How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking In Volcanoes National Park?
How Difficult is Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park: Gorilla trekking is one of the most prominent tourist activities in Rwanda, but it is also one of the most costly in Africa. It is difficult to predict how tough or easy gorilla trekking would be in a certain country’s national parks. Gorilla trekking may be easy or challenging depending on the location of the gorilla family you are hiking since some families are easy to spot while others are difficult to discover due to their greater elevation.
Volcanoes National Park is a 160 square kilometer rainforest encompassing five Virunga volcanic slopes on the Rwandan side of the tranquil and enticing Virunga Mountains. It also includes the southern section of Congo’s Virunga National Park and Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which operate independently within their own national boundaries.
The weather at Volcanoes National Park may be unexpected at times, and hiking can become difficult if it rains while gorilla trekking. You must traverse difficult terrain and dense rainforests. Long-sleeved clothing and raincoats are required to protect you from biting insects when walking.
Mountain gorillas dwell at higher heights that will demand some physical fitness to conquer; if you are not physically strong, you may become quite exhausted and hinder the pace of other hikers. It is recommended that you engage in certain workouts before the actual trekking day. When it rains, mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park becomes difficult because the trekking pathways become muddy and slippery, making it impossible to trek gorillas.
How Difficult is gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park?
The difficulty of gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park is entirely determined by a number of factors, including the cost of gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, the location of a gorilla group/family, the time of year a visitor is doing gorilla trekking in Rwanda, the trekker’s age, the traveler’s physical fitness, and how easily accessible the national park from which one is trekking the gorillas is. All of these elements influence how tough it is for a visitor to trek gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
Cost of Gorilla Permits in Volcanoes National Park.
Rwanda has raised the price of gorilla trekking permits in Volcanoes National Park from USD 700 to USD 1500 per person. This increase in the cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes national park has put a financial burden on passengers’ purses, particularly budget gorilla trekking travelers. However, the expensive expense of a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes national park makes gorilla trekking in the park challenging for certain visitors.
Location of Gorilla Families in Volcanoes National Park.
The location of mountain gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park is also important in influencing the ease of trekking gorillas in the national park. The distance a gorilla group has migrated since the last trek will impact how difficult it will be for visitors to hike that specific gorilla group. Some mountain gorilla families in Volcanoes national park, such as the Susa A, Karisimbi, Amahoro, and Ugenda gorilla families, are constantly on the move and dwell at high altitudes, making it impossible for visitors to hike the gorillas in these groups.
However, gorilla groups including Agashya, Kwitonda, Hirwa, and Sabyinyo have proven to be less difficult for most visitors. Trekking a gorilla group in Volcanoes national park might take between 2 and 5 hours, depending on the location of the gorilla group/family.
Age Difference of Visitors Trekking Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
Because gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park requires a lot of physical exercise, not all visitors are permitted to participate. Only passengers above the age of 15 can hike gorillas, and they must also be in excellent health. Typically, senior visitors in Volcanoes national park find it difficult to trek gorilla groups that dwell at high altitudes, therefore they are assigned to gorilla groups that are easier to trek. As a result, the age of the trekker influences how tough it is for the visitor to undertake gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park.
Level of Physical Fitness of Trekkers
To comfortably hike gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, a person must be in good form or physically fit. Trekkers are encouraged to exercise frequently before their gorilla trekking expedition to acclimate their bodies to strenuous exertion. It is advised that travelers take long walks and exercise on a daily basis to be in shape before trekking gorillas in the national park. Travelers who are not physically strong and are trekking gorillas for the first time will have some trouble in Volcanoes National Park.
Rwanda, on the other hand, has developed gorilla trekking for handicapped visitors interested in trekking gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. Porters transport the tourist on a sedan chair all the way to where the gorilla group is located. This comes at an additional expense because the tourist must pay the porters who transport you; nonetheless, the experience of trekking these endangered creatures is well worth it.
Time of the Year you are doing gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
The difficulty of trekking gorillas in Volcanoes national park also depends on the time of year that one chooses to climb gorillas. Most visitors are encouraged to undertake gorilla trekking in Rwanda between June and September and between December and February.
Normally, the dry season in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park occurs throughout these months. The hiking routes and walkways in the national park are dry, allowing visitors to easily hike the gorillas. However, if a visitor tries to track gorillas in the park during the rainy season, they are likely to have significant difficulty because the hiking routes are muddy, steep, and slippery at this time of year.
Accessibility of Volcanoes National Park.
The difficulty of trekking gorillas in Rwanda is determined by the accessibility of the national park, which in this case is Volcanoes National Park. The national park is the only area in Rwanda where visitors may hike mountain gorillas. Poor road networks connecting tourists to national parks might make it difficult for visitors to visit the parks.
The majority of Rwanda’s roads leading its national parks like Volcanoes National Park are in excellent shape, however, roads within national parks are not tarmacked, making it impossible for visitors to trek gorillas in the area.
In conclusion; Travelers who wish to go gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park should bring the following items: a good pair of hiking boots, sunscreen cream and insect repellent, enough mineral water, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt, a hat or cap, and a camera.
