Gorilla Families Rwanda
Jan 28th, 2007, 01:42 PM
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Gorilla Families Rwanda
Yeh!...have succeeded in finalizing our 18 day Kenya/Tanzania safari with Africa Adv.Co and Gorilla/Golden Monkey trek with R&N. We will be in Rwanda from 16-20 Sept. and while I have read most of the posts concerning Gorilla trekking I have not been able to find something that describes the 5 groups and why we should pick one group over another....any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks so much, Bob
Jan 28th, 2007, 02:03 PM
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Have you read this one? http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34928138
Jan 28th, 2007, 03:18 PM
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As an addendum to what everyone said in the thread Patty pointed you to, don't forget that your ability to select a group to trek to is not necessarily guaranteed. In fact, I couldn't see the tourists having much influence over the selection process unless it was someone who wanted to go to the Susa Group. Putting that together with the fact that the quality of a particular experience is quite random depending on the gorillas' location and behavior on that particular day, I would suggest not worrying about trying to pre-choose particular groups to visit. Far better to listen to our guide when you get there, as he/she will have better and more current information about where the groups have been in the last few days and how they have been acting.
Chris
Chris
Jan 28th, 2007, 05:17 PM
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I see no real reason to pick one group over another. You get your group assigned when you check in that morning at 7am (know your passport numbers) according to what you ask for and what you say your physical abilities are and who else is tracking that day. You may ask to track a group based on your physical fitness level. The gorillas move around every day, so predicting which one is near or far is fruitless. Susa in Rwanda and Nkuringo and Habinyanja in Uganda are thought to be the hardest trackings. It's much more important in my opinion to consider the guide, trying to get Francois regardless of which group he is leading. All five of my gorilla trackings were excellent, but each in a different way: Amahoro, Hirwa, Nkuringo, Habinyanja and Rushegura.
There are seven groups in VNP to track. Here's what I've been able to find out about these groups; correct me if I'm wrong:
Group 13 or Treize (with 20 members) is usually within reasonably easy walking distance of 2-4 hours max. The silverback, Agashya, is very easy going making this group a favorite with the trackers.
The Sabyinyo group has the largest silverback – Guhonda weighs in at 225 kilos. Historically this group is easiest to trek. Guhonda is not so easy going and has been known to charge. But he is just bluffing. This group numbers about 11 including two silverbacks. They are usually also within 2-4 hours tracking.
The Susa Group can be up to 5-7 hours walk away. This is the original group that Dian Fossey studied. Therefore, the Susa Group is the most famous and popular because they also have the most members at more than 40 gorillas with 4 silverbacks, led by Kurira. Susa has twin babies. The birth of twins is a rare event for any population of gorillas, and when it does happen, survival of both twins is extremely unusual. Susa can be the most difficult to track as they live higher up on the mountain (Karisimbi) and getting to the starting point requires a longer drive of more than an hour.
The Amahoro Group is usually nearer than Susa. Typically, trekking can be of moderate difficulty. Amahoro has 18 members lead by Ubumwe. The Amahoro Group & Group 13 has the most babies.
The Hirwa group was formed when a silverback (called just SB) from Sabinyo broke off and "stole" 5 females from other groups. Hirwa has 9 members - 1 silverback, 5 females and 3 babies. This was my favorite group.
Kwitonda This group has crossed over the border from Djomba in the DRC and numbers 18 with one silverback. Since this group is relatively new not as much is known about them. Typically, trekking can be of moderate difficulty.
Umubano group split off from Amahoro. There are with 10 members led by one silverback, Charles. Umbano is located between Sabinyio and Visoke volcanoes. Typically, trekking can be of moderate difficulty.
There are also a couple of study groups not open to the public for visiting - Beetsme’s and Pablo’s groups – an incredible 83 gorillas all together; there’s also Shinda’s group.
You can also track the Kabatwa, the Golden Monkey Group from the ORTPN office. This is done at 7am as well every day. No, you can’t do that in the afternoon after the gorilla tracking, so you must choose. The cost is $100.00 for the permit, but Volcanoes Safaris include one tracking here or you can trek up to to Old Karisoke, Dian Fossey’s Research Center, which is also included with your Volcanoes Sarais' package as an option (choose one) or the cost is $75.00. This can take up to 8 hours. so therefore you also can’t do it on the morning that you leave for Mgahinga or where-ever.
There are seven groups in VNP to track. Here's what I've been able to find out about these groups; correct me if I'm wrong:
Group 13 or Treize (with 20 members) is usually within reasonably easy walking distance of 2-4 hours max. The silverback, Agashya, is very easy going making this group a favorite with the trackers.
The Sabyinyo group has the largest silverback – Guhonda weighs in at 225 kilos. Historically this group is easiest to trek. Guhonda is not so easy going and has been known to charge. But he is just bluffing. This group numbers about 11 including two silverbacks. They are usually also within 2-4 hours tracking.
