I have just done the fantastic trek to track the gorillas in Uganda. It is fantastic but very strenuous so fitness is vital. The troop that we tracked saw us on the mountain (and it is not called the “impenetrable forest”for nothing!) for over 6 hours and climbing in hot and humid conditions to a height of approx 6,000 feet. It is also a rain forest, and just before we reached the gorillas we experienced torrential tropical rain which lasted for 3 hours.

It is vital that you hire a porter ($15 to hire and then tip on top) as you need them to, (in my case) push you up the mountain, and show you where to put your feet on the way down (on wet, muddy, difficult terrain). Two of our tour were stretchered down (at a cost of $200) - one had not hired a porter. They were on the “easy” trek! We were evidently on the most difficult!

It is truly wonderful when you do reach the gorillas and we were really close to them, but I hope JY will post this, as everyone who has booked/thinking of booking, should be aware of what the trek is really like. Uganda is a fabulous country and if you want a wildlife holiday, this is it ! We were also really close to the chimps on that trek too!

Enjoy, but get fit before you go!

Cheers

Hils

Sounds as if you had a wonderful experience on this trip. It is not something I intend to do but just wanted to acknowledge your honesty about how arduous the climb etc is. I hope people do consider what you have said before booking this type of holiday.

Regards

Lesley

YHi,

I have just done the fantastic trek to track the gorillas in Uganda. It is fantastic but very strenuous so fitness is vital. The troop that we tracked saw us on the mountain (and it is not called the “impenetrable forest”for nothing!) for over 6 hours and climbing in hot and humid conditions to a height of approx 6,000 feet. It is also a rain forest, and just before we reached the gorillas we experienced torrential tropical rain which lasted for 3 hours.

It is vital that you hire a porter ($15 to hire and then tip on top) as you need them to, (in my case) push you up the mountain, and show you where to put your feet on the way down (on wet, muddy, difficult terrain). Two of our tour were stretchered down (at a cost of $200) - one had not hired a porter. They were on the “easy” trek! We were evidently on the most difficult!

It is truly wonderful when you do reach the gorillas and we were really close to them, but I hope JY will post this, as everyone who has booked/thinking of booking, should be aware of what the trek is really like. Uganda is a fabulous country and if you want a wildlife holiday, this is it ! We were also really close to the chimps on that trek too!

Enjoy, but get fit before you go!

Cheers

Hils

Hi Hils

Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience. Although I think I am reasonably fit I am planning on joining the gym well before I go.

 I have searched web sites and Youtube so did have a fair idea of what to expect, but there's nothing like hands on experience is there!?

Any tips you can give us would be most gratefully appreciated!

Mo

For your honest account of your recent trip, I hope those that choose to go on this trip with JY will take on what you have said, it sounds a amazing tour but I know that my health would let me down, so there for I wouldn’t book this tour.

I will stick to watching animal programmes with these amazing animals!

Cindy