Hiking to Gorillas in Rwanda
May 10th, 2007, 05:44 PM
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Hiking to Gorillas in Rwanda
What is the altitude and altitude change when hiking to the different groups of Gorillas in Rwanda? Is it the terrain or the climb or both that will be most challanging in October?
May 10th, 2007, 05:56 PM
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The base of the Virunga Volcanoes are at about 7,000 feet. Some of the groups (such as Hirwa and Group 13) live in a dense bamboo forest between Mt. Sabinyo and Mt. Bisoke, and hiking to them involves little or no elevation change. But the forest itself is thick, the ground frequently muddy, and you have to crouch down to get under branches and things like that.
Other groups live on the mountainsides and move up and down the mountains with impunity -- Amahoro, Umubano and Susa are examples of these. We got lucky and did not have to climb but about half an hour to reach Amahoro the day we visited them, but I have read about some of the gorilla groups getting up to 8500 feet and more. The sides of the volcanoes are quite steep and covered with dense vegetation, including stinging nettles in large quantities. So there is the triple challenge of steep slopes, stinging plants and slippery footing conditions. Proper dress, including gloves and boots, is absolutely essential!
Having said that, people of varying fitness levels do the treks every day, so it is not an insurmountable physical challenge. And our experience was that trekking in Uganda was substantially more diffcult -- Rwanda felt like a treat by comparison!
Chris
Other groups live on the mountainsides and move up and down the mountains with impunity -- Amahoro, Umubano and Susa are examples of these. We got lucky and did not have to climb but about half an hour to reach Amahoro the day we visited them, but I have read about some of the gorilla groups getting up to 8500 feet and more. The sides of the volcanoes are quite steep and covered with dense vegetation, including stinging nettles in large quantities. So there is the triple challenge of steep slopes, stinging plants and slippery footing conditions. Proper dress, including gloves and boots, is absolutely essential!
Having said that, people of varying fitness levels do the treks every day, so it is not an insurmountable physical challenge. And our experience was that trekking in Uganda was substantially more diffcult -- Rwanda felt like a treat by comparison!
Chris
May 10th, 2007, 07:08 PM
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What type and how high should the boots be? Does the color matter? Same for the gloves? Also can we take a backpack all the way up to the gorillas? Maybe with a second lens, snickers, etc? Sorry for all the questions.
May 10th, 2007, 07:19 PM
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Boots should be waterproof and have ankle support, I cannot imagine color matters at all. They will get muddy, as will your pants and gloves.
We used leather gardening gloves that we bought at Home Depot and they worked great. They need to be waterproof and thick enough to protect your hands from stinging nettles. The color does not matter -- my wife wore pink ones!
You can carry a backpack (or have it carried for you by a porter, which I highly recommend) until you get to within about 100-200 meters of where the gorillas are. At that point, you have to leave all bags and backpacks with the porters, then you meet back up with them after your hour with the gorillas. That works great for carrying water and snacks, but if you want an extra lens to take pictures, it will have to fit in a pocket or something like that.
Hope this helps.
Chris
We used leather gardening gloves that we bought at Home Depot and they worked great. They need to be waterproof and thick enough to protect your hands from stinging nettles. The color does not matter -- my wife wore pink ones!
You can carry a backpack (or have it carried for you by a porter, which I highly recommend) until you get to within about 100-200 meters of where the gorillas are. At that point, you have to leave all bags and backpacks with the porters, then you meet back up with them after your hour with the gorillas. That works great for carrying water and snacks, but if you want an extra lens to take pictures, it will have to fit in a pocket or something like that.
Hope this helps.
Chris
May 10th, 2007, 11:23 PM
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Can´t subscribe chris. Having been in Bwindi as well as Ruanda last July- to us Ruanda was much more challenging. Okay our trekkink in Bwindi lasted 7 hours, but more than 2 of it because of 2 ladies from the states, that had to stop every 5(!) minutes, when the tour was steep- and it was in the beginning.
iIn Ruanda we visited the Umubano group- 5 hours downpour and especially downhill all the members of our group (40 to 55 years) without me were on the limit.For me it was not such a problem, because I´m an alpinist.(but 60 years old). So you need a bit of good luck too, and we try it again this July.
iIn Ruanda we visited the Umubano group- 5 hours downpour and especially downhill all the members of our group (40 to 55 years) without me were on the limit.For me it was not such a problem, because I´m an alpinist.(but 60 years old). So you need a bit of good luck too, and we try it again this July.
