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Trip Report: Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda - August 2022
Published October 4, 2022
The trackers, clad in their brown uniforms, led our procession, whacking down vegetation with machetes as they went. The terrain sloped gently upward through thick jungle canopy. Nettles and thistles grabbed at our clothes as we walked, but the minor discomfort was barely noticed. We were on a mission of a lifetime, and there was little if anything that could prevent us from reaching our goal.
As we broke through a line of brush into a clearing, we found a group of four other trackers in their matching uniforms. Here, we laid down our hiking poles and donned surgical masks. We pulled our cameras from their bags and followed our guide along a rough-hewn game path. He whispered something almost inaudible to my ear. But, I made out the words “gorillas” and “close.”
As we broke through a line of brush into a clearing, we found a group of four other trackers in their matching uniforms. Here, we laid down our hiking poles and donned surgical masks. We pulled our cameras from their bags and followed our guide along a rough-hewn game path. He whispered something almost inaudible to my ear. But, I made out the words “gorillas” and “close.”
We moved in a silent line as the midmorning sun moved in dappled waves across the forest floor. My glasses fogged from the jungle humidity as I scanned all around me. The idea that there were enormous and mythical creatures lying just beyond the next line of brush was strange to me. How could such an animal exist here, in a forest not dissimilar from so many others I’ve traversed? How could such an animal exist at all?!
We reached a line of brambles, and our tracker began to chop away with his machete. Waiting there, I heard a rustle and a branch break just behind me. My eyes followed the sound to a large tree with a dead limb jutting upwards. The limb swayed under some unseen force. And, an enormous black, hairy hand reached around, grasping the branch. A dark face followed, and there in front of me, casually observing the group of humans just below it, was a young mountain gorilla.
We reached a line of brambles, and our tracker began to chop away with his machete. Waiting there, I heard a rustle and a branch break just behind me. My eyes followed the sound to a large tree with a dead limb jutting upwards. The limb swayed under some unseen force. And, an enormous black, hairy hand reached around, grasping the branch. A dark face followed, and there in front of me, casually observing the group of humans just below it, was a young mountain gorilla.
High in the mountains of east Africa, there is a complex of three national parks spanning three countries. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park of Uganda, Virunga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Volcanos National Park of Rwanda combine to form what is known as Virunga Massive. This island of wilderness is surrounded on all sides by farmland. A low stone wall encircles the entire wilderness area, and just beyond this wall, the mountainsides of Virunga Massive are the last and only homeland of the mountain gorilla.
This year marked Backcountry Journey’s inaugural departure to explore Rwanda’s mountainsides alongside a group of passionate and experienced wildlife rangers to find and photograph this mythical creature. But our experience would not be limited to trekking the mountainous terrain in search of one of the most beautiful and humanlike animals in the world.
This year marked Backcountry Journey’s inaugural departure to explore Rwanda’s mountainsides alongside a group of passionate and experienced wildlife rangers to find and photograph this mythical creature. But our experience would not be limited to trekking the mountainous terrain in search of one of the most beautiful and humanlike animals in the world.
Traveling to Rwanda is an immersion into a rich and beautiful culture, but also one with the darkest of recent histories. Rwanda is a place of incredible natural beauty. It is a mountainous country with some of the most fertile volcanic soil on the continent. Nearly every inch of the country that is not occupied by structures or protected lands is covered in farmland. The vasty majority of Rwandans who do not live in the capital city of Kigali rely on subsistence farming to survive. And though it is not a wealthy country, Rwanda is exploding with culture.
From the colorful dresses that women wear to the ornate traditional baskets used to deliver gifts, it is place where bright colors are everywhere. Most people in the countryside travel by foot or bicycle. And nearly everything that must be carried, from lumber to produce, is carried on their heads.
From the colorful dresses that women wear to the ornate traditional baskets used to deliver gifts, it is place where bright colors are everywhere. Most people in the countryside travel by foot or bicycle. And nearly everything that must be carried, from lumber to produce, is carried on their heads.
Our base of operations for our gorilla treks was the town of Kinigi. This is a small town by American standards (population 27,000), but is the second largest city in Rwanda after the capital of Kigali (population 850,000). The park headquarters for Volcanos National Park are in Kinigi, and it is from here that we would begin each of our treks to see the mountain gorillas.
Over our week in Rwanda, we made three gorilla treks, and one other trek to see the golden monkeys, another critically endangered species facing many of the same dangers as the gorillas.
In Volcanos National Park, there are twenty two gorilla families. Of those, twelve have been designated for gorilla tourism while the other ten are only seen by researchers and conservation workers. Each of the twelve families that tourists may visit are assigned a group of trackers that follow the family group throughout the day. These trackers communicate by radio back to the guides so that tourist groups can be taken directly to the gorillas.
Each morning, groups of visitors assemble at the park headquarters to be assigned a guide and a gorilla family to visit. Each of the twelve families is only visited once per day and only for one hour at a time. The difficulty of the trek to see each group is highly variable depending on which group you’re trying to see and where the gorillas have decided to go that day.
Our first trek was by far the shortest. We only had to walk for about twenty minutes after crossing the stone boundary wall before finding our gorilla trackers. The second day was the longest, as it took about 1.5 hours to find the gorillas. And the third was the steepest, because the gorillas decided to descend into a dormant volcanic crater after we’d begun our hike.
