Mgahinga National Park has three of the seven volcanoes that are part of the Virunga and Sabinyo is one of them. Mount Sabinyo has three peaks.
Sabyinyo a local Kinyarwanda word that comes from the word ‘Iryinyo’, meaning tooth. At times reffered to as Sabinio, this mountain is an extinct volcano in Eastern Africa. The mountain carries the local nickname “Old Man’s Teeth” because its serrated summit resembles worn teeth in a gum line (in contrast to the perfect conical summits of the adjacent mountains in this range).
Sabinyo is found in three countries; Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mountain is located northeast of Lake Kivu in Rwanda and west of Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda.
Its summit lies at 3,645 metres (11,959 ft), marks the intersection of the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. It also lies within the adjoining national parks established by these countries to protect the mountain gorillas: Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Volcanoes National Park (PNV) in Rwanda, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.
The slopes of Mt. Sabyinyo are a habitat for the endangered Mountain Gorillas.
Hiking Mount Sabinyo
An ascent leads first to Peak 1 before climbing towards Peak 2 along a narrow ridge that overlooks breathtaking drops into deep gorges on each side. Peak 3 is reached by a steep and muddy scramble. The borders of three countries converge on this summit and you will find yourself simultaneously in Rwanda, Congo and Uganda. The 14km round trip takes about 8 hours.
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