A closer look at the face of a relaxing female mountain gorilla, helping you reflect on how difficult it would be for gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda is suitable for primate lovers in every corner of the World who aim to trek and spend time with mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. If you are one of them, then it would be exciting to know that getting up close and personal with these Giant Apes is possibly one of the most life-changing experiences in the World.
It is no brainer that trekking the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is a dream for any primate enthusiast, and getting up close and personal with them provides you with the incredible opportunity to learn about their interesting human-like behavior. These Great Apes live in forests high in the mountains between 2,500 and 4,000 meters above sea level. As daunting as it might sound, trekking the endangered mountain gorillas is not the most difficult trek one can participate in.
The difficult levels of gorilla trekking in Rwanda are renowned among primate lovers, which also adds value to the life-changing adventure. The mountain gorilla natural habitats’ sheer height, extremely cold weather conditions, and rugged terrains make trekking these Giant Apes an immense challenge for both first-time and repeat trekkers.
A closer look at a giant male mountain gorilla, part of your experience on gorilla trekking in Rwanda
The question many of our clients usually have is “How difficult is gorilla trekking?” This article provides an elaborate information on the different aspects of trekking the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat and why it is such a difficult adventure. However, tracking and meeting face-to-face with the Great Apes is an achievable feat that will surprisingly won’t require any advanced mountain climbing/hiking skills or being a gym junkie.
The most challenging aspect of gorilla trekking is the general altitude of mountain gorilla natural habitats (8,000 to 13,000 feet above sea level) which sometimes bring about altitude-related symptoms like fatigue and headaches. However, the good news is that with enough preparation in form of basic physical training (squats, climbing steps, jogging, and walking), having proper gear (hiking boots, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, a walking stick, a hat, gardening gloves, a rain jacket, and a backpack), and a reliable porter, most visitors can successfully trek and spend time with the Great Apes in their natural habitats.
There have been cases of 60, 70, or 80-year-olds trekking the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. However, this becomes more challenging for senior/elderly visitors hence we always advise hiring a sedan chair (that costs $350 per person) and lifted by four able-bodied porters.
When it comes to the duration of gorilla trekking, it varies, and is very difficult (literally impossible) to conclude how long the trek will be. Some habituated gorilla families make contact with visitors after one hour while others will take up to 6 hours or even more. This is the reason why we always advise visitors to be prepared for anything- either long or short treks.
The rugged and unpredictable terrains of mountain gorilla natural habitats provide a significant challenge when trekking mountain gorillas. These places are made up of rocks, deep valleys, as well as stones, and gorilla trekkers will have to navigate the steep and forested slopes which become even more challenging to maneuver in the wet months. If your biggest worry is this, then it would make more sense to go gorilla trekking in the dry season (June to September, and December to February) when forest trails are less muddy and slippery.
The dense vegetation of mountain gorilla habitats also makes treks difficult. It is for this reason that visitors have to be ready to deal with unpleasant vegetation like stinging nettles and Park Rangers will use machetes to create paths while searching for the allocated gorilla family.