MOUNT MUHABURA

Mount Muhabura, commonly referred to as Muhavura, is a dormant volcano that may be found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. Muhabura is 4,127 meters (13,450 feet) tall. It is located on the boundary between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The sharpest of the eight volcanoes is this volcanic mountain. Muhabura is a “Kinyarwanda word meaning sentinel and.” The phrase literally means “the guide.”

Due of its steeper topography than Karisimbi, Mount Muhabura is harder to climb. However, it can be hiked in a single day. After reaching the Peak, travelers are greeted with stunning views of the Twin Lakes of Ruhondo and Burera as well as other Volcanoes, which is intriguing. Muhabura is an interesting volcano due to its proximity to its top and the reality that the vegetation there is continuously drier than in other regions of the Volcanoes National Park. Muhabura and Mount Gahinga, which features a 40-meter-high crater lake at its summit, are connected by a sizable saddle in the west.

Permits can be bought by visitors either before or on the day of their hike. Depending on pace, walks up Mount Muhabura typically take 5 to 6 hours to accomplish, therefore hikers need to be in good physical shape. Tourists often start by ensuring they have the necessary hiking equipment, such as a stick for walking to help them on the slopes, hiking boots, long pants, long sleeve shirts, a packed lunch or snacks, and drinking water. Tourists then report to the Park headquarters at Kinigi for a pre-hike briefing. In addition to providing details about what to expect when trekking and how to handle incidents, this briefing also provides an outline of the Mountain’s genesis and history.

Visitors are then transported to the trailhead at the foot of the volcano after the briefing to start the hike. To protect hikers from scared wild animals like elephants and buffaloes that are alarmed by gunshots in the air, armed troops and tour guides are present. The hike is divided into two rest stations with huts before reaching the peak. At a height of 3116 meters (10223 feet), the first stop is located, and at a height of 3855 meters (12648 feet), the second stop is located. The summit of the climb is 4,127 meters (13,450 feet) above sea level.

If you make it to the top, you will be one of the few people who succeed in reaching the top, even though a few climbers and hikers pause at the first hut and some at the second. Those who get it to the top are rewarded with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, lakes, and other Virunga range volcanoes, including Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Karisimbi, Bisoke, and Nyiragongo, after such a taxing hike.
The peak gives off the sense of being a complete detachment from reality. It is possible to view primates, birds, and even enormous forest animals like elephants and buffalo. From the Rwandan side, one can see the gorgeous twin lakes Ruhundo and Burera, while from the Ugandan side, one can see Lake Bunyonyi. Sadly, mist and cloud cover may hinder people from spotting distant volcanoes during various months of the year.

If the hikers climbed the mountain slowly, there wouldn’t be much time to stay at the peak. The Rangers will request that you leave the summit before sunset to prevent having to descend in the dark. Before descending, a group photo with each participant will be taken. Making your way down the mountain is a bit challenging. In fact, because your body is worn out from the climb and is fairly slippery going down, some people find it to be just as tough as climbing up.
You will observe a variety of plantations as you descend until you reach the foot of the mountain. Upon reaching down where you started your hike from your tour guide will pick you and head back to your lodge.

Climbing Mount Muhabura is a wonderful tourist activity that visitors who travel to Mgahinga National Park or Volcanoes National Park can do while on gorilla trekking safaris in the park. The stunning vistas from its summit, which is made up of a crater lake, tempt everyone who sees it to climb it.