What is Gorilla Trekking

Whether you chose to do it in Uganda or Rwanda or DR. Congo, gorilla trekking in the western jungles of East Africa is an incredibly fun and unique experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. Gorilla trekking is for us the number one safari experience in Africa.
On the morning of the hike, trekkers head to the park office of their chosen national park for a briefing that starts at 800am. The rangers then spell out the “do’s” and “don’ts” of the trekking experience. After the briefing, the park office assigns a gorilla family to each group of trekkers, with each gorilla family being assigned up to 8 trekkers. Trekkers are given the chance to hire porters to help carry their gear and to support trekkers up and down the steep slopes during the trek. We always encourage trekkers to hire porters not just for support during the hike, but also to support livelihoods in the communities around the national park Mountains by providing much-needed income to marginalized youths. Trekkers are also provided with hiking sticks. Thereafter, it is time to start the trek deep into the mountains in search of the gorilla family.
The armed rangers lead the group into the forest with one ranger at the front of the column and the second ranger at the back. The rangers guide the trekkers up and down the narrow trails into the magnificent high altitude tropical forest. The morning hike is a memorable experience in and of itself. The hike normally starts as the morning mist rises up from the forest floor. And on a sunny day, the early morning sun rays pierce through the forest canopy and the rising mist, making for a picturesque scene like no other. This is all made better with the soundtrack of forest sounds and countless birdsongs that filter through the forest.
As trekkers make their way through the dense forest, the rangers will show them the ancient forest trees and the unique vegetation in this montane forest. Trekkers are also encouraged to look out for the other wildlife treasures that the region has on offer. There are forest elephants in some of the parts of the parks but it is extremely rare to see one. However, the footprints of these giants are ubiquitous throughout some parts, providing a good reminder of how capable these elephant giants are in a most unlikely steep terrain. The region has several other amazing mammals such as antelopes, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, red tail monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, among others, that share the mountain forest habitat with the gorillas. The region is also one of the richest birding areas in the world with over 350 species in Bwindi National park and 295 species in Volcanoes national park. Watch out for endemic bird species in Bwindi and Mgahinga such as the Handsome Francolin, the Rwenzori Turaco and African Green Broadbill. In Volcanoes National Park, look out for the Laden’s Bush-Shike together with 16 more endemic bird species. Trekkers can find over 200 species of butterflies in the region.
Gorilla trekking typically takes between 2- 7 hours and can be a challenging task for the inexperienced trekker. It is imperative that trekkers are in good physical condition before embarking on the trails. The terrain is composed of sleep slopes and dense forest at high altitudes. Trekkers will hike at elevations of 1,500–4,000 meters (the same height a skydiver jumps out of a plane!).
Expect to wade through shallow streams and rivers during your hike. The hike gets a lot more challenging if there is heavy rain on the day of the hike and trekkers are advised to always go prepared for rain. The forest floor can get muddy and slippery so good hiking boots are a must. Our longest hike was in the southern section where we spent 7 hours trekking the Mucungunzi family of gorillas in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi NP. Some gorilla families can be found closer to the starting point but there is never a guarantee that the trek will be a short trek. Our shortest hike was a 20 minute hike in search of the Rushegura family in Buhoma in 2013 but there is never a guarantee the trek will be short.
In spite of the challenges, the experience of meeting the gorilla family after a long hike is well worth the tiring hike. Once found, the sight of the magnificent mountain gorillas is worth every ounce of energy expended. The gorillas are normally found feeding or resting or on the odd occasion, moving. The gorilla family is typically composed of about a dozen members, though there are families with over two dozen members. Each family is headed by a ‘silverback’ gorilla who is the alpha-male and head of the family and is tasked with protecting the family from predators, other gorillas, and any other threats. Other members include several female gorillas, infants and ‘blackbacks’ (young silverbacks). Some families will have 2 silverbacks as gorillas are known to look after the older members.
Once in the presence of the gorillas, trekkers will quietly observe these magnificent primates as they eat, groom each other and play in the forest. Trekkers are allowed to spend a maximum of one hour observing the gorilla family. This is the time for taking photos, though flash photography is strictly forbidden, which makes gorilla photography one of the most challenging wildlife photography. Trekkers are always told to keep a distance of at least 10 meters from the gorillas. This is because gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans so human presence presents a deadly threat of communicable diseases to the gorillas. Also, the silverback gorilla is very protective and won’t hesitate to physically attack any perceived threats to its family.
There is no guarantee that the gorillas will stay in one place once you meet them. Sometimes the gorilla family will keep moving deeper into the forest to forage or as they look after the young babies. Trekkers might end up seeing the gorillas on the move.
Our experience trekking mountain gorillas over the last 27 years has taught us that it is preferable to trek large families with juvenile and infant gorillas. From our trekking encounters, trekking families with more gorillas and with more juvenile and infant gorillas is always preferable. This means that this family is not constantly on the move and takes long breaks in the forest. Therefore trekkers will have more time to watch the gorillas. The younger gorillas are also more playful and tend to put on a show upon the arrival of gorilla trekkers. Juvenile gorillas have been known to somersault, play fight with each other and even pull at guests in curiosity. Watching the juvenile and infant gorillas as they play about in the forest is a memorable experience.
Once the allotted time with the gorillas has elapsed, gorilla trekkers follow the original trail back to the national park office for a debriefing session. Trekkers then receive a gorilla trekking certificate indicating the trekker’s name, gorilla family tracked, and the section of the park hiked.