The Susa Group can be up to 5-7 hours walk away. This is the original group that Dian Fossey studied. Therefore, the Susa Group is the most famous and popular because they also have the most members at more than 40 gorillas with 4 silverbacks, led by Kurira. Susa has twin babies. The birth of twins is a rare event for any population of gorillas, and when it does happen, survival of both twins is extremely unusual. Susa can be the most difficult to track as they live higher up on the mountain (Karisimbi) and getting to the starting point requires a longer drive of more than an hour.
The Amahoro Group is usually nearer than Susa. Typically, trekking can be of moderate difficulty. Amahoro has 18 members lead by Ubumwe. The Amahoro Group & Group 13 has the most babies.
The Hirwa group was formed when a silverback (called just SB) from Sabinyo broke off and "stole" 5 females from other groups. Hirwa has 9 members - 1 silverback, 5 females and 3 babies. This was my favorite group.
Kwitonda This group has crossed over the border from Djomba in the DRC and numbers 18 with one silverback. Since this group is relatively new not as much is known about them. Typically, trekking can be of moderate difficulty.
Umubano group split off from Amahoro. There are with 10 members led by one silverback, Charles. Umbano is located between Sabinyio and Visoke volcanoes. Typically, trekking can be of moderate difficulty.
There are also a couple of study groups not open to the public for visiting - Beetsme’s and Pablo’s groups – an incredible 83 gorillas all together; there’s also Shinda’s group.
You can also track the Kabatwa, the Golden Monkey Group from the ORTPN office. This is done at 7am as well every day. No, you can’t do that in the afternoon after the gorilla tracking, so you must choose. The cost is $100.00 for the permit, but Volcanoes Safaris include one tracking here or you can trek up to to Old Karisoke, Dian Fossey’s Research Center, which is also included with your Volcanoes Sarais' package as an option (choose one) or the cost is $75.00. This can take up to 8 hours. so therefore you also can’t do it on the morning that you leave for Mgahinga or where-ever.
Jan 29th, 2007, 08:44 AM
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Hey SafariMama
GREAT summary of the gorillas.
Amaharos have the oldest Silverback. When I there, he pretty much laid around and did nothing. There was also a black back who lost an arm in a trap. I understand he is now a silverback.
Didn't get charge by Guhonda but gave me a look that gave us chills. You know for certain he is in charge.
waynehazle DOT com/eastafrica/rwanda/index.htm
GREAT summary of the gorillas.
Amaharos have the oldest Silverback. When I there, he pretty much laid around and did nothing. There was also a black back who lost an arm in a trap. I understand he is now a silverback.
Didn't get charge by Guhonda but gave me a look that gave us chills. You know for certain he is in charge.
waynehazle DOT com/eastafrica/rwanda/index.htm
Jan 29th, 2007, 12:35 PM
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I echo Wayne's comments that this is a great summary of the various gorilla families in Rwanda. It is also very up-to-date, as it includes the two new groups (Hirwa and Kwitando) that were opened for tourism in 2006, and includes the new name "Umubano" for the group that was formerly known as "Amahoro B."
The one detail I am not sure about is the origin of the Hirwa silverback. We were told he came from the Susa Group, not from Sabinyo. One of the adult females was said to have been a former Sabinyo member.
The other observation I would make is that, although the trek length estimates that Safarimama gave are accurate, they are subject to variation depending on where the gorillas are on a particular day and whether they are stationary or moving at the time of the trek. For example, our trek to see the Amahoro Group was no more than 45 minutes, as they were only about 150 feet inside the wall on the lower northeastern slopes of Mt. Bisoke. The Hirwa Group was also really easy to reach (only about 20 minutes of hiking after we crossed the wall), but then the whole group started moving rapidly through the forest and we ended up following them for another hour and a half after first making contact with them. Several other tourists told us that the "trek" to Group 13 they made was no more than 30 minutes, as the group was actually outside the wall on two consecutive mornings. So, at least while we were there earlier this year, several of the Rwanda groups were very easy to reach. But certainly any of them is capable of moving to a place where it takes hours to reach them, or they may move rapidly enough that the trackers will take tourists in one direction, only to have to backtrack because the gorillas moved into an unexpected area. We heard about that happening with Group 13 the day before we arrived.
Chris
The one detail I am not sure about is the origin of the Hirwa silverback. We were told he came from the Susa Group, not from Sabinyo. One of the adult females was said to have been a former Sabinyo member.
The other observation I would make is that, although the trek length estimates that Safarimama gave are accurate, they are subject to variation depending on where the gorillas are on a particular day and whether they are stationary or moving at the time of the trek. For example, our trek to see the Amahoro Group was no more than 45 minutes, as they were only about 150 feet inside the wall on the lower northeastern slopes of Mt. Bisoke. The Hirwa Group was also really easy to reach (only about 20 minutes of hiking after we crossed the wall), but then the whole group started moving rapidly through the forest and we ended up following them for another hour and a half after first making contact with them. Several other tourists told us that the "trek" to Group 13 they made was no more than 30 minutes, as the group was actually outside the wall on two consecutive mornings. So, at least while we were there earlier this year, several of the Rwanda groups were very easy to reach. But certainly any of them is capable of moving to a place where it takes hours to reach them, or they may move rapidly enough that the trackers will take tourists in one direction, only to have to backtrack because the gorillas moved into an unexpected area. We heard about that happening with Group 13 the day before we arrived.
