Nyiragongo is a beautiful stratovolcano that features the world’s largest lava lake. The volcano’s forested lower slopes are home to a variety of animals, including chimpanzees, monkeys and bushbuck. Nyiragongo’s summit rim is largely devoid of vegetation and is sometimes dusted with snow. From the rim, visitors can peer down into a churning lava lake and see and hear hot gases exploding up though a mosaic of molten lava. Predictable and therefore safe for tourists, Nyiragongo is greatly feared by locals during eruptions. All climbers overnight in the summit shelters because the best viewing is after dark. For this reason, our Nyiragongo climbs are two-day affairs.