How long does a gorilla trekking experience last? Gorilla trekking duration

For travelers organizing a gorilla trekking safari to Africa, one of the questions most travelers ask themselves is How long does a gorilla trekking experience last? Or how long is a gorilla trek? The time spent on gorilla trekking depends on several factors that affect the experience. This question, being more specific about the time will attract a reply that looks at the general minimum or maximum time taken on gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours to find the endangered creatures. Depending on the luck of the trekkers, it can be long or take a shorter period to find the primates in the wild.

if you are looking forward to going on a gorilla trekking tour to Africa, prepare to send at least five hours in the forests, hiking in the dense bushes. Despite the lengthy hiking in the thick vegetation, trek for gorillas is worth it, bringing the rare creatures to the eyes of visitors.

The impenetrable jungles are thrilling with many flora species, the montane forests are some of the plants to see on the trek for gorillas. The creatures like to move in the thick bushes and climb trees to look for food and resting areas. Visiting the Gorilla National Parks of Africa offers the rare spotting of birds alongside the cousins of mankind living in the wild, insects are common on the trails which sometimes climb on the hiking boots. Gorilla trekking is the main reason for going to Rwanda or Uganda and as result travelers are allowed to spend one hour watching and standing amongst the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

 

Gorilla trekking duration facts & how you will spend your time during the trek – How long does gorilla trekking take?

For those still seeking for the answers to; How long does gorilla trekking last? Your anticipated time for gorilla trekking should be between 30 minutes and six hours while in the forests of Uganda and Rwanda. As you organize yourself for the unforgettable wildlife experience in the impenetrable national parks, it is important to understand the duration of the adventures in order to prepare adequately. From the Visitor Center is where most gorilla trekking activities begin from where trekkers are briefed and assigned to their guide and armed rangers. Expect to spend at most one hour being briefed where you learn about the rules and guidelines of gorilla trekking. The groups of trekkers are formed, usually 8 members per group and given trained guides to lead them.

As soon as the first phase of activities are done at the Visitor Center, you will follow the guides in the company of armed men and embark on the amazing hike into the forest to find gorillas in the wild. The time you spend searching for gorillas is determined by the many challenges or advantages that make your trek either easy or difficult and hence the time. Some of the challenges to expect are; difficult terrains, distant location of gorillas and the speed which travelers walk on the trails. The gorilla experience being too long, expect to spend almost a day in the natural habitat for mountain gorillas and enjoy the photography around landscapes.

When you encounter gorillas in the wild, you can only spend one hour watching them live their daily life as you capture the moments on camera. During the time watching the rare primates of Africa, create fun memories of gorillas by taking pictures of the humble giants. It is important t o observe the set rules and guidelines of gorilla trekking in order to conserve the natural home of the primates. Despite the uniqueness of this awe-inspiring adventure, you will only be allocated one hour to spend with mountain gorillas.

After your allocated observation time elapses, you then embark on a trek back to the visitor center or starting point. The time spent trekking back is also included in the gorilla trekking duration or duration of a gorilla trek. In most cases, it is usually less than that you spend searching for gorillas.

How long is a gorilla trek? The gorilla trekking duration (Duration of gorilla trekking) This entails the duration ( time spent) watching your assigned gorilla family, the time for walking in the bushes to find gorillas in their home, and the time it takes for travelers to return to the center. This takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours to experience the gorilla jungles of Africa and create fun-filled memories during the adventure.

 

Factors that influence the duration of a gorilla trek – What determines the time you will spend to see gorillas in the wild

The experience on gorilla trekking safaris is determined by a number of factors that affect the duration of the whole adventure. This article explains the factors that influence the time spent searching for mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

Location of the Gorilla Group:Location of the gorilla group is a determinant of the duration of a gorilla trek into the forests of Rwanda and Uganda. The challenges of the trek will depend on the position where the assigned gorilla family was spotted. Although the locations are inside the parks, the lucky trekkers will find theirs a short distance from the Receiving Center for visitors and others a long walk away from the briefing point.

Terrain and Trail Conditions:

The second determinant of the trek is the geography or terrain in the destination you have chosen. Mountain gorillas are found in the highlands of Virunga Mountains of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While organizing a trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, expect to encounter steep climbs on your gorilla trekking. This is the case also in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park which has rugged terrains over which travelers move to find gorillas. The trails are very muddy during the wet seasons and almost impassable. During the gorilla trekking, expect to go off-roading from the main trails into thick bushes which the guides cut with a matchet to create your way into the forest, thereby prolonging the duration of the trek.

Fitness Level of Participants: The fitness level is a key consideration made during the gorilla trekking. The assignment of gorilla families depends on the general fitness of trekkers who are categorized in different groups on the day of the trek. Using this approach, gorillas that are hard to reach or far off are allocated to those who are physically strong to pass through difficult terrains and bushes.

Pace of the Group:

During the gorilla trek, the pace of the group of trekkers matters a lot while in the jungles. Pace is as a result of the fitness level of travelers embarking on the trip to find the gorillas. Guides are fond of regulating their pace to make it easy for those who are less fit and not leave anyone behind.  In so doing , there is no more time added to the whole trekking experience, it becomes longer than expected. For physically fit trekkers, it becomes easier for the guide to move faster and in the end the gorilla adventure takes a shorter period.

Behavior of the Gorillas: Behavior of gorillas largely affects the time you spend on the gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda. The behavior is reflected in gorilla actions like movement since the creatures tend to look for new feeding areas daily. Trackers follow these primates as they progress, therefore, the more they move, the more likely the trek will be longer. Whereas if the gorillas are still or feeding from a particular spot for long, the more likely it is for them to be found, and the shorter the trek.

can also be influenced by the behavior or mood of gorillas. In cases when gorillas have less movement and are feeding, you are likely to spend less time to locate them compared to when they are on the move in the forest. If the gorilla group is on the move, trackers will spend additional time locating them or following them through the forest, which can extend the duration of the trek.

Weather Conditions:

weather of East Africa is one of the factors determining the duration of the gorilla trekking experience. The type of the weather on a trekking day determines how long the trek will take. Rainy days prove to be a burden for gorilla trekking, the slippery trails are not convenient for walking inside the wilderness. During the rainy days the muddy trails make it slow to reach the fast moving gorillas and the trek becomes longer than expected. However, the sunny days are very much desirable because of the less muddy trails which are much easier to move along and easy visibility making the trek shorter.

How many miles will I walk to see gorillas in the wild?

Inside the gorilla natural habitat, it is difficult to measure the distance moved during the trek. This is because of the rugged nature of the terrains and the random movements of the creatures. The location of gorillas is not estimated by the guides although trackers are ever apprising them about the locations in order to ease the trekking for travelers.