May 11th, 2007, 06:13 AM
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The boots I am talking about are ankle-high hiking boots, just tall enough to give some ankle support to help you on the steep terrain. I commonly saw the park rangers and porters wearing those knee-high rubber boots, but I don't think those are necessary and probably don't give as much traction as true hiking boots. When I was talking about your pants getting muddy it wasn't because of knee-high mud, but rather the likelihood that you will end up on the ground at some point in the day and get muddy that way.
I don't want anyone to think that gorilla treks in Rwanda are always easy -- the Susa group, for example, is legendary for its long, strenuous hikes, and several of the other groups can get way up on the mountain and be difficult to reach. However, Rwanda has 7 available groups, and usually at least one or two of them is within an easy walk (Sabinyo, for example, is frequently encountered outside the park wall). We found the terrain in Bwindi (both Nkuringo and Buhoma) to be far steeper and the treks far more difficult than our two relatively easy days in Rwanda in January 2007. But there is a lot of element of chance in how hard a trek is, because the gorillas move around from day to day, and ease of access by tourists is not one of the things that motivates them!
Chris
I don't want anyone to think that gorilla treks in Rwanda are always easy -- the Susa group, for example, is legendary for its long, strenuous hikes, and several of the other groups can get way up on the mountain and be difficult to reach. However, Rwanda has 7 available groups, and usually at least one or two of them is within an easy walk (Sabinyo, for example, is frequently encountered outside the park wall). We found the terrain in Bwindi (both Nkuringo and Buhoma) to be far steeper and the treks far more difficult than our two relatively easy days in Rwanda in January 2007. But there is a lot of element of chance in how hard a trek is, because the gorillas move around from day to day, and ease of access by tourists is not one of the things that motivates them!
Chris
May 11th, 2007, 06:46 AM
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Depending on where you stay, they may provide you with some food to take along -- Volcanoes, for example, gave us lunch boxes with sandwiches, bananas, little pieces of cake, and eggs. I did not try to go shopping in Ruhengeri, but I would think if you want something like Clif bars or candy bars you should plan on bringing them (I took a large number of Clif bars and used them for the treks).
Chris
Chris
May 11th, 2007, 07:09 AM
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When I trekked Bwindi, I didn't find the trekking any harder than Rwanda either, just a bit longer.
I've trekked to see the supposedly "easy" groups in Rwanda only to find out they've moved further up the volcano and it was much more difficult than anticipated. And I've trekked to see the "harder" groups and found that they had moved in closer, making for an easier trek.
Realize that, in both countries, the gorillas are mobile and they nest somewhere different each day so the trekking is never the same on any given day. Some groups can be closer in and some can be further out one day, and the next day it can be the complete opposite.
I've also trekked in the supposedly "dry" months" when it did nothing but rain for most of my stay. So the rainy season vs. dry season is not a given either.
The more prepared you are, the better.
Water, gloves, "proper" hiking boots, snack bars, and hiring a porter all are invaluable when trekking.
To sum it up, my advice is to just be prepared with the necessary clothing and gear, keep your mindset open, expect the unexpected, listen to what the guides say, and, in return, you will have a truly wonderful experience.
I've trekked to see the supposedly "easy" groups in Rwanda only to find out they've moved further up the volcano and it was much more difficult than anticipated. And I've trekked to see the "harder" groups and found that they had moved in closer, making for an easier trek.
Realize that, in both countries, the gorillas are mobile and they nest somewhere different each day so the trekking is never the same on any given day. Some groups can be closer in and some can be further out one day, and the next day it can be the complete opposite.
I've also trekked in the supposedly "dry" months" when it did nothing but rain for most of my stay. So the rainy season vs. dry season is not a given either.
The more prepared you are, the better.
Water, gloves, "proper" hiking boots, snack bars, and hiring a porter all are invaluable when trekking.
