GORILLA TRACKING
Tracking mountain gorillas in the Virungas is a peerless wildlife experience, and one of Africa’s indisputable travel highlights. It is difficult to describe the simple exhilaration attached to first setting eyes on a wild mountain gorilla. These are enormous animals: The silverback weigh about three times as much as the average man, and their bulk is exaggerated by a shaggily luxuriant coat. And yet despite their fearsome size and appearance, gorillas are remarkably peaceful creatures, certainly by comparison with most primates – gorilla-tracking would be a considerably more dangerous pursuit if these gentle giants had the temperament of revert monkeys, say, or baboons (or, for the matter, humans).
More impressive even than the gorilla’s size and bearing is their unfathomable attitude to their daily human visitors, which differs greatly from that of any other wild animals. Anthropomorphic as it might sound, almost everybody who visits the gorillas experiences an almost mystical sense of recognition: we regularly had one of the gorillas break off from chomping on bamboo to study us, its soft brown eyes of the gorillas break off from chomping on bamboo to study us, its soft brown eyes staring deeply into ours, as if seeking out some sort of connection.
Equally fascinating is the extent to which the gorillas try to interact with their visitors, often approaching them, and occasionally touching one of the guides in apparent recognition and greeting as they walk past. A photographic tripod raised considerable curiosity in several of the youngsters and a couple of the adults – one large female walk up to the tripod, stared ponderously into the lens, and then wandered back off evidently satisfied. It is almost as if the gorillas recognise their daily visitors as a troop of fellow apes, but one too passive to pose any threat – often a youngster will put on a chest-beating display as it walks past tourists, safe in the knowledge that they will accept its dominance: something it would never do to an adult gorilla. (It should be noted here that close contact with humans can expose gorillas to fatal diseases, for which reason the guides try to keep their tourists at least 5m away – but the reality is that there is a little anybody can do to stop the gorillas from flouting rules of which they are unaware).
The magical hour with the gorillas is relatively expensive and getting there – have no illusions – can be hard work. The hike up to the mountain gorillas’ preferred habitat of bamboo forest involves a combination of steep slopes, dense vegetation, slippery underfoot conditions after rain, and high altitude. For all that, the more accessible gorilla groups can be visited by reasonably fit adults of any age, and in 20 years of African travel we have yet to meet anybody y who has gone gorilla-tracking and regretted the financial and physical expense.
PERMITS
Eight permits per day are used for each of the five habituated groups in the volcanoes Park. At the time of writing, three habituated groups stay within tracking range on a permanent basis, while two others spend most of their time in the volcanoes park but occasionally cross the boarder into Uganda or the DRC. This means that up to 40 permits can be issued daily, depending on the movement of the gorillas. Trackers are not allocated a specific group in advance but the guides make a concerted effort to match people to a group based on their apparent fitness – Sabinyo and Group Thirteen being the last demanding hikes and Susa the most challenging.
A gorilla-tracking permit effectively costs US$375 (including the US$25 park entrance fee). It can be bought in advance through the ORTPN office in Kigali or tour operators in Kigali and abroad. Depending on availability, permits can also be bought on the spot at Musanze or Kinigi, but there is no guarantee a permit will be available on any given day and produces many change, so are strongly advised to check this beforehand with ORTPN in Kigali. Either way, it is advisable for independent travellers to visit or ring the ORTPN office in Musanze or Kinigi the afternoon before they intend to go tracking in order to confirm arrangements. Through June to September, when demand is high, permits for specific days can sell out well in advance, so be sure to book as far ahead possible.
Trackers are required to check at the park headquarters at Kinigi at 07.00, where they can enjoy a complimentary cup of tea or coffee (and if necessary make use of the last clean flush toilets they will see or a few hours) before being allocated to one of the five habituated groups. A briefing is held at around 07.30 after which you must drive to the appropriate trailhead, so that the actual tracking generally starts at 08.15 – 8.30.
HABITUATED GROUPS
The most difficult to reach of the permanent groups is the Susa Group, which lies on the slopes of Mount Karisoke. Consisting of 39 individuals, including four silverbacks and several youngsters, this is the second-largest group of mountain gorillas in the world (there is a larger research group) and it was the one originally studied by Dian Fossey.
