda. When these powerful, plush, a little lazy animals are a meter away from you, and you really want to run your fingers into this wool. And although it is not easy to get to them, through the jungle, blurry paths, but every breath in their company is worth reaching. And even when the male - the head of the family - menacingly attacks you with a roar, hinting that he also has a personal space and should not violate it - it's not scary, and you immediately know what to do - just respect the boundaries. To pay tribute to nature - to communicate with this endangered species, because there are only about 700 of them left on the planet. Overcome yourself by climbing the Nyiragongo volcano in the Congo - and realize that you can do much more than you thought, and feel this feeling of freedom and delight at the top. This is life, that's where it is. And with this realization it is not so difficult to enter into new stage life knowing that you are something more than you are.

Volcano Nyiragongo is located in national park Virunga in the Congo on the border with Rwanda. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa: 34 eruptions have been recorded since 1882, including many periods when activity has been continuous for many years.

The main crater of the volcano is 250 meters deep and 2 km wide, it sometimes forms a lava lake. According to the amount of lava, the lake of the Nyiragongo volcano is the most voluminous of the lava lakes today. The depth in the lake is largely dependent on the activity of the volcano. The maximum observed level of lava in the crater reached 3250m.

Nyiragongo's lava is unusually liquid and flowing, similar features are caused by a special chemical composition - it contains very little quartz. Thus, during an eruption, lava flows flowing along the slope of the volcano can reach speeds of 100 km / h.

Between 1894 and 1977, there was an active lava lake in the crater, and on January 10, 1977, when the walls of the crater collapsed, a massive eruption occurred. It lasted about an hour and claimed 70 lives, wiping out nearby villages, and although it was impossible to determine the exact number of deaths, according to unofficial estimates, there were about several thousand.

To date, the eruptions of the Nyiragongo volcano are considered unprecedented, because no other volcano in the world has such steeply sloping walls and lava lake with such a dangerous composition.

Another strong eruption occurred in January 2002. However, fortunately, people were warned about the danger. 400,000 people managed to evacuate. And yet, many who did not hear about the impending eruption paid dearly for it. 147 people died during the eruption from asphyxiation and the effects of an earthquake caused by the activity of the volcano.

Nyiragongo erupted again 6 months later. The volcano continues to be active to this day. In June 2012, a team of scientists and intrepid explorers set foot on the shore of a lava lake boiling in the depths of the Nyiragongo crater. These pictures were taken by Oliver Grunewald during an expedition to the lake of the Nyiragongo crater.