To sum it up, my advice is to just be prepared with the necessary clothing and gear, keep your mindset open, expect the unexpected, listen to what the guides say, and, in return, you will have a truly wonderful experience.
May 11th, 2007, 08:59 AM
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We did 2 treks in Rwanda in Feb this year. The second trek was to the group that have recently moved over from the Congo. It took us less than an hour to get there and we thought it was an easy hike. I should mention though that the people we were with mentioned a few times that they were glad it was no longer because it was hot & hard. Our first trek was very different. That first day we went to Susa as we requested. It was over 7 hours from when we left the car to when we returned. It was tough hiking especially as more than half of it was scrambling through thick brush straight up hill. We were definately above 10000ft. On our return it rained for a while but the forest was thick enought that it was a natural umbrella so we weren't bothered by it. It was an absolutely fantastic day even though we were worn out at the end of it. In many ways I enjoyed it more than the second easier hike. Totally wonderful day.
Things I was very glad to have with me were the leather gardening gloves. The other 3 people with us did not have them and their hands were suffering towards the end of the day. Before we went there was a bit of a debate on this site as to whether or not the take hiking boots. I had them and just decided to take them. I was extreamly glad I did. But that will be personal preference. I usually throw some energy bars in the bag whenever we go away and we took them with us for our hiking snacks. To be honest we had been in Africa 3 weeks by this time and had been on safari prior to Rwanda. We like to be out all day when we are on safari so had boxed lunches every day so we were happy to skip them in Rwanda and take the bars but as other folks have said Gorillas Nest would have given us one if we had asked. I used one of the walking sticks that are available at the trial heads and found it useful.
Have a fantastic & safe trip and enjoy your time with the gorillas.
J
Things I was very glad to have with me were the leather gardening gloves. The other 3 people with us did not have them and their hands were suffering towards the end of the day. Before we went there was a bit of a debate on this site as to whether or not the take hiking boots. I had them and just decided to take them. I was extreamly glad I did. But that will be personal preference. I usually throw some energy bars in the bag whenever we go away and we took them with us for our hiking snacks. To be honest we had been in Africa 3 weeks by this time and had been on safari prior to Rwanda. We like to be out all day when we are on safari so had boxed lunches every day so we were happy to skip them in Rwanda and take the bars but as other folks have said Gorillas Nest would have given us one if we had asked. I used one of the walking sticks that are available at the trial heads and found it useful.
Have a fantastic & safe trip and enjoy your time with the gorillas.
J
May 11th, 2007, 09:08 AM
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You will probably be fine with these gloves as it is when you are grabbing hold of things that is the issue. Make sure you feel the rubber is thick enough I have some like that that I use in the garden and did not take them because I have had thorns go through them.
J
J
May 11th, 2007, 09:24 AM
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The gloves have to be waterproof and also thick enough to resist thorns or spines. Stinging nettles work by releasing a liquid that irritates your skin when it comes into contact -- they do not actually have thorns or spines that penetrate anything, but if you are wearing non-waterproof gloves, the liquid will get on your skin and cause the irritation. However, there are other plants up there that do have thorns or spines, plus there can be ants as well, so you want the gloves to be strong enough to protect against that.
My guess is that the cloth gloves would not be waterproof and therefore I would worry that they would not be completely effective against the nettles. Given that leather gardening gloves cost only a few dollars, I would suggest getting some of those and taking them instead of taking a risk with cloth ones.
Chris
My guess is that the cloth gloves would not be waterproof and therefore I would worry that they would not be completely effective against the nettles. Given that leather gardening gloves cost only a few dollars, I would suggest getting some of those and taking them instead of taking a risk with cloth ones.
Chris
May 13th, 2007, 03:53 PM
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Author: gene1414
Date: 05/05/2007, 12:35 pm
My wife and I flew from Nairobi to Kigali, Rwanda in January 2006. It was easy. The planr is modern, on time, and like any scheduled airline. The flight left from Wilson Airport in Nairobi
The plane fare was about $200 per person one way and total was around $800.00 usd
We used the Brandt travel Book because we could NOT get any response from any travel agency anywhere nor the ORPTN office. They never answer the phone and only one person speaks English.
