Living on the Crater's RimThis page is dedicated to the park rangers and porters who made possible our expedition to Nyiragongo's summit and who shared with us four unforgettable days on the narrow rim. All photos in this page have been taken with a 16mm fish-eye lens coupled to a digital camera. | |||
 28 Jan 2006. Dawn at the campsite. Karisimbi volcano (4506 m.a.s.l.) of the Virunga chain at center. |  29 Jan. Sunrise at the campsite. Mikeno (4432 m.a.s.l.) and Karisimbi (4506 m.a.s.l.) above the crater rim. |  28 Jan. The first duty in the early morning is to build the fire to prepare breakfast, wind allowing... |  28 Jan. A kalashnikov is not a very good wind shield; however, we always somehow managed... |
 29 Jan. Early morning offers a rare view of the whole crater almost free of thick steam and sulphur dioxide. |  29 Jan. Low clouds encircle the flank south cone Shaheru, with the 2002 eruptive fissure in the saddle. |  28 Jan. William looks at Baruta, the symmetric flank cone on the north side of Nyiragongo. |  26 Jan. The twilight allows us to glimpse the boiling lava lake at the crater bottom. |
 27 Jan. Early morning observation of the lava lake from the terrace at the campsite. |  27 Jan. The park rangers investigate the possibility of climbing down to the first terrace. |  27 Jan. While William and David (small red spot) risk their life, Mathieu takes care of the kalashnikovs. |  28 Jan. Maintenance of the collector of pele's hair which get deposited by the volcano's plume on the Bastion (W rim). |