Chris
Jan 29th, 2007, 01:50 PM
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Chris, our trackings this past December weren't quite as easy as yours, but not that difficult either. the gorillas tend to climb higher in the dry season and descend during the rains. Also, they are found higher up in the trees when the fruits are ripe.
For our first tracking on Dec 13, we were assigned to Group 13, but the trackers couldn’t find them, so thanks to Francois’ quick thinking, we continued down that awfully bad road for another 30 minutes and instead tracked the Amahoro group. This was slow season and nobody had been assigned to them today. They were pretty easy to find, only about an hour or so after we hit the buffalo wall which is after 30 minutes of walking uphill through people’s back yards and fields of green.
In case someone didn't know, the buffalo wall is erected from stones piled about 5 feet high. The wall keeps the buffalo living in the park from entering the cultivated areas and trample people’s crops. Scrambling over this wall of loosely fitted lava rocks is interesting!
We found the gorillas on a very steep slope and standing up here was not possible. We were sitting and standing at the same time due to the steepness of the slope. We had to dig our heels in to stay put. The gorillas literally had to step over us to get by us. We saw 15 out of the 18 gorillas in this group, including the dominant silverback Ubumwe (Unity) and Kajoliti, who is now a silverback and he's missing a hand to apoacher's trap. The youngsters were playing, swinging from the trees and having fun. Mbele was cuddling her 2-month old baby and Muhabura at 2 years old was not still for a second, climbing on and tugging at his mother Karisimbi, who tried to act nonchalant. Many gorillas are named after the volcanoes. The trek wasn’t too terribly difficult, but the altitude has an effect on you too, so go slowly and take one slow step at a time. As our time was up Himbara was sitting on the trail and seemed to count us off as we stepped around her to leave. It was so funny. On the way down, we got thoroughly drenched.
On Dec 14 we tracked the Hirwa group and this was my favorite of all five because of their attitude of the day and mine. The terrain wasn’t quite as steep, but it was still very steep, but we could stand without sitting when we reached the gorillas. They were out in the open and easy to photograph. The babies were adorable. There was an altercation between 2 females over a baby and the silverback stepped in and broke it up. He hang around for a few minutes, then slowly he walked away looked back and beat his chest thoroughly, so it echoed between the hills. What a show of power! WOW! This happened just inches from us. Thanks Chris for letting me know that he came from Susa. I had heard Sabyinyo. Also, I don't know the names of these gorillas, do they have names?
For our first tracking on Dec 13, we were assigned to Group 13, but the trackers couldn’t find them, so thanks to Francois’ quick thinking, we continued down that awfully bad road for another 30 minutes and instead tracked the Amahoro group. This was slow season and nobody had been assigned to them today. They were pretty easy to find, only about an hour or so after we hit the buffalo wall which is after 30 minutes of walking uphill through people’s back yards and fields of green.
In case someone didn't know, the buffalo wall is erected from stones piled about 5 feet high. The wall keeps the buffalo living in the park from entering the cultivated areas and trample people’s crops. Scrambling over this wall of loosely fitted lava rocks is interesting!
We found the gorillas on a very steep slope and standing up here was not possible. We were sitting and standing at the same time due to the steepness of the slope. We had to dig our heels in to stay put. The gorillas literally had to step over us to get by us. We saw 15 out of the 18 gorillas in this group, including the dominant silverback Ubumwe (Unity) and Kajoliti, who is now a silverback and he's missing a hand to apoacher's trap. The youngsters were playing, swinging from the trees and having fun. Mbele was cuddling her 2-month old baby and Muhabura at 2 years old was not still for a second, climbing on and tugging at his mother Karisimbi, who tried to act nonchalant. Many gorillas are named after the volcanoes. The trek wasn’t too terribly difficult, but the altitude has an effect on you too, so go slowly and take one slow step at a time. As our time was up Himbara was sitting on the trail and seemed to count us off as we stepped around her to leave. It was so funny. On the way down, we got thoroughly drenched.
On Dec 14 we tracked the Hirwa group and this was my favorite of all five because of their attitude of the day and mine. The terrain wasn’t quite as steep, but it was still very steep, but we could stand without sitting when we reached the gorillas. They were out in the open and easy to photograph. The babies were adorable. There was an altercation between 2 females over a baby and the silverback stepped in and broke it up. He hang around for a few minutes, then slowly he walked away looked back and beat his chest thoroughly, so it echoed between the hills. What a show of power! WOW! This happened just inches from us. Thanks Chris for letting me know that he came from Susa. I had heard Sabyinyo. Also, I don't know the names of these gorillas, do they have names?