I finally had reached the ORPTN government agency that books the gorilla treks in June, 2005 and booked two people for $375 each. I gave them a mastercard and they charged us $50 per person to reserve and said no problem not paying the rest. I never received a confirmation number or any written or e-mail reply.
By September 2005 I was concerned and finally connected with a local travel agency in Kigali. While I cannot remember the name of the agency - it may have been ITT or Kigali Travel. It is owned by an American-Israeli and his wife and he was wonderful. Look in the Brandt book for their ad.
The ORPTN office had no record of the permit the week before we arrived so I sent a copy of the masterchard charge and the travel agency argued for us. We were finally given tickets because of our proof. But there is obviously corruption there in that office.
We were met at the airport by the travel agency, taken to their offices, spent two hours discussing the next two days, then driven that afternoon to Gorilla Nest Lodge. Gorilla Nest is modern but could use a good scrubbing. The concrete shows stains in the rooms from many years. The food is ok but I developed a bit of food poisioning on the second meal - breakfast - the next morning. It did not get severe enough to stop me.
At 6am the next morning we awoke and went to eat. The van picked us up at 7am and drove us the 5 miles to the ORPTN lodge where the treks occur.
We milled around fro 45 minutes until there were 40 people there. Then the guides come out with flags on posts and you go to whatever group you want to visit.
There were 5 families to visit on 5 different mountains. About 8 people per group. Some groups were a bit larger and some a bit smaller. Ours was the Amahoro group and we had 8 people. The group has 14 gorillas and one silverback (included).
The guide piles into our private car along with a couple of other people that have no planned transportation (we had paid for the car and driver who was the same person who had met us at the airport, transported us to the travel agent, driven us two hours north to the Gorilla Nest, and stayed overnight to drive us the next day). I wondered what would have happened if we were not there with our car and driver.
After an hour we aprroached a mountain -dense with vegetation. The road was a 4 wheel trek across farms and grassland and into and then out of light forest. We got out, assembled our treking clothes, and hiked as a group for about 1/2 mile along the edge of a farmers field. The mountain loomed in front of us.
As we finished crossing the field, we approached a stone wall. There was an opening in it. We all went through and we were at the beginning of three very clear trails - each going up to the top of that mountain.
Fron nowhere appeared three men with machettes and rifles. They were part of a security patrol that had been on the mountain hours earlier and were busy locating that gorilla family for us to visit. They pointed to the trail on the right and we went that way. Later we found there were at least 8 government guards on the mountain with us trying to stop poaching and making sure we found the gorillas.
The path was firm and not very steep. The jungle was stunning. The vistas kept getting better and better. The cloud cover lifted and bright sun shone. The ORTPN guid was wonderful and stopped frequently to describe the fauna and flora.
As we ascended from 6,000 feet at the base to the top -18,000 feet - we kept getting better and better views of other volcanos and lush valleys dotted with farms and forests. Very green and pretty. Also quite quaint....
After an hour of upward hiking, a patrol person appeared out of the forest and spoke with our guide. He motioned upward to the left. We all waited - frozen in our tracks. I estimate we were at 8,000 feet.
Our guide said the gorillas were up there and there were 14 in the Amaroto family (the name and spelling are probably way wrong because I am not looking at any note - it is all from memory).
We were told to put down any daypacks and prepare to go up there - single file. Seemed challenging - but ok.
So my 64 year old "fit" wife took up first in line and I hung back in the rear with only a guard behind me.
The slope was about 15 degrees steep and filld with sword ferns and bushes growing out of the hill. There were trees but not in great abundance. The sun was shining brihgtly and it was getting hot. The ground beneath me was slippery from all the vegatation underfoot as well as the rain forest we were in. As we pulled ourselvess up hand over hand - grabbing onto the vegetation to use as handles, I was feeling the strain. Step by step and handhold over handhold we steady and slowly climbed and there were steeper and a little less steep slopes. My wife and I had brought gardening gloves which proved to be perfect. You see, there are stickers and sharp fern edges and the raw hands do not do well. Others had a lot more trouble. Also unprotected legs for those wearing shorts was a disaster. But we all kept climbing for about 30 minutes. I thought my lungs would give out at 63 years old. I was about to call it quits due to out-of-breath exhaustion when the line stopped and a hand was raised by the front leader. We all climbed up to the same level and the guide said move single file slowly to the right on the hillside. Very slowly we made our way over to the right. After about 100 feet we found ourselves standing about 3 or 4 feet above a group of sleeping gorillas. They were complete content and not scared by us.
