Mount. Mikeno has a rich description ranging from its beauty and history. It forms part of the 8 giant volcanoes that make up the larger Virunga massif. The Virunga volcanoes are a cluster of sister ranges that are situated in Central Africa. They include Karisimbi, Muhabura, Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Visoke, Nyamuragira, Nyiragongo and Mikeno.
Mount. Mikeno has taken thousands of years without any sign of probable eruption, hence its status as an extinct volcano. Mikeno ranks as the 13th highest mountain on the African continent. Within the Virunga, it’s the second-highest volcano, at an elevation of 14,557 feet above sea level, following the highest mountain Karisimbi.
The word Mikeno means “poor” and this is so because of its slopes that are highly rugged and unbalanced to accommodate any human activity and habitation. It’s situated within the Democratic Republic of Congo, next to the country’s border with Rwanda. It sits 5.5 kilometers on the northwest frontier of Mountain Karisimbi. Surrounding it is the Virunga National Park which is known for its rich composition of wildlife especially the mountain gorillas. These are endangered species and one of the main features of tourism in Virunga National Park. Mount. Mikeno has fertile volcanic slopes which enable the growth of tropical and alpine vegetation on which the mountain gorillas breed and survive.
Mount. Mikeno was formed through volcanic processes on the western and eastern borders of the Western arm of the East Africa rift valley. The intrinsic geophysical and geochemical processes gave way for the magma to escape the Earth’s crust when gigantic cracks formed on top of the surface as lava. The rapid escape of the lava spread to tens of meters, and on cooling, a volcano was formed, Mountain Mikeno.
Mountain Mikeno is the 2’nd highest among the Virunga ranges. It has highly rugged slopes which make hiking for those interested a little hectic, but fun for the seasoned hikers. Mountain Mikeno is also the 13th highest mountain by elevation on the African continent.
Exciting as one would expect, hiking Mountain Mikeno should be more of a reserve for the tourists that physically fit since it’s a lot of work trying to find Mikeno’s summit. The Bukima patrol post is the starting point for the hike. After about 3 hours of hiking, trekkers finally reach Kabara campsite, a place at which in 1926, Akeley Carl died as he battled fever.
Because of the hectic climb, most tourists decide as an ordinary practice to spend a night at the campsite. They continue climbing towards the summit on the second day and this takes about 4 hours on average to get there. Intending tourists are therefore advised to be mentally ready for the challenge and also keep training months before.
The best time to visit Mikeno is during the dry season. The visibility of the peak, the dry slopes which are comfortable for hiking, and other features on and around the mountain. Since it’s located in the tropics, mount. Mikeno is subject to its climatic conditions.
The tropics have two dry seasons i.e., June to September / December to February. With the description of Mikeno’s landscape, therefore, trekkers planning to visit this mountain should do so during dry seasons.
