Non negotiables for mountain gorilla trekking
Things that must be done in order to go mountain gorilla trekking: We know that mountain gorilla trekking at one of the four mountain gorilla areas will be one of the things we do on safari when we go to Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It’s not a wonder that when people book trips in either country, the first thing they do is check to see when mountain gorilla trekking is available. This way, they can plan their other activities around the mountain gorilla trekking.
The good news is that everyone will always have the chance to see these gorillas and spend an hour with them after a 4–6 hour walk. Some hikers may get lost in translation while they are with the gorillas because they see them almost every day. This puts them on the wrong side of the mountain gorilla hiking experience. That’s why we wrote this piece to help you stay on the right side. This piece talks about the things that must be done in order to go mountain gorilla hiking. These things include, but aren’t limited to:
Here are the rules for hiking for mountain gorillas:
Trekking is only allowed for people over the age of 15.
People who are sick are not allowed to walk with the gorillas because humans and gorillas share more than 90% of their DNA. This makes it easy for diseases to spread between humans and gorillas.
If you want to go on a 4–6 hour walk with the gorillas, you should be in good shape.
Before you go on a trekking trip, you need to buy a mountain gorilla hiking pass. You won’t be able to do any of the things that are connected to mountain gorilla hiking without a pass.
You can’t go on the hike by yourself; you need to be with 8 other people. So be friendly and helpful to the other seven people in your hiking group.
While you walk, there are some rules you should follow. The truth is that if you don’t follow some of these hiking rules, you might be kicked off the trip.
Stay at least 7 meters away from the gorillas when they’re around.
There are mountain gorillas around, so don’t yell at them or in front of them.
Sure, you can take pictures and videos of the gorillas, but don’t use flash cameras or record videos.
You can’t get close to the mountain gorillas.
There is no way for you to share your food with or feed the gorillas.
You must respect the area where mountain gorillas live. Don’t leave trash or do anything else that will make the gorillas’ home unlivable.
Don’t make the animals scared.
Things that can’t be changed for mountain gorilla treks
If you feel frightened by the gorillas, don’t say anything else. Just stay cool and don’t move or make noise any quick. Your hiking guide or park ranger is usually with you to help you get through things.
You should not make eye contact with the gorillas, yell at them, touch them, or tease them in any way so as not to give them away.
When you’re near the gorillas, don’t smoke, cough, or sneeze.
Also, you should not drink in front of the gorillas. And, of course, it’s not okay to drink alcohol while hiking with mountain gorillas.
On your hike, don’t get lost in the forest. You’ll get lost and, in the worst case, fall into a group of animals that can hurt you.
Listen to your guides and follow their directions above all else.
And most of all, have a great time hiking with mountain gorillas. It’s something you will only do once, and it’s one of the best safaris you will ever have in the wild.