The silverback was a bit lower on the hill. He was sleeping on his back with a massive stomach. There were at least four females asleep in a reclining and/or sitting position. There were at least 6 babies scurrying all over the area. they were not sleeping. One ran up and over my wife's foot a couple of times. It was dramatic.
It seems the group always sleeps from 10 to 11am and we had arrived more than half way through. After about 10 to 15 minutes of watching this sleeping group just a few feet away (and lots and lots of photographs) - a female awoke and stared directly into my eyes for a very long time. Then the silverback woke and the group started to stir. They started to move on the mountain and our guide showed us how to follow and photograph. We watched them play, swing from trees, feed on vegetation, and tussle each other for about 45 minutes.
Almost as fast as it had started - it finished. Our guide motioned us to not follow any longer and we started back down the mountain to our gear. For some reason this was far easier.
We all assembled below in a clearing by the trail and each person was on a high. We compared our powerful visual experiences. Two Danes, one German, two Japanese, one other American, and us from Washington state.
The rest of the decscent was trance-like because we saw - but really we did not see much - on our downward trek. We kind of sauntered down on the path in a sort of semi-satiated state. We piled back in the autos and went back to ORPTN headquarters by 1pm, dropped them all off, and were back at the Gorilla Nest Lodge about 2pm. The drive back is a repeat of an hour on a rutted long dirt road for an our to the main highway and back to Kigali. That total trip is 2+ hours. The amin highway is beautiful and balcktoped. It would equal any road in the USA.
People in Rwanda werewalking along the roads everywhere. We passed a lot of corn planted on both sides of the road.
They told us Rwanda is the most heavily populate country in Africa. All during our visit people told us about the Tutu and Watusi bloodbath in the early 1990's. The stories were gruesome. The memories were powerful. The world turned a blind eye and nobody internationally intervened in the massacre.
Kigali was a disappointment. We did visit the Hotel Rwanda and found it was not anything like the movie version. Smaller and muc more in disrepair. Our booked hotel was supposed to be one of the best but it disappointing too.
we slept overnight and the evening meal was also poor at one of their better restaurant. The country is not really set up for tourist willing to pay for a visit. I do know that there are now newer hotels - but we had not know that until we returned home. I really had searched and searched.
The next morning was wasted because there was not much to see and then the plane flew us back to Nairobi in the early afternoon.
Plan to lose a day each side for the traveling. You cannot come in the same day you see the gorillas and you cannot fly out the same day your gorilla visit is done. There is simply no air flights that connect.
As for the actual experience.
The gorilal visit is powerful. We have trasveled to about 40 countries and this is one of the highest things we will ever do in our lifetime. It is worth any price because I think it will not be available in future years. All it takes is one incident and the event will be stopped. An illness or an uprovoked attack. Who knows what?
The price will rise and rise and eventaully they will charge $1,000 a person a visit for one day. So any price now is a bargain. The whole visit thing really only started in the late 1990's so it is fairly new as an eco-adventure trip.
You will probably not get to know anyone there during your visit. Others in the group are really on their trip, the guides do a trip a day, 7 days a week, and our guide - Chris _ was doing this for the last 8 years. The guides are wonderful and easy to talk to but tomorrow tey will forget you as they get a new group.
It probaly took over 20 people in the Rwandan gvernmetn to make our trip possible. several at headquarters, and our guide and his assistant. And then there are the many trackers that follow the group and virtually live on the mountain as security. So it is a large governemnt activity.
But do not miss it. We opted to miss the Vulcanes Lodge experience because of the high cost and the fact that they are much further away from the trek and we would lose valuable days in Africa.
The Brandt book from England can be bought on the web. It saved us and made the whole affair doable.
Date: 05/05/2007, 12:35 pm
My wife and I flew from Nairobi to Kigali, Rwanda in January 2006. It was easy. The planr is modern, on time, and like any scheduled airline. The flight left from Wilson Airport in Nairobi
The plane fare was about $200 per person one way and total was around $800.00 usd
We used the Brandt travel Book because we could NOT get any response from any travel agency anywhere nor the ORPTN office. They never answer the phone and only one person speaks English.
