Volcan Karisimbi

Volcan Karisimbi, mountain in northeastern Rwanda, in the Virunga Mountains. At 4,507 m (14,787 ft) high, this snowcapped volcano is the highest peak in Rwanda and in the Virunga Mountains. Its summit is located inside Rwanda but its northern slopes extend into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire). Up to 3,400 m (11,000 ft), the sides of the mountain are covered in rain forests, dominated by Hagenia trees, mosses, and lichens. Beginning at an elevation of 3,800 m (12,500 ft), a platform of lava supports several dormant volcanic chimneys, each topped with a pool. Although two nearby volcanoes continue to emit smoke and steam, Volcan Karisimbi has been dormant throughout recorded history. The arduous two-day climb to the summit can be undertaken from the base at Visoke. Karisimbi and the surrounding highlands are renowned as the habitat of endangered mountain gorillas.