Jan 29th, 2007, 02:35 PM
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To answer your last question first, I assume that the gorillas in the Hirwa Group have names, but I don't know any of them, and they did not have one of the "identification cards" for the Hirwa Group at the ORTPN office. I have the cards for Amahoro, Nkuringo and Habinyanja (the other groups we trekked).
Your comment about the wall being interesting is absolutely true. When we crossed the wall on our Amahoro trek, it collapsed in two different places and sent a rockslide down Mt. Bisoke. The rocks were nowhere close to being stable and secure!
We also encountered the Amahoro group in steep terrain, but not as steep as what you described. We saw Ubumwe and Kajoliti, and several youngsters, as well as Rwanda and Karisimbi. Gahinga approached one of the members of our group and tried to touch him, but the guide moved him away and Gahinga did not press the issue. By the end of our hour, we were above the gorillas and had to descend through them to get back down to the wall, and that is when we got the up-close view of the mother and baby on the last page of our picture gallery of the Amahoro Group. I am not positive, but I think the adult female gorilla in the picture is Karisimbi. Do you agree? Or if not do you know who she is?
http://www.pbase.com/cwillis/image/73177155
Our Hirwa trek was on almost completely level terrain -- we found them in the bamboo forest between Mt. Bisoke and Mt. Sabinyo. It was muddy and there was a lot of pushing through very dense vegetation and ducking under branches and limbs, but there was absolutely no climbing involved. However, I thought the trek was much more demanding because the group was moving so quickly through the forest and we were moving quickly to stay with them. At one point we were moving quickly through the forest for about 20 minutes without seeing the gorillas. But the plus was that we got some really good up-close viewing of several of the group members, including a mother with a young baby.
The two treks we did in Bwindi (Nkuringo and Habinyanja) were MUCH more difficult than the two in Rwanda. But I had my best experience, and got the best pictures, with the Habinyanja Group, so the effort was surely worth it.
Chris
Your comment about the wall being interesting is absolutely true. When we crossed the wall on our Amahoro trek, it collapsed in two different places and sent a rockslide down Mt. Bisoke. The rocks were nowhere close to being stable and secure!
We also encountered the Amahoro group in steep terrain, but not as steep as what you described. We saw Ubumwe and Kajoliti, and several youngsters, as well as Rwanda and Karisimbi. Gahinga approached one of the members of our group and tried to touch him, but the guide moved him away and Gahinga did not press the issue. By the end of our hour, we were above the gorillas and had to descend through them to get back down to the wall, and that is when we got the up-close view of the mother and baby on the last page of our picture gallery of the Amahoro Group. I am not positive, but I think the adult female gorilla in the picture is Karisimbi. Do you agree? Or if not do you know who she is?
http://www.pbase.com/cwillis/image/73177155
Our Hirwa trek was on almost completely level terrain -- we found them in the bamboo forest between Mt. Bisoke and Mt. Sabinyo. It was muddy and there was a lot of pushing through very dense vegetation and ducking under branches and limbs, but there was absolutely no climbing involved. However, I thought the trek was much more demanding because the group was moving so quickly through the forest and we were moving quickly to stay with them. At one point we were moving quickly through the forest for about 20 minutes without seeing the gorillas. But the plus was that we got some really good up-close viewing of several of the group members, including a mother with a young baby.
The two treks we did in Bwindi (Nkuringo and Habinyanja) were MUCH more difficult than the two in Rwanda. But I had my best experience, and got the best pictures, with the Habinyanja Group, so the effort was surely worth it.
Chris
Jan 29th, 2007, 03:36 PM
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Yeah, I third that comment that the wall is 'interesting'. On my first day going to see the Amaharos, I was feeling pretty weak, but managed not to collapse climbing that wall.
"
Day 2 the Sabinyos actually came over the wall and and were hanging out where the village kids could see them. I was happy for the that. The locals pretty much never get to see them.
I wonder if the Amaharos habits will change when the old silverback dies off and the younger one takes over? Maybe he will make them move out a little farther.
"
Day 2 the Sabinyos actually came over the wall and and were hanging out where the village kids could see them. I was happy for the that. The locals pretty much never get to see them.
I wonder if the Amaharos habits will change when the old silverback dies off and the younger one takes over? Maybe he will make them move out a little farther.
Jan 29th, 2007, 05:53 PM
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All-
Have any of you gone gorilla tracking and not found any gorillas? I only scheduled one day to do a gorilla trek (I know, I know, if I were to do it all over again, I would add more days and take some away from my time in Tanzania) and I am just wondering if not seeing them is a rare occurance. Thanks!
Monica
Have any of you gone gorilla tracking and not found any gorillas? I only scheduled one day to do a gorilla trek (I know, I know, if I were to do it all over again, I would add more days and take some away from my time in Tanzania) and I am just wondering if not seeing them is a rare occurance. Thanks!
Monica
Jan 29th, 2007, 06:38 PM
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We heard that the circumstance that most commonly causes a trekking group not to see the gorillas is when the gorilla group has moved so far that they cannot be located by 4pm in the afternoon. If that happens, they return you to the ORTPN headquarters. Keep in mind that the trek starts around 8:30am, so that is a LOT of time to find them.
