Can I trek mountain gorillas in august? Yes! You can. Mountain gorilla trekking can be done any time of the year. Anytime of the year you choose to visit the mountain gorilla habitat you will surely find the mountain gorillas there and enjoy their company. Mountain gorillas don’t usually migrate to other habitats, they have one specific habitat the mountainous forests, so they will stay there all year.
That said, trekking the forested mountain is easily during some weather seasons compared to others. But either way the trails are trekable no matter the season. The dry seasons that run from late December, January and February have drier trails and hence making mountain gorilla trekking easier. This is the same for the dry season in June, July and August.
The wet seasons on the other hand have somewhat soggy and slippery trails so trekking is quite harder. These months include September, October, November and March, April and May.
However whether the trails are dry or soggy, mountain gorilla trekking is tiresome activity on its own, the trekking up the mountain cannot be taken for granted. Meaning if you wish to try out mountain gorilla trekking some time, it’s good that you have a little physical training to help prepare you for the task ahead.
Any physically fit person 15 years and above can take on a mountain gorilla trekking adventure. This person is able to endure the ascent and descent of the mountainous forest without getting any harm.
On a trekking experience, trekkers are advised to carry water bottles with water to keep rehydrated and energy snacks to maintain their body energy. Snacks should be heavy snacks to fill you but keep you able to move as you go on.
You’re also advised to put on clothing that will not affect you trek and wont expose you to danger on the other side. Mountain gorilla trekking is done in the forests so you are at risk of getting tree branches starching you, insects biting you etc – this means very light clothing with not work well for a trekking experience, Can I trek mountain gorillas in august?.
Also because you walking most of the time, you will not need very heavy clothing, they can wear you down and you can easily faint in them. So the best clothing for the mountain gorilla trekking experience, so be clothing between light and heavy to give you both protection and comfort on your experience.
Mountain gorilla trekking experiences can take as short as 5 hours and as long as 8 plus hours depending on where you’re having your experience and far deep the gorillas are in the forest. The experience usually starts in the morning with a briefing and after the briefing you head to the forest with your groupmates led by a trekking ranger. You may spend about 3 to more hours trekking to the gorillas, and when you find them you will spend an hour with them after which you will trek back the park’s offices.
To go on a mountain gorilla trekking experience you will need a mountain gorilla trekking permit that costs 1500 USD in Rwanda, 400 USD in Congo, 700 USD in Uganda. Hence the permit price is dictated by the country you are trekking in.
For Rwanda, on top of acquiring a mountain gorilla trekking permit, you will also need to get a COVID19 test done, only persons who have tested negative for COVID19 are allowed to trek these famous gorillas in Rwanda.
Mountain gorilla trekking in the above countries takes place in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National park in the Democratic republic of Congo and Bwindi National plus Mgahinga National Park for Uganda.