I finally had reached the ORPTN government agency that books the gorilla treks in June, 2005 and booked two people for $375 each. I gave them a mastercard and they charged us $50 per person to reserve and said no problem not paying the rest. I never received a confirmation number or any written or e-mail reply.
By September 2005 I was concerned and finally connected with a local travel agency in Kigali. While I cannot remember the name of the agency - it may have been ITT or Kigali Travel. It is owned by an American-Israeli and his wife and he was wonderful. Look in the Brandt book for their ad.
The ORPTN office had no record of the permit the week before we arrived so I sent a copy of the masterchard charge and the travel agency argued for us. We were finally given tickets because of our proof. But there is obviously corruption there in that office.
We were met at the airport by the travel agency, taken to their offices, spent two hours discussing the next two days, then driven that afternoon to Gorilla Nest Lodge. Gorilla Nest is modern but could use a good scrubbing. The concrete shows stains in the rooms from many years. The food is ok but I developed a bit of food poisioning on the second meal - breakfast - the next morning. It did not get severe enough to stop me.
At 6am the next morning we awoke and went to eat. The van picked us up at 7am and drove us the 5 miles to the ORPTN lodge where the treks occur.
We milled around fro 45 minutes until there were 40 people there. Then the guides come out with flags on posts and you go to whatever group you want to visit.
There were 5 families to visit on 5 different mountains. About 8 people per group. Some groups were a bit larger and some a bit smaller. Ours was the Amahoro group and we had 8 people. The group has 14 gorillas and one silverback (included).
The guide piles into our private car along with a couple of other people that have no planned transportation (we had paid for the car and driver who was the same person who had met us at the airport, transported us to the travel agent, driven us two hours north to the Gorilla Nest, and stayed overnight to drive us the next day). I wondered what would have happened if we were not there with our car and driver.
After an hour we aprroached a mountain -dense with vegetation. The road was a 4 wheel trek across farms and grassland and into and then out of light forest. We got out, assembled our treking clothes, and hiked as a group for about 1/2 mile along the edge of a farmers field. The mountain loomed in front of us.
As we finished crossing the field, we approached a stone wall. There was an opening in it. We all went through and we were at the beginning of three very clear trails - each going up to the top of that mountain.
Fron nowhere appeared three men with machettes and rifles. They were part of a security patrol that had been on the mountain hours earlier and were busy locating that gorilla family for us to visit. They pointed to the trail on the right and we went that way. Later we found there were at least 8 government guards on the mountain with us trying to stop poaching and making sure we found the gorillas.
The path was firm and not very steep. The jungle was stunning. The vistas kept getting better and better. The cloud cover lifted and bright sun shone. The ORTPN guid was wonderful and stopped frequently to describe the fauna and flora.
As we ascended from 6,000 feet at the base to the top -18,000 feet - we kept getting better and better views of other volcanos and lush valleys dotted with farms and forests. Very green and pretty. Also quite quaint....
After an hour of upward hiking, a patrol person appeared out of the forest and spoke with our guide. He motioned upward to the left. We all waited - frozen in our tracks. I estimate we were at 8,000 feet.
Our guide said the gorillas were up there and there were 14 in the Amaroto family (the name and spelling are probably way wrong because I am not looking at any note - it is all from memory).
We were told to put down any daypacks and prepare to go up there - single file. Seemed challenging - but ok.
So my 64 year old "fit" wife took up first in line and I hung back in the rear with only a guard behind me.
The slope was about 15 degrees steep and filld with sword ferns and bushes growing out of the hill. There were trees but not in great abundance. The sun was shining brihgtly and it was getting hot. The ground beneath me was slippery from all the vegatation underfoot as well as the rain forest we were in. As we pulled ourselvess up hand over hand - grabbing onto the vegetation to use as handles, I was feeling the strain. Step by step and handhold over handhold we steady and slowly climbed and there were steeper and a little less steep slopes. My wife and I had brought gardening gloves which proved to be perfect. You see, there are stickers and sharp fern edges and the raw hands do not do well. Others had a lot more trouble. Also unprotected legs for those wearing shorts was a disaster. But we all kept climbing for about 30 minutes. I thought my lungs would give out at 63 years old. I was about to call it quits due to out-of-breath exhaustion when the line stopped and a hand was raised by the front leader. We all climbed up to the same level and the guide said move single file slowly to the right on the hillside. Very slowly we made our way over to the right. After about 100 feet we found ourselves standing about 3 or 4 feet above a group of sleeping gorillas. They were complete content and not scared by us.
