How long is the trek to see gorillas in Uganda?
One of the frequently asked questions about gorilla trekking in Uganda is how long it takes to see the gorillas in the wild. This is a very important question as visitors interested in tracking gorillas in Uganda always want to know the duration of trekking so that they can prepare for the adventure. Gorilla Trekking is a unique adventure that involves involves hiking which is quite different from other wildlife activities like game drives that involve sitting in the car and looking out for wildlife in the park. With gorilla trekking you have to prepare for hiking along muddy and slippery terrain in order to get to the gorillas, this means that you physically have to prepare for the hike as it can be rather strenuous and require a physical skill set to navigate the slippery and muddy ground in the forest.
How long is Gorilla Trekking in Uganda?
Gorilla trekking in Uganda takes between 2-8 hours. The gorilla trek begins with a briefing from the ranger guide at the Park headquarters after which under the guidance of ranger guides and porters, you start the journey in to the forest in search of the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Uganda takes place in two major parks that is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The length of trekking is determined by a number of factors that include sector of trekking, physical fitness of visitors and location of gorillas in the forest.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park happens in different sectors of the park. The sectors include Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. Visitors interested in a short less strenuous hike always buy permits from Buhoma but even that is not assured as gorillas are wild animals that move around the forest quite a bit so they are rarely in the same area for long. We always recommend that one prepares physically so that even if the gorilla family is far on the day of trekking, one is still able to make the journey to the gorillas.
The length of gorilla trekking is also determined by the physical fitness of the members tracking a specific gorilla family. That’s why it’s important to physically prepare because the physical aspect is important when navigating the muddy ground and slippery terrain. The location of the gorillas also determines the length of gorilla trekking as on some days the gorilla families will be near and on other days the gorilla families will be far. On some lucky days you will walk for a short time before finding the gorillas though this is not always the case.
How difficult is gorilla trekking in Uganda?
Gorilla trekking is moderately-difficult because it involves hiking through a forest to get to the mountain gorillas however if you ably prepare for the gorilla trek then the hike will be relatively manageable.The areas of trekking are majorly forested so the typical expectation is that you will be trekking through a forested area with muddy and slippery ground.
In terms of physical fitness for the gorilla trekking adventure, one should be physically fit as the hike can be rather strenuous and require a physical skill set to navigate the slippery and muddy ground in the forest. One of ways you can prepare for the gorilla trek is to involve yourself in exercise like walking and running before your safari so that by the time you get to Uganda, you are physically fit and ready to embark on the gorilla trekking adventure. All in all gorilla trekking in Uganda is doable and over the years a significant number of visitors of all ages have been able to go gorilla trekking. The Uganda Wildlife Authority has also done a commendable job in making sure that gorilla trekking is smooth for all visitors to Uganda. Ranger guides, trackers, tour operators and potters are all available and hands on to ensure that visitors have an amazing experience tracking the mountain gorillas.