Most of the habituated groups are relatively small (9-15 gorillas), and occupy small territories that are shared with other groups, so their movement is naturally limited by their general tendency to avoid coming into contact with the other groups. For example, Francois told us that five of the habituated tourist groups share the forest that lies between Mt. Bisoke and Mt. Sabinyo, so none of them goes very far in general.
Susa, on the other hand, has 39 gorillas and has a very large territory on Mt. Karisimbi to itself. It takes a long time just to get to them, so that is the group that we heard sometimes cannot be found by the 4pm deadline. But even that is rare, I think.
Bottom line is that my understanding is it is VERY rare to go out and not find the gorillas. They are tracked every day of the year, the trackers know them very well, and following them from one day to the next is relatively easy by virute of the trail of half-eaten vegetation they leave behind. The reason to schedule multiple treks is not so much to assure seeing gorillas but to try to get good weather and/or viewing conditions.
Chris
Most of the habituated groups are relatively small (9-15 gorillas), and occupy small territories that are shared with other groups, so their movement is naturally limited by their general tendency to avoid coming into contact with the other groups. For example, Francois told us that five of the habituated tourist groups share the forest that lies between Mt. Bisoke and Mt. Sabinyo, so none of them goes very far in general.
Susa, on the other hand, has 39 gorillas and has a very large territory on Mt. Karisimbi to itself. It takes a long time just to get to them, so that is the group that we heard sometimes cannot be found by the 4pm deadline. But even that is rare, I think.
Bottom line is that my understanding is it is VERY rare to go out and not find the gorillas. They are tracked every day of the year, the trackers know them very well, and following them from one day to the next is relatively easy by virute of the trail of half-eaten vegetation they leave behind. The reason to schedule multiple treks is not so much to assure seeing gorillas but to try to get good weather and/or viewing conditions.
Chris
Jan 29th, 2007, 07:51 PM
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Wow!!....Thanks to Patty, Chris and Safarimama for some great recommendations and information. I will certainly take into consideration all that you have said in making our decisons. Certainly added alot to what we consider will be one of the absolute highlights of our trip....one last question...suggestions on what is best to wear on the treks..I have heard that the nettles can be a real problem but also that it is well worth it to hire a porter. Again thanks to all of you, Bob
Jan 29th, 2007, 08:03 PM
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Dressing for the treks is pretty easy. You'll want to wear good, comfortable hiking boots that are waterproof. Long socks that you can tuck your pants legs into. Personally, I recommend waterproof hiking pants -- the park guides wear them, and they really help with the nettles, but they are hot. A long sleeve t-shirt. And leather gardening gloves are an absolute must. You will likely need to grab vegetation to hold onto, and if that plant happens to be a nettle, the gloves will protect your hands. I did four gorilla treks dressed like this, one of which involved traversing a virtual sea of nettles, and I did not get a single nettle sting or insect bite. You might also consider bringing your own hiking staff. They have wooden ones for you to use, but the metal telescoping ones have the advantage of having a point that you can stick into the ground for additional leverage. You can't do that with the wooden ones.
You should definitely hire a porter. When the hiking gets tough, you will be glad you did. Keep in mind that the treks in Rwanda start from roughly 7,000 feet. Plus, hiring a porter helps the local people benefit from tourists visiting the gorillas, which is an essential element to preserving them.
Chris
You should definitely hire a porter. When the hiking gets tough, you will be glad you did. Keep in mind that the treks in Rwanda start from roughly 7,000 feet. Plus, hiring a porter helps the local people benefit from tourists visiting the gorillas, which is an essential element to preserving them.
Chris
Jan 29th, 2007, 09:13 PM
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Here's a good thread on what to clothing to bring.
Gorilla trekking clothes and gear - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34863680
I have condensed all this info and more to come up with this “simple” list:
Equipment Hiking Clothing/Gear for Gorilla Tracking
• Warm clothes - dress in layers as temperatures tend to change. You will get hot due to high humidity. I sweated bullets climbing the steep hills, but you need to wear stinging nettle-proof clothing (long pants and long sleeves).
• A fleece or light wool sweater
• Moisture wicking undergarments
• Lightweight wool socks
• A long sleeved shirt
• Long thick & rip resistant pants are needed. Nylon convertible pants could get ripped and you may get stung all up and down your legs and back. This happened to me the first day (those things sting for hours!), so I wore thick rainproof Gortex pants the next day and from then on. Jeans work if it’s not raining. Ideally, thick work-cargo pants would do the trick, but regular work slacks that are not that good anymore are OK too. Tuck the pants inside your socks or use gaiters. I recommend that you spray both with a pyrethrum based insecticide that is made for application on clothing. Although the threat from mosquitoes is minimal, it has the benefit in repelling the number of safari ants which may drop down out of trees, climb up your boots, and cross over branches to climb over on you. They get under the clothing and bite terribly (the welts they leave are not a pretty sight.)
