mahale to see the chimps
 

VERY EXCITED- Were off in August to Mahale for 4 nights staying at NKUNGWE [has anyone stayed there] -Big question how strenuous is the treking/how rugged is the terrain? Not in great shape and trying to gage just how hard it will be! thanks

GREAT news! Please post a trip report on your return. Will be at Mahale Greystoke this December. When I was browsing the web, found some information Thomson's had for readying / preparing for Mahale. Here's the link: http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/travel/p...20viewing'

Hikes vary in length from 30 minutes to 5 hours. Chimps can move quickly, so ambling after them probably isn't unusual. It is a rainforest, so the terrain may not be smooth. And the altitude is 2700ft + up to 8k ft at highest (don't think you'd get anywhere near the 8k during the hikes). Also read somewhere else that in their summer they do tend to be further up the hills. When it rains they move down lower.

That's what I've gathered myself so far.

If you can start getting exercise for the trip by taking long walks, using a treadmill, etc that would help. Seems like the pace of the hike is based on slowest individual. So if one person needs to turn around, then group returns to camp.

This may be different at Nkungwe than it is at Greystoke though.

Please report back on Nkungwe as I don't think we've had any reports of that camp here. Have a great trip!

Looks like there will be Mahale reports to anticipate. How exciting for you both.

http://www.bolin-web.com/2005/09/mah...anganyika.html
iggy5858 - check out the blog above. Think Patty shared the link with us on an earlier thread.

I'd expect this is a trip we won't stop talking about for a long time. Maybe we'll get another fodorite to take and interest in Mahale. It was a destination, location and experience I refused to miss.

Looking forward to our trip to MAHALE-and posting
all the details.This will be our first Kenya
migration trip also.
Years ago we went to Uganda to spend some time with the Gorillas-what an experience that was. When a huge silverback looks at you with those human eyes what a feeling that is! The trek to get to them was more than anything we had ever done -but was it worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Nkungwe, it looks like a really nice camp but for the money Greystoke/Zoe is what I really wanted.
Were still trying to get in [waitlisted]

love to discover-Thanks for the link.

You are welcome. Think I need to take my own advice and get unglued from this Mac / PC!

I spent a week at Gombe on follows. At the end of the day I regretted that I wasn't in better shape. If you are going to Mahale in August you have a few months left to start training. There was alot of pre-dawn climbing to several thousand feet, nothing much below that--although the views of the lake were super--and beetling at a crouch after fast moving animals through a tangle of undergrowth. I picked bits of vegetation out of my flesh for days. Several follows were of Gombe's alpha at the time. My instructions were to grab a tree and hang on tight if he decided to intimidate me. He didn't respect the distance rule between chimp and human.
I've heard Mahale is fabulous. Hope you have an exhilirating experience.
MT

hi, bring the video camera.
d

What type of camp were you in in Gombe and how many went on the trek? Did you carry your own equipment? When we were in Uganda to see the gorillas they had people who carried our gear. I know that sounds lame but in the end everybody needed the help. [ day 2 was one long trip-overhills ,valleys, climbing vines, mud pools-we were ripped and torn . And was it worth it ?] YES,YES,YES Thanks for you report