The silverback was a bit lower on the hill. He was sleeping on his back with a massive stomach. There were at least four females asleep in a reclining and/or sitting position. There were at least 6 babies scurrying all over the area. they were not sleeping. One ran up and over my wife's foot a couple of times. It was dramatic.
It seems the group always sleeps from 10 to 11am and we had arrived more than half way through. After about 10 to 15 minutes of watching this sleeping group just a few feet away (and lots and lots of photographs) - a female awoke and stared directly into my eyes for a very long time. Then the silverback woke and the group started to stir. They started to move on the mountain and our guide showed us how to follow and photograph. We watched them play, swing from trees, feed on vegetation, and tussle each other for about 45 minutes.
Almost as fast as it had started - it finished. Our guide motioned us to not follow any longer and we started back down the mountain to our gear. For some reason this was far easier.
We all assembled below in a clearing by the trail and each person was on a high. We compared our powerful visual experiences. Two Danes, one German, two Japanese, one other American, and us from Washington state.
The rest of the decscent was trance-like because we saw - but really we did not see much - on our downward trek. We kind of sauntered down on the path in a sort of semi-satiated state. We piled back in the autos and went back to ORPTN headquarters by 1pm, dropped them all off, and were back at the Gorilla Nest Lodge about 2pm. The drive back is a repeat of an hour on a rutted long dirt road for an our to the main highway and back to Kigali. That total trip is 2+ hours. The amin highway is beautiful and balcktoped. It would equal any road in the USA.
People in Rwanda werewalking along the roads everywhere. We passed a lot of corn planted on both sides of the road.
They told us Rwanda is the most heavily populate country in Africa. All during our visit people told us about the Tutu and Watusi bloodbath in the early 1990's. The stories were gruesome. The memories were powerful. The world turned a blind eye and nobody internationally intervened in the massacre.
Kigali was a disappointment. We did visit the Hotel Rwanda and found it was not anything like the movie version. Smaller and muc more in disrepair. Our booked hotel was supposed to be one of the best but it disappointing too.
we slept overnight and the evening meal was also poor at one of their better restaurant. The country is not really set up for tourist willing to pay for a visit. I do know that there are now newer hotels - but we had not know that until we returned home. I really had searched and searched.
The next morning was wasted because there was not much to see and then the plane flew us back to Nairobi in the early afternoon.
Plan to lose a day each side for the traveling. You cannot come in the same day you see the gorillas and you cannot fly out the same day your gorilla visit is done. There is simply no air flights that connect.
As for the actual experience.
The gorilal visit is powerful. We have trasveled to about 40 countries and this is one of the highest things we will ever do in our lifetime. It is worth any price because I think it will not be available in future years. All it takes is one incident and the event will be stopped. An illness or an uprovoked attack. Who knows what?
The price will rise and rise and eventaully they will charge $1,000 a person a visit for one day. So any price now is a bargain. The whole visit thing really only started in the late 1990's so it is fairly new as an eco-adventure trip.
You will probably not get to know anyone there during your visit. Others in the group are really on their trip, the guides do a trip a day, 7 days a week, and our guide - Chris _ was doing this for the last 8 years. The guides are wonderful and easy to talk to but tomorrow tey will forget you as they get a new group.
It probaly took over 20 people in the Rwandan gvernmetn to make our trip possible. several at headquarters, and our guide and his assistant. And then there are the many trackers that follow the group and virtually live on the mountain as security. So it is a large governemnt activity.
But do not miss it. We opted to miss the Vulcanes Lodge experience because of the high cost and the fact that they are much further away from the trek and we would lose valuable days in Africa.
The Brandt book from England can be bought on the web. It saved us and made the whole affair doable.