A visit to the Susa Group is delightfully chaotic and totally unforgettable, with gorillas seemingly tumbling out of every bush and bamboo stand. The Susa Group is the first choice of most fit visitors, but be under illusions about the severity of the hike. The ascent from the car park to the forest boundary is gaspingly steep, and will take the best part of an hour. On a good day, it will take no more than 20 minutes to reach the gorillas from the boundary; on a bad day you might be looking at two hours or more in either direction and it has been known to take as long as seven hours to locate the group in the dry season (the record from the previous day will give an indication of how deep in the gorillas are, as they don’t move too far in one day).
A far less strenuous prospect is the Sabinyo Group, whose permanent territory lies within the Volcanoes Park, on a lightly forested saddle between Mount Sabinyo and Mount Gahinga. Depending on exactly where the gorillas are, the walk from the car park to the forest boundary is flat to gently sloping, and will typically take 20-30 minutes. Once in the forest, the gorillas might take anything from ten minutes to an hour to reach, but generally the slopes aren’t too daunting. The Sabinyo Group consists of 11 individuals, with two silverbacks. Although it is less numerically impressive than the Susa Group, the Sabinyo Group does seem more cohesive and one gets a clearer impression of the group structure and interaction. What is more, the dominant male Guhondo is the heaviest gorilla (for any race) ever measured, at 220kg.
Group Thirteen spends most of its time on the same saddle as the Sabinyo Group, but its territory does not cross into neighbouring countries, so it is not as easy to reach as the Sabinyo Group. Group Thirteen’s name dates to when it was first habituated, and numbered 13 gorillas, but today it numbers 17 individuals with one silverback. As with the Sabinyo Group, this means you get a good feel for group structure and interaction. Group Thirteen seems you get a good feel for group structure and interaction. Group Thirteen seems to be a favourite of many of the guides, probably because its silverback is more relaxed and approachable than those other groups.
The other two groups are the Amahoro Group, numbering 14 and generally to be found on the slopes of Mount Visoke, and the more recently habituated Umubano Group, with eight individuals. Both of these groups have one silverback and the hikes to reach them are intermediate in difficulty between those of Susa and Sabinyo.
TRANSPORT. No public transport connects Musanze to the park headquarters at Kinigi, 13 km from town, nor does it from Kinigi to any of the car parks from where one enters the forest to start tracking. Individual travellers may be able to beg fits with other tourists, but for larger transport-less groups the only option is to hire a vehicle and driver for the morning. ORTPN in Musanze can advise on this and Highland Gorilla Tour & Travel can arrange vehicle hire. In the rainy season you will probably need a 4 x 4; in the dry seasonal ordinary taxi voiture should be adequate and will cost far less. The going rate for a 4x4 from /to Musanze is around US$60 for the round trip; tour operators in Kigali can organise it as a day trip from Kigali for around US$150, or less if several of you share a vehicle. If you spend the night beforehand at the Mountain Gorillas’ Nest, the Kinigi Guest House or the ORTPN Campsite, all quite close to the Kionigi park office, you stand a reasonable chance of hitching a lift up there from the main road; but you will still need transport in the morning to reach the start of the trek. Whatever method you choose, make sure that it is reliable – if you don’t turn up at the appointed time you risk invalidating your permit and having to pay again.
PHYSICAL PREPARATION
Deepening on which group you visit, and your own level of fitness, the trek to see the gorillas might amount to anything from the proverbial stroll in the park to genuinely exhausting – the guides have on occasion had to carry tourists down! The main obstacles are the steep slopes that characterise the Virungas, particularly en route to the Susa Group. Once in the forest, the slopes are not as steep and the pace is slower, but bending and crawling through the thick vegetation can be tiring particularly after rain when everything is muddy underfoot.
