“There are two rules when doing a gorilla trek. Keep a distance of at least 7 meters (about 23 feet) from the gorillas and don’t threaten them,” said one of the park guides.
We carefully and mentally noted the rules as we began our trek to see the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, in northwest Rwanda in the shadow of Mount Sabinyo, the largest of the extinct volcanoes that comprise the Virunga Mountains.
Our group of eight was assigned a relatively easy trail leading to one of the 10 gorilla families in the park. Because gorillas move and sleep in different locations each day, trackers preceded us to find the exact location of the gorillas. We were promised we would meet the family of gorillas named Kwitonda (meaning “humble one”), the largest family in the park.
We were introduced to our porters, one for each of us, who carried our backpacks. Having a porter provides employment for local residents and, at an elevation of 7,500 feet, needed assistance for those trekking. Sometimes the trek was more like bushwhacking as the porters had to clear vines, fallen tree limbs and an occasional tree trunk.
The greatest challenges were the ants and stinging nettles, a plant native to the area. To cope with the ants, we wore gaiters around the tops of our boots. To avoid the nettles, we wore gloves, long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
The following are paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
Copyright © 2011-2023 Internet Brothers. All Rights Reserved. ISSN 2324-6057
Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by Wordpress | Logo by Design Aspirations