• A good strong LED flashlight in case you don’t get back ‘til after dark
• Camera gear & fast film (high ISO); it’s pretty dark under the tree canopy and you may not use a flash
• You have to leave your backpack and all extraneous stuff behind when you're with the gorillas. Have a photographer’s vest, fanny pack or a pair of cargo type pants w/ lots of pockets you can put batteries, film, or extra lens in.
• Don't forget to pack extra batteries on your body/vest
• Binoculars
• Sunglasses, sun screen and a sun hat
• Rain gear and a hat is a must for you and for your camera equipment and waterproof socks like Seal Skins or the less breathable Gortex. I don’t recommend bringing ponchos as rain gear, since they easily snag on all the thorns and dense underbrush. Wear a Gortex rain jacket and pants to reduce the hang up problem. It can rain anytime where the gorillas live.
• A strong pair of comfortable waterproof ankle-supporting hiking boots with good gripping soles is absolutely necessary. The terrain is steep, wet, slippery, muddy, straight up and down, hilly, and constantly changing. I also strongly recommend knee length gaiters for the extra protection and they keep your boot laces from snagging on every twig. Tucking the pants inside of socks AND wearing gaiters is the BEST protection, since the ants climbed up boots when you step on the trail walk alongside one.
• A pair of hiking poles - The guides will make you a walking stick before your hike made out of branches if you like. At least take one of these, since there are many times you'll use it to help with balance, pull you up hills and keep from sliding down the other side. I brought one that doubles as a monopod for my camera, but I never used it as such. I also took one from the guide. I found that two sticks were helpful on the steep slippery slopes coming down.
• Gloves to grip vegetation (inexpensive gardening gloves work well) are recommended for extra protection against thorns and such if you grabbed vegetation to help pull yourself along, or stinging nettles, especially in Rwanda.
• A daypack to carry water and a packed lunch although eating, drinking and smoking near the gorillas is forbidden.
• Porters are available to help you carry your daypack for a small charge. Oh yes - even if you don’t think you need one - hire them anyway - please do. When you see these people huddled in front of you, how could you not? They bring out a different group of porters for every trekking group every day. It’s recommended to pay them about 5-7 US$ for the day (although I tipped them $10). I’m spending so much on the trip - a porter tip is peanuts really. They will remember you! Hire two or three porters; so many are there waiting for a job and it’s so inexpensive; I say hire as many as you can. They also push, pull and carry you up and down the mountain if you need it; these people are great. These boys and girls are all wonderful, smiling companions on your hike. They help you when the terrain becomes rough. Hint: You get way too much food in your lunchbox. I shared my husband’s and gave mine to my porter. They don’t carry anything for themselves, not even water.
• One indispensable item to add to your list is a sturdy, lightweight, collapsible umbrella. It can serve as protection against both downpours and the sun. Especially photographers will learn to appreciate the comforts of having an umbrella around in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking clothes and gear - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34863680
I have condensed all this info and more to come up with this “simple” list:
Equipment Hiking Clothing/Gear for Gorilla Tracking
• Warm clothes - dress in layers as temperatures tend to change. You will get hot due to high humidity. I sweated bullets climbing the steep hills, but you need to wear stinging nettle-proof clothing (long pants and long sleeves).
• A fleece or light wool sweater
• Moisture wicking undergarments
• Lightweight wool socks
• A long sleeved shirt
• Long thick & rip resistant pants are needed. Nylon convertible pants could get ripped and you may get stung all up and down your legs and back. This happened to me the first day (those things sting for hours!), so I wore thick rainproof Gortex pants the next day and from then on. Jeans work if it’s not raining. Ideally, thick work-cargo pants would do the trick, but regular work slacks that are not that good anymore are OK too. Tuck the pants inside your socks or use gaiters. I recommend that you spray both with a pyrethrum based insecticide that is made for application on clothing. Although the threat from mosquitoes is minimal, it has the benefit in repelling the number of safari ants which may drop down out of trees, climb up your boots, and cross over branches to climb over on you. They get under the clothing and bite terribly (the welts they leave are not a pretty sight.)
• A good strong LED flashlight in case you don’t get back ‘til after dark
• Camera gear & fast film (high ISO); it’s pretty dark under the tree canopy and you may not use a flash
• You have to leave your backpack and all extraneous stuff behind when you're with the gorillas. Have a photographer’s vest, fanny pack or a pair of cargo type pants w/ lots of pockets you can put batteries, film, or extra lens in.
• Don't forget to pack extra batteries on your body/vest
• Binoculars
• Sunglasses, sun screen and a sun hat
• Rain gear and a hat is a must for you and for your camera equipment and waterproof socks like Seal Skins or the less breathable Gortex. I don’t recommend bringing ponchos as rain gear, since they easily snag on all the thorns and dense underbrush. Wear a Gortex rain jacket and pants to reduce the hang up problem. It can rain anytime where the gorillas live.
