The Volcanoes

On the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo sit a range of 6 volcanoes known as the Virgunas. They sit within three national parks and are home to just over half (380, with the other 320 living in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda) of the world's mountain gorillas. Three of these volcanoes(Mt. Gahinga, Mt. Sabyinyo, and Mt. Muhabura) sit partially within Uganda. It was Mt. Gahinga (the one in the middle) that we went to Kisoro to climb.

This satellite image (courtesy of Google Earth) shows how the national borders run through these three volcanoes. Mt. Muhabura (far right) and Mt. Gahinga (in the middle, covered by clouds) straddle the Ugandan-Rwandan border. Mt. Sabyinyo (far left) sits at the junction of all three countries. In fact a climb to the highest of Sabyinyo's peaks will bring you to the junction itself, so that you can actually stand in all three countries at once.

These volcanoes loom over the town of Kisoro, situated in a large valley between the mountains to the north and the volcanoes to the south. Well before you begin to come out of the mountains you can see the volcanoes in the distance, their peaks so high that they are actually in the clouds. As such, when traveling to Mgahinga to climb any of these peaks, the excitement starts building early, and no matter where you go in Kisoro you are always reminded of the journey that lies ahead because there is no where that you can be and NOT see the volcanoes. And though they stand in a line, each one is very unique and distinct.

This is Mt. Gahinga, the one I climbed and the lowest (3474 meters or 11,400 feet) of the three. It says "Start with me, I'm easy," though it's not so easy as it appears. It has a classic volcano shape, but compared to it's two neighbors it doesn't look like much. The Kisoro area is full of volcanic rocks, and everywhere you can see where people have made little piles of the rocks they have picked out of their fields. These little piles are called "gahingas," and it is from these that the volcano gets its name.

This one is Mt. Sabyinyo. It says "Hey there, you know you want to climb me." It is the alluring, seductive, mysterious one. The way the clouds come across it's jagged peaks, the huge valley caused when an eruption blew out the volcano's side...there's just something intriguing about this one that makes you want to climb it. It's the second highest (3645 meters or 11,960 feet) of the three and the one that sits at the corner of all three countries. It says "Hey there, you know you want to climb me." Sabyinyo means "old man's teeth," a name courtesy of its many uneven peaks.

This one is Mt Muhabura. It says "I dare you to climb me. As if you stand a chance." It is massive, standing almost half a mile above Mt Gahinga at 4127 meters or 13540 feet. It seems to go almost straight up despite it's massive base, and when you look at it you think "How on earth do you actually get up that thing?" Hiking to the top is an all-day affair that brings you to a small crater lake and, if the peak isn't shrouded in clouds, possibly the most spectacular view in Uganda. Muhabura means "the guide" as the volcano can be seen from anywhere in Kisoro district and even from places in Kabale.