Don’t underestimate the tiring effects of being at high altitude. The trekking take place at elevations of between 2,500 and 3,000 m above sea level, not high enough for altitude sickness to be a concern but sufficient to knock the breath out of anybody-no matter how fit – who has just flown in from a low altitude. For this reason, visitors who are spending a while in Rwanda might think seriously about leaving their gorilla-tracking until they have been in the country a week or so, and are better acclimatised. Most of Rwanda lies at about 1,500m, and much of the country is higher – a couple of days at Nyungwe, which lies above 2,000m, would be good preparation for the Virungas. Likewise, if you are coming from else where in Africa, try to plan your itinerary so that you spend your last pre-Rwanda days at medium to high altitude: for example, were you fly in from Kenya, a few days in Nairobi (2,300m) or even the Masai Mara (1,600m) would be far better preparation than time at the coast.
If you are uncertain about your fitness, avoid visiting the Susa Group, but rather ask if you can be allocated to the party for Group Thirteen or the Sabinyo Group, both of which are reached by reasonably easy hikes on flattish terrain. Once on the trail, take it easy, and don’t be afraid to ask to stop for a few minutes whenever you feel tired. Guides will generally cut you a walking-stave if you ask, or there may be some at the park office that previous trackers have left behind. Drink plenty of water, and carry some quick calories – biscuits and chocolate can both be bought at supermarkets in Musanze. The good news is that, in 99% of cases, whatever exhaustion you might feel on the way up will vanish with the adrenalin charge that falls the first sighting of a silverback gorilla!
WHAT TO WEAR AND TAKE Be prepared to walk a long distance in steep, muddy your sturdiest walking shoes. Ideally, wear thick trousers and a long-sleeved top as protection against vicious stinging nettles. It is often cold when you set out, so start off with a sweatshirt or jerseys (which also help protect against nettles). The gorillas are thoroughly used to people, so it makes little difference whether you wear bright or muted colours. Whatever clothes you wear to go tracking are likely to get very dirty as you slip and slither in the mud, so if you have pre-muddied clothes you might as well wear them. When you are grabbing for holds in thorny vegetating, a pair of old gardening gloves are helpful. If you feel safer with a walking-stick, pack a folding one.
Carry as little as possible, ideally in a waterproof bag of some sort. During rainy seasons, a poncho or raincoat might be a worthy addition to your daypack, while sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat are a good idea at any time of year. You may well feel like a snack during the long hike, ad should certainly carry enough drinking water- at least one litre, more to visit the Susa Group. Bottled water is sold in Musanze. Especially during the rainy season, make sure your camera gear is well protected – if your bag in not waterproof, seal your camera and films in a plastic bag.
Binoculars are not necessary to see the gorillas. In theory, birdwatchers might make use of them – the trek up to the gorillas is normally very directed and walking up the steep slopes and through the thick vegetation tends to occupy one’s eyes and mind.
You may need to show your passport or some other form of identification when you check in; find out about this form ORTPN beforehand.
REGULATIONS AND PROTOCAL Tourists are permitted to spend no loner than one hour with the gorillas, and it is forbidden to eat. Urinate or defecate in their presence. It is also forbidden to approach within less than 5m of the gorillas, a rule that is difficult to enforce with curious youngsters (and some adults) who often approach human visitors. Smoking is forbidden anywhere within the national park boundary (it is unhealthy for the animals,’ according to one rather earnest guide, which seems to be taking concerns about passive smoking to stratospheric absurdity – more genuine justifications are litter, fire and annoying other tourists).
Gorillas are susceptible to many human diseases, and it has long been feared by researchers that one ill tourist might infect a gorilla; resulting in the possible death of the whole troop should they have no immunity to that disease. For this reason, you should not go gorilla-tracking with a potentially airborne infection such as flu or a cold, and are asked to turn away from the gorillas should you need to sneeze.
To the best of our knowledge, no tourist has ever been seriously hurt by a habituated gorilla, but there is always a first time, an adult gorilla is much stronger than a person, and will act in accordance with its own social codes. Therefore it is vial that you listen to your guide at all times regarding correct protocol in the presence of gorilla
Parc devocanoes gorilla tracking park, Nyungwe national Park, Lake Kivu and Akagera National Parks.. Detailed information. 
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