helen weld public health

24 Hours In The DRC. . .

Climbing Nyiragongo, an active volcano in the Congo, was something that came up on my radar screen a few weeks ago, after hearing about it from a few friends here in Rwanda. The timing to slip away from GHI after the gigantic Thanksgiving event for a couple of days seemed good and the logistics fell into place, acquiring a visa and finding a reliable tour company. Despite some trepidation and much discussion about the implications of the upcoming elections in the Congo and the recent activity of another volcano, Mount Nyamulagira, three of us Metta, Johan and myself, decided to venture forth.

Camping on the shores of Lake Kivu at Gisenyi was a wonderful start to the adventure. A lovely dawn chorus and swim in the lake was a real treat. Watching the local fisherman paddle to shore in their threesome canoes after their night of work was a delightful image. Listening to their lilting sing-songy chanting/singing wafting through the sultry air, combined with a nearby church full of robust vocalists provided a great audio sensation too.

We were picked up promptly at 0730 by a man named Innocent, who assisted with the visa process on the Rwandan side (Gisenyi is right on the border). He then dropped us at the border where we were met by Roger, who assisted on the Congo side. It felt a bit like being part of the Underground Railroad with the handoffs from person to person.

The stark contrast between countries was immediately apparent and alarming. Gisenyi appears like the land of milk and honey with manicured parks and gardens vs. Goma’s depressed and battered streets, full of barbed wire and UN trucks and soldiers. Our route to the volcano climb took us through parts of Goma which had been swept away in the 2002 eruption of Nyiragongo. Tiny wooden clapboard houses on volcanic debris lined the roadways on both sides. Political posters, flags and banners were ubiquitous. There are 5 parliament positions open for Goma and 285 candidates for the November 28th election, 500 positions with 20,000 candidates for the entire country!

After about 30 minutes of car time we were dropped off at the park entrance. The bullet riddled sign is surely a photo op for many climbers (us included). After a briefing we set off with two armed guard/guides (one in the front, one in the rear), as well as a porter which I hired. I figured with my aging body and my decreased lung capacity that it was money well spent.

The entire climb took about 5 hours, including rests…The guide kept getting radio requests for updates from the base wondering about the “mama’s” status. They were obviously concerned about my abilities. His consistent replies, “she is strong”, were reassuring. We walked steadily through forest which opened up into lava fields (tricky footing) and then towards the summit of 3,400 meters (a gain of 1,400 meters). Part of the time it bucketed rain with nearby thunder which was a bit nerve wracking. Soaked to the skin, I required a change into dry gear at the last stop before reaching the top which was a STEEP climb.

Arriving at the rim was tantalizing as the crater and its lava were shrouded in mist, but the sounds were enormous; similar to gigantic Oahu breakers coming into shore and Yosemite scale waterfalls. When the skies cleared to reveal the lava it was utterly mind boggling. The lava is about 400 meters below, in a crater with a diameter of 3km. The deep orange of the lava was a colour I had never really seen. The rivers of lava looked like the patterns of the reticulations on a giraffe on one side and the other side like crashing waves of molten lava interspersed with mini eruptions throughout the whole field. It was totally mesmerizing to watch the lava for the few hours we were there.

Remembering to turn once in a while to see the other views of the Rwandan mountains, Lake Kivu, as well as the other volcano, Mount Nyamulagira, erupting smoke in the distance, helped keep the blood circulating...it was cold. The warmth from the lava wasn’t enough! Snuggling into the warm sleeping bag was a treat, though it took awhile to warm up… I especially missed Robert knowing how much he would have relished seeing the lava as well as for the warmth factor! I could see the orange glow and the waning moon as I drifted off to sleep.

We were up at 0500 for another session of lava viewing and then the 3 hour descent. Arriving back in Gisenyi and taking a moto to the bus for the trip back to Kigali makes one realise that the more “usual” risks in life are a reality too. Climbing Nyiragongo was a calculated risk/decision I will never regret…a life “bucket list” item.
Helen