• A strong pair of comfortable waterproof ankle-supporting hiking boots with good gripping soles is absolutely necessary. The terrain is steep, wet, slippery, muddy, straight up and down, hilly, and constantly changing. I also strongly recommend knee length gaiters for the extra protection and they keep your boot laces from snagging on every twig. Tucking the pants inside of socks AND wearing gaiters is the BEST protection, since the ants climbed up boots when you step on the trail walk alongside one.
• A pair of hiking poles - The guides will make you a walking stick before your hike made out of branches if you like. At least take one of these, since there are many times you'll use it to help with balance, pull you up hills and keep from sliding down the other side. I brought one that doubles as a monopod for my camera, but I never used it as such. I also took one from the guide. I found that two sticks were helpful on the steep slippery slopes coming down.
• Gloves to grip vegetation (inexpensive gardening gloves work well) are recommended for extra protection against thorns and such if you grabbed vegetation to help pull yourself along, or stinging nettles, especially in Rwanda.
• A daypack to carry water and a packed lunch although eating, drinking and smoking near the gorillas is forbidden.
• Porters are available to help you carry your daypack for a small charge. Oh yes - even if you don’t think you need one - hire them anyway - please do. When you see these people huddled in front of you, how could you not? They bring out a different group of porters for every trekking group every day. It’s recommended to pay them about 5-7 US$ for the day (although I tipped them $10). I’m spending so much on the trip - a porter tip is peanuts really. They will remember you! Hire two or three porters; so many are there waiting for a job and it’s so inexpensive; I say hire as many as you can. They also push, pull and carry you up and down the mountain if you need it; these people are great. These boys and girls are all wonderful, smiling companions on your hike. They help you when the terrain becomes rough. Hint: You get way too much food in your lunchbox. I shared my husband’s and gave mine to my porter. They don’t carry anything for themselves, not even water.
• One indispensable item to add to your list is a sturdy, lightweight, collapsible umbrella. It can serve as protection against both downpours and the sun. Especially photographers will learn to appreciate the comforts of having an umbrella around in Uganda.
Jan 29th, 2007, 09:24 PM
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Chris, we tracked almost all the same groups, at about the same time, but my experience was very different from yours.
On Dec 16 I tracked the Nkuringo group in Bwindi and I agree that this tracking was the most difficult as it is very steep. I repeat - VERY STEEP! You go down, down, down via a road full of ball bearing type pebbles, people’s back yards of wheat and potato fields and banana plantations, etc. The trails were muddy and slippery. Alex, my porter had to push me up from behind. I hope he enjoyed it (he kept his hands there – on my ass - for a long time)! I did –enjoy it. Luckily for us though the gorillas were on our side of the river dividing the hills. Did you have to wade across and go up the other side of the mountain. That would be difficult. Benson guided us to the gorillas and they were wonderful; we found 15 of the 18 gorillas in this family, including the dominant silverback “Safari”, several blackbacks, youngsters and females with babies. They were out in the open and posing freely for pictures. The youngsters were swinging from trees while the silverback watched. It was a great sighting and worth the effort in every way.
I also tracked the Habinyanja group at Bwindi on Dec 18. We drove about 30 minutes to get to the starting point behind a small village. They were also within a fairly short distance of about 45 minutes into the Impenetrable Forest after we left the steep hills of the tea plantations and banana groves and cattle grazing in the fields. It was very steep but not too muddy. The Habinyanja gorillas were well “hidden” in the bamboo forest, so photographing them was extremely difficult. There are 18 gorillas in this group with 2 silverbacks and several babies. The dominant silverback is Rwansigazi (powerful lad). My husband got some good video, but I put my camera away and just enjoyed them. The “kids” were playing and rough-housing inside the bamboo enclosure which reminded me of a baby sitting service with the silverback as the baby sitter. Sometimes it’s nice not to see everything through a camera’s small LCD screen! Amen! Walking back up to the road was very difficult due to the steepness and altitude. As soon as we reached the cars it started to rain (very hard).
In the end, I found the tracking easiest at Bwindi. I was very lucky. My last tracking on Dec 19 was the Rushegura group. They were actually hanging around the A&K Gorilla Forest Lodge and the guide took us around in circles to get there, hacking through the jungle across the road a bit with a machete, making a trail for us. Soon we were back on the road again. The gorillas were on the other side! I’m sure the trackers and guide knew how close the gorillas were to the road (about 20 feet), but wanted people doing just this one and only tracking to have a little “fun”. This group separated from Habinyanja in 2002. Mwirima (darkness) is the dominant silverback. We saw 10 of the 15 gorillas in this group including a 2-month old baby.
