In the Volcanic Region 157 
lava with prodigious smudges of colour in the most prodigal 
fashion.*' 
After exploring the active western group of the Virunga 
volcanoes, with their floods of recent lava, Kirschstein turned his 
attention to the middle group. This has probably been extinct 
for a considerable time. In addition to Mikeno, steep, jagged 
and weather-worn, the ascent of which I have already described, 
Karissimbi with its elevation of 4,500 metres is also noteworthy. 
It is the highest of the Virunga volcanoes, and at the same time 
is doubtless one of the most stupendous volcanic mountains in 
the world. Kirschstein in his report writes as follows: 
‘‘Karissimbi towers above the landscape, its mighty western 
plateau crowned by a cone of comely shape. With its solid, 
massive bulk, its gigantic proportions reaching up into the sky, 
it overwhelms the observer. The summit is very rarely clear, 
and a dense layer of clouds nearly always envelops it. When 
they disperse, perhaps for a few moments only, and hover like 
a white cap over the head of the peak, the glittering snowy 
splendour which reveals itself to the eye is a magnificent spec¬ 
tacle. A very characteristic view of Karissimbi can be obtained 
from the north, either from Wissoke or from the Belgian military 
post of Rutschuru. 
“The principal cone rises up from the plain in a remarkably 
regular way, tapering off to the peak, whilst a long ridge extends 
along the eastern flank. Many travellers have maintained that 
this part of the mountain is the remainder of an ancient crater 
wall, but this is hardly correct. Incidentally I have ascer¬ 
tained that the so-called ridge is an extended and almost 
level plateau in which a tremendous hitherto unknown crater 
is buried, more than one and a half kilometres in breadth, 
and which I have named the Branca Crater. Karissimbi has a 
second crater almost direct south of the main cone. This is the 
Hans Meyer Crater. The summit itself has no crater. Bare 
rocks, broken up into a chaos of loose blocks, meet the eye. Ice 
lies in the cracks and clefts of the rock.” 
Karissimbi was climbed by Mildbraed, Schubotz and Kirsch- 
