A safari to Rwanda is considered epic if the tourist reaches the glorious Virungas as the parent range with all the other 8 peaks with the highest being Karisimbi. The mountain obtains its name from a Kinyarwanda word called ‘Amasimbi’ which means snow.
The summit of Karisimbi volcano is usually topped with snow especially in the dry seasons of June, July and august. Tourists can land to cloud nine after sighting the slushy snow that angles down on the mountain like a white blanket but it’s not only the dazzling sight that tourists will enjoy and other safari activities with some explained below.
Hiking Mount. Karisimbi.
Unlike a one-day hike to Bisoke, a trail to Karisimbi forces tourists to have a sleep over in the middle of the mountain since the hike is a two-day safari to the summit. So, while tourists get an adrenaline rush due to the hike, they will rest it off for the night and pick up the momentum while they aim for the peak. The starting point of this hike is at the bottom of mountain Bisoke. After 7 hours of galloping on the hard ground of the mountain tourists will have achieved the middle of the journey and they will organize for a rest over night at this point which is estimated to be at an altitude of about 3700m.
A new day finds the tourists at the center of the mountain to get done with their ascension with a well deserving breakfast that will give them more energy to face their final challenge. Time for tourists to face their fears comes in when they encounter fog, muddy trails, strong winds whose hindrances just keep the tourists exploring to the top. While at the top, they will enjoy the panoramic views of their neighborhood the Volcanoes national park and later disembark down to the starting point for approximately 6 hours of trail.
Night at middle of the mountain
A night away in the middle of a mountain is worth a try for hike addicts, while the place is cold enough to turn water into ice, campers shouldn’t be shaken by this ambience because while the cold moves around to feed your flesh, the warmest clothes and the camp fire are eager to turn from master to servant.
A better place for socializing and getting to know your fellow campers is just what a night out in Karisimbi provides, while there is no wi-fi and telephone networks, social media gadgets are rendered useless hence all the tourists have the time to themselves to find out about each other and the culture about Rwanda before they set off for sleeping in their tents. While the night tries to freeze the tourists to ice, the mornings are so loving as they are sunny and adorable. Watching the sun rise while on a mountain will make tourists be happy as Larry because the sun rises as though its destination is the mountain.
A memorable adventure with a night that can’t be forgotten by most tourists is the experience gotten from mountain Karisimbi because besides dining with fellow campers in the middle of the mountain, tourists also get panoramic views of craters of Bisoke, Mount. Mikeno, Gahinga and Mount. Muhabura.
Mount. Karisimbi hiking permits.
A passport only cannot get a tourist anywhere close to the summit of Mount Karisimbi that’s where a hiking permit steps in. This document that is detailed with information about the hiker costs $400 per person. Early booking of the permits provides confidence to the hikers that nothing can stop them from trekking on the booked day however permits can also be accessed directly from the volcanoes national park headquarters on the hiking date during low seasons. Tourists should note that the permits costs exclude all the other expenses like tents, cooks who will prepare food in the mountain, porters, accommodation and these expenses usually go for an extra $250.
A hiking trail generally has a lot to offer ranging from the rich and beautiful green scenery of dense forests and challenging but trekkable landscape of the mountain but a trail into the Virungas of the cleanest country in Africa will take tourists to the moon and make them story tellers after hiking experiences on Bisoke and Karisimbi which are part of the Virungas. View of the magnificent mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, birds from Hagenia forest and other wildlife species cannot miss out during this trail. And a surprise above all surprises is that the Dian Fossey tomb is found between these two mountains therefore tourists can complement their safaris by finding out more about this famous gorilla shelter.
While wet seasons are for working hard, dry seasons are for traveling and hiking would trigger a tourist and impact them greatly if it’s done between January to March and July to October because while it’s hard to gallop on mountain slopes, it gets harder with the presence of muddy walkways.
