It was a good thing we had the relaxing Kivu day, because for the following two, Kristin had signed us up for a 'hike' on one of the nearby volcanos, Karisimbi – which as it turns out is the tallest peak in Rwanda at just shy of 15,000 ft. Our hike was actually a two day mountain ascent, with camping around 12,000 ft and a total of 15 - 20 miles of, at times, strenuous hiking and 6,000 ft of elevation gain. It poured like crazy for the overnight, and was slightly below freezing on the summit. Though we were severely underprepared from a gear standpoint, we managed without incident and were even treated to a spectacular clearing in the weather just after we summited.
The whole group, including porters, but not the 10 Rwandan army gents that escorted us for security
On our way to entering the park
Walking past a very quaint farming village
Our fearless leader, Oliver
And Kristin & my porter who had to haul our sleep gear up in this wheat sack
The wheat sacks are also filled with dirt and placed as stairs in the particularly muddy sections
It's a jungle out there – Kristin at one of the many stream crossings
Almost to base camp where we will spend the night around 11,000 ft
Kristin with one of the many armed guards
Temps are dropping, but Krisin, bundles, manages to kick our butts at gin
Rwandan fire for warmth and cooking
Early the next AM we rise to clear(ish) skies – though it poured in the night, the guards stayed out for watch all night long
Kristin mid ascent as the weather starts to move in
Then sock in pretty good – here, Kristin and I are on the last pitch, well above 14,000 ft
And the viz gets tougher
Almost to the top
Kristin & I in sub-freezing temps with wind on the summit
All the army men sign the wall on the radio tower structure at the summit
Just when we are about to head down the mountain some blue starts to show up
Then break almost completely for some absolutely spectacular views – The stunning, neighboring peak, Mikino, lies in the Congo – me with our new friend, Chuck
As fast as it clears, it socks back in as we drop off the summit
Some more magnificent views of Mikino as we descend
Army escort keeping a close eye out for rebels in the Congo
Kristin and I on the way down – still feeling pretty good
Me half way back to base camp not so happy any longer
It's a jungle out there
And way down we see the shimmering line of the wheat sacks through the plateau below camp
Back at camp about 3,500 ft below the summit
Cold and tired we wait for the slower group to arrive at camp before we descend the rest of the way, another 2,500 ft to the village we started from
Safe but sore back in the village – some of the other surroundings volcanoes in the distance
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