General Briefing showing how far we should be from gorillas
Stephen, guide for our group, showing us the picture of the gorillas in the family we would be seeingAs we started off I was concluding that today was easier than yesterday, despite being a little tired and sore. The path was generally easier, with steps having been created for the steep beginning making the footing easier. My porter Olivia (yes, there is equal opportunity in the portering business) didn’t have to do as much pushing as Caleb did yesterday. It should be noted that all 7 of us chose to hire porters, although the daughter of the designated “slow” leader generally had her porter being a second helper to her mom; the daughter had just completed the Kilimanjaro hike so had proved herself to be in fantastic condition.
While this trail was easier than yesterday’s (fewer downs and ups once the ridge line had been reached and steadier footing), there were times when I felt the misery quotient might be higher. We spent an hour going on a narrow path with foliage high on both sides hemming us in but open to the hot sunshine. Bugs swirled around, not biting but being really annoying. Little did I know about misery. . . .
We kept going and going and going. I think we did walk farther than yesterday, but we also walked much slower. Five hours into the hike (it was 2 p.m.), we hadn’t yet reached the gorillas. The trackers came back toward us, creating a more direct path – but one that was difficult in that it was freshly-cut foliage, not cleared, so footing was treacherous. I couldn’t see the actual path, and there were many surprises of rocks, stumps, holes, etc. Olivia saved me. She held my hand, supporting me as needed, and guided my steps. After a miserable hour of this and a brief stop to eat a little bit, we reached the gorilla family. It was already 3 p.m.
The misery was made worthwhile because the viewing was SPECTACULAR!! This family was much closer than yesterday’s and in a more open area so observing and picture taking were far better. One young gorilla snuck up behind the ranger and reached out to touch his pack. Another touched two of the women who were sitting on the ground, one on her foot, the other on her waist. It was phenomenally exciting. We were typically fewer than the regulation 7 meters from the animals and were really able to see them.
We were reluctant to leave, but it was already 4 p.m., and we had a long way to go – as it turned out, a long, incredibly difficult and miserable way! Either because of where the gorillas were located in terms of the “established” paths or because we were so late/so slow, or perhaps both, the trackers again created a more direct route – using their machetes to slash their way through the rain forest. It was hardly a path and extremely difficult as we first headed almost directly up and then quite directly down. Poor Olivia got quite a workout supporting me in both directions. Then to add to the misery quotient, we stumbled into red ants!
(A digression about red ants – We were warned that these fiery biting creatures were in the forest and told we should tuck our pant legs into our socks to discourage their crawling up our legs. I did that, but had very short socks making the tuck not as secure as it should have been to begin with and by this point exhaustion and the roughness of the path had pulled the pant legs partially out of the socks. Yesterday the ants did not find us; today, as we pushed out way through thick foliage underfoot and on all sides, they did. Not only did they crawl up my legs, they crawled down from my neck. Given the condition of the pathway, there wasn’t really the opportunity to do a thorough cleaning out so I’d be getting a bite every couple of minutes, would reach down or up and try to find and get rid of the creature. I succeeded dislodging the last ones only after we’d reach the actual path, and I could go up the trail away from the group, drop trou, and get rid of the last 3 of the ants. Definitely an experience, one which I hope never to repeat.)
We spent 90 minutes working our way up and down this improvised path until at 5:40 p.m., we finally reached the actual established path.
The end of the "path" with the last person, the oldest and slowest, being helped down
Of course at this point we were still at least an hour from our final destination. The path was reasonably good, but I was so tired that I needed Olivia on several occasions. And I totally relied on my walking sticks for support. (Thank goodness my Y work has increased my upper body strength; I needed it!)
At 6:20 we had reached the flat but still had a 20 to 30 minute walk to reach the park headquarters. At that point the final disaster hit. It began to rain – not just rain but pour down in a tropical gully washer. The path turned into a muddy river which was ankle high. I was soaked to the skin. It was the appropriate culmination for this trek! We arrived at the headquarters just about7p.m. – 10 hours after beginning the hike. I took my certificate and walked next door to my lodgings, absolutely and totally exhausted. And I’d thought I was tired yesterday… !
With Olivia at the end -- drenched but so happy to be finished
Took a badly needed hot shower, declined dinner even though staff offered to bring it to my tent (I was too exhausted to eat) and was in bed before 9:30, sleeping the sleep of the dead by 9:32. Thank goodness the gorilla viewing had been so spectacular; that’s all that made the day bearable.
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