On Dec 16 I tracked the Nkuringo group in Bwindi and I agree that this tracking was the most difficult as it is very steep. I repeat - VERY STEEP! You go down, down, down via a road full of ball bearing type pebbles, people’s back yards of wheat and potato fields and banana plantations, etc. The trails were muddy and slippery. Alex, my porter had to push me up from behind. I hope he enjoyed it (he kept his hands there – on my ass - for a long time)! I did –enjoy it. Luckily for us though the gorillas were on our side of the river dividing the hills. Did you have to wade across and go up the other side of the mountain. That would be difficult. Benson guided us to the gorillas and they were wonderful; we found 15 of the 18 gorillas in this family, including the dominant silverback “Safari”, several blackbacks, youngsters and females with babies. They were out in the open and posing freely for pictures. The youngsters were swinging from trees while the silverback watched. It was a great sighting and worth the effort in every way.
I also tracked the Habinyanja group at Bwindi on Dec 18. We drove about 30 minutes to get to the starting point behind a small village. They were also within a fairly short distance of about 45 minutes into the Impenetrable Forest after we left the steep hills of the tea plantations and banana groves and cattle grazing in the fields. It was very steep but not too muddy. The Habinyanja gorillas were well “hidden” in the bamboo forest, so photographing them was extremely difficult. There are 18 gorillas in this group with 2 silverbacks and several babies. The dominant silverback is Rwansigazi (powerful lad). My husband got some good video, but I put my camera away and just enjoyed them. The “kids” were playing and rough-housing inside the bamboo enclosure which reminded me of a baby sitting service with the silverback as the baby sitter. Sometimes it’s nice not to see everything through a camera’s small LCD screen! Amen! Walking back up to the road was very difficult due to the steepness and altitude. As soon as we reached the cars it started to rain (very hard).
In the end, I found the tracking easiest at Bwindi. I was very lucky. My last tracking on Dec 19 was the Rushegura group. They were actually hanging around the A&K Gorilla Forest Lodge and the guide took us around in circles to get there, hacking through the jungle across the road a bit with a machete, making a trail for us. Soon we were back on the road again. The gorillas were on the other side! I’m sure the trackers and guide knew how close the gorillas were to the road (about 20 feet), but wanted people doing just this one and only tracking to have a little “fun”. This group separated from Habinyanja in 2002. Mwirima (darkness) is the dominant silverback. We saw 10 of the 15 gorillas in this group including a 2-month old baby.
Jan 29th, 2007, 09:46 PM
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Chris,
those a great photos; they take me back. Sigh! Did you notice after awhile how different all the gorillas really are in both looks and personality? they are as different as people are. Yes, I think your picture is Karisimbi and her baby. I'm pretty sure of it. I also have pictures of them and the nose print seem to match.
I have the cards for Habinyanja and Rushegura; Amahoro is in the back of the book along with Susa (Threatened Kingdom); I didn't get Hirwa and Nkuringo as they were out of them. this will be my good excuse to go back!
those a great photos; they take me back. Sigh! Did you notice after awhile how different all the gorillas really are in both looks and personality? they are as different as people are. Yes, I think your picture is Karisimbi and her baby. I'm pretty sure of it. I also have pictures of them and the nose print seem to match.
I have the cards for Habinyanja and Rushegura; Amahoro is in the back of the book along with Susa (Threatened Kingdom); I didn't get Hirwa and Nkuringo as they were out of them. this will be my good excuse to go back!
Jan 30th, 2007, 05:38 AM
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Thanks for helping me identify Karisimbi in that picture. It is so funny to hear you talk about the different gorillas' personalities and facial expressions -- definitely very true in our experience.
What is also funny is that our day with the Nkuringo Group, the gorillas were acting very shy -- we would approach them and they would move to the other side of a tree to block our view of them, so they weren't really in the mood for people that day. Very different from the cooperative mood you found them in!
With Habinyanja, our trek was a very hard 2 hours each way, with the first hour being a very steep 1200 foot climb. But when we got there, they were in a large open area and mercifully were not moving very much. Our permits were actually for the Rushegura Group that day, but someone asked me to switch into Habinyanja because they could not do the hard trek, and that's how I ended up going to that group.
I found the nose print cards of the Rwandan Groups to be much more user-friendly than the ones given out in Bwindi. I can't really make much sense of many of the "nose print" drawings on the Nkuringo and Habinyanja cards.
Chris
What is also funny is that our day with the Nkuringo Group, the gorillas were acting very shy -- we would approach them and they would move to the other side of a tree to block our view of them, so they weren't really in the mood for people that day. Very different from the cooperative mood you found them in!
With Habinyanja, our trek was a very hard 2 hours each way, with the first hour being a very steep 1200 foot climb. But when we got there, they were in a large open area and mercifully were not moving very much. Our permits were actually for the Rushegura Group that day, but someone asked me to switch into Habinyanja because they could not do the hard trek, and that's how I ended up going to that group.
I found the nose print cards of the Rwandan Groups to be much more user-friendly than the ones given out in Bwindi. I can't really make much sense of many of the "nose print" drawings on the Nkuringo and Habinyanja cards.
Chris
Jan 31st, 2007, 05:27 PM
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Chris/Safarimama.....thanks again for all of you very good advice. I'm sure there are others who will find it beneficial as well. Now to figure out how to get it all in a 33 lb. bag. Bob
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