How difficult is gorilla trekking in Bwindi?
The difficulty of gorilla trekking in Bwindi gorilla park is one of the major concerns for travelers intending to visit the park for gorilla trekking safaris. Most of the travelers inquiring about gorilla trekking in Bwindi gorilla park ask how difficult is to trek mountain gorillas in the park and this question is asked about trekking gorillas in other parks such as Mgahinga national park, volcanoes national park, and Virunga national park.
How difficult is gorilla trekking in Bwindi is normally asked along with other questions such as how long does gorilla trekking rake in Bwindi, how fit should one be to trek gorillas, and which gorilla family is easy to trek? Well, this piece if work will help you know if trekking is in Bwindi is difficult or not.
Trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park requires one to be having moderate levels of fitness. The gorilla trekking activity in Bwindi gorilla park involves hiking up and downhill through the tropical thick forest which are sometimes slippery in case it rains and when it’s dry season, trails are favorable and easy to go through. The gorilla trekking activity is done at elevations of 2500 to 3000 meters above sea level which means you need to be physically fit and healthy to complete the trekking activity.
On the day of gorilla trekking, those that are going for the activity must wake early for morning breakfast and thereafter meet the driver guides to transfer them to the park headquarters. Here the trekkers will be taught about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity by the park wardens. Later grouping will be done and armed ranger guides will lead the trek.
Bwindi gorilla park is not mountainous but has a lot of hills that comprise thick vegetation cover where mountain gorillas do live. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi gorilla park takes 2-7 hours and the time taken depends on the location of the mountain gorillas, and the speed of the trekkers. The speed of the trekkers depends on the speed of the slowest trekker while the location of mountain gorillas depends on the season for example when there is plenty of food in the park the gorillas will be found near and when the food is not much in the park, the mountain gorillas will be found on high elevations.
Excited Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi forest Natioanal park
For trekkers that are disabled or older can talk to their tour operators to arrange for them sedan chairs in the park on the day of trekking. The sedan chairs come at a fee which is paid to those people who carry you all throughout the hike. In case of accesses luggage during the gorilla trekking, the porters are always available to help you on carrying the luggage at a small fee. The allocation of mountain gorilla families to trek in Bwindi depends on the age of the travelers for example, the elderly are normally given easy families to trek and t6he young ones or those that are fit enough are given families that are located on the high altitudes,
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is very difficult in the rainy season of March to May and October to November because these months are characterized by too much rainfall. The rainfall makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery which slows the speed of trekkers. Trekking in the rainy season is always difficult even after using trekking sticks. Trekkers who are worried about the difficulty of gorilla trekking in Bwindi should visit the park in the dry season of June to September and December to February. This period is characterized by little or no rainfall, the trekking trails are always dry and easy to pass through.
Travelers that are going for gorilla habituation should expect more challenges during the gorilla habituation activity because the activity takes 4 hours moving with the mountain gorillas in the jungle. During the gorilla habituation, the mountain gorillas can take you to different areas of the park which are sometimes difficult to move to, and yet you have to follow them fin the hours given while making them get used to human presence.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi gorilla park is not so difficult but a traveler must be fit enough to complete the hike. Even if the activity becomes difficult you will still love it because it is a once in a lifetime activity so you will be excited to meet the mountain gorillas that are believed to be having 98% human DNA. Trekking out of the jungle after you have met mountain gorillas is always easy because the armed ranger guides use the shortest and easy trails. Once you are out of the jungle, you will collect your gorilla trekking certificate which confirms that you were part of the gorilla trekking activity.
For gorilla trekking to be an easy task in Bwindi gorilla park, travelers are advised to carry out simple exercises back home before coming for the tour. They can always do simple hiking around the hills back home and travelers should also come to the park with all the necessary equipment that are needed during the trekking. These include a drinking water bottle, energy-giving snacks, insect repellents, rain jacket, waterproof hiking shoes, cotton sticks, a pair of gaiters, long-sleeved clothes, a camera, and a pair of binoculars among others. In conclusion, Bwindi gorilla park gorilla trekking is not a difficult activity compared to volcanoes national park and Virunga national park where mountain gorillas love on the slopes of mountains.
For any person to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi, they need a gorilla trekking permit which is issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and can still be got from a trusted local tour operator. The gorilla trekking permits cost $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 for citizens of East Africa. Gorilla habituation permits cost $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and UGX750,000 for East African citizens.