Our first trek was by far the shortest. We only had to walk for about twenty minutes after crossing the stone boundary wall before finding our gorilla trackers. The second day was the longest, as it took about 1.5 hours to find the gorillas. And the third was the steepest, because the gorillas decided to descend into a dormant volcanic crater after we’d begun our hike.
All of the hikes were absolutely doable for most fitness levels. The porters and guides will do everything in their power to get you to the gorillas, whether that means simply carrying your gear or dragging you up a mountainside. Fortunately for our group, no one required carrying. But, there was another group with a person who was wheelchair bound. When I asked one of the local guides how he would get up the mountain, he informed me that the man would be carried by the porters. I guess it was his dream to see the gorillas, even if that meant being carried up a mountainside, and I understand why.
The experience of seeing the gorillas is less about just seeing as it is about sharing space with them. Visitors do not simply view the gorillas from afar. You sit with them, just feet away, as the gorillas forage, rest, or play. It is a humbling experience, to sit a couple yards from a 350 pound silverback gorilla. He could easily tear you apart. But these are peaceful animals for the most part. They are completely vegetarian, and they have been habituated to human presence.
I think that they must surely expect their human visitors each morning. Because every morning, for one hour, they sit with gorilla tourists, unbothered by their presence.
Occasionally, a young gorilla perhaps feeling mischievous, will approach someone, sometimes even make physical contact. But the local guides keep a close eye on both gorilla and human, and are quick to give instructions to prevent a negative interaction. The hour simply vanishes away. One could sit with these magnificent animals all day. But, they are wild and must be kept that way, hence the one hour limit.
Occasionally, a young gorilla perhaps feeling mischievous, will approach someone, sometimes even make physical contact. But the local guides keep a close eye on both gorilla and human, and are quick to give instructions to prevent a negative interaction. The hour simply vanishes away. One could sit with these magnificent animals all day. But, they are wild and must be kept that way, hence the one hour limit.
Over the span of the week, we visited three different gorilla families, Kwitonda, Igisha, and Agashya, respectively over the three treks. Each group had at least one large silverback male. Some had multiple big males. The rest of the groups, usually numbering between 20-35 members, consisted of breeding females, sub adults, juveniles, and newborn babies.
These animals are more like forest people than animals. Their faces are expressive and you can see deep intelligence and emotionality in them. It is this mental and emotional depth that inspired famed gorilla scientist Diane Fossey to give her life trying to protect these animals. Today, the Diane Fossey Center in Kinigi is a reflection of her deep love and work with the gorillas. Though her story is tragic, it led to the increased protection of the mountain gorilla. She, perhaps, would not have agreed with gorilla trekking, but it is undeniable the money and global interest that gorilla tourism brings to the conservation of mountain gorillas.
These animals are more like forest people than animals. Their faces are expressive and you can see deep intelligence and emotionality in them. It is this mental and emotional depth that inspired famed gorilla scientist Diane Fossey to give her life trying to protect these animals. Today, the Diane Fossey Center in Kinigi is a reflection of her deep love and work with the gorillas. Though her story is tragic, it led to the increased protection of the mountain gorilla. She, perhaps, would not have agreed with gorilla trekking, but it is undeniable the money and global interest that gorilla tourism brings to the conservation of mountain gorillas.
I feel, in addition to mentioning Diane Fossey and her death, it is important to mention what is surely the darkest chapter in the history of Rwanda. In 1994, decades long civil unrest between two economic groups, the Tutsi and the Hutu, climaxed with a genocide of biblical proportions. Emboldened and armed by the Rwandan government, Hutu militias targeted the minority Tutsi population, as well as any who supported them. Though exact figures are not clear, it is well established that over the span of 100 days, over 600,000 Rwandans were murdered in the name of the Hutu controlled government.
Neighbors turned on one another. Entire families were wiped out. It was systematic and brutal. The violence only ceased when Tutsi rebels, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), invaded from neighboring Uganda where they’d been in exile. The rebels came in, and fairly quickly overthrew the Hutu government. Many of the perpetrators of the genocide fled the country. And perhaps the most miraculous aspect of this is that the leader of the Tutsi army, Paul Kagame, ordered that no revenge killings take place against perpetrators of the genocide, thus ending the civil war.
Today, the genocide colors the fabric of Rwandan culture. Having seen the horrors of what civil war and corrupt power can do, Rwanda has become one of the most stable countries in Africa.
While civil unrest is pervasive in the Congo and close neighbor Burundi, Rwanda is a progressive although developing society. Corruption is rooted out and prosecuted at the highest levels. Because of this, Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, has become a major hub for business and the base for many NGO’s that work in neighboring countries. It has incredibly low levels of crime and is considered a very safe place for foreigners to visit.
Today, genocide memorials can be found all over the country, especially around the capital. All of these memorials mark the site of a mass grave. BCJ clients who come with us to Rwanda will have the opportunity to visit the National Genocide Memorial, to learn about what led to the genocide and all that has happened since. It is a difficult but important part of our trip, an education of what comes from hate and the importance of creating a more loving and just world for future generations.
Neighbors turned on one another. Entire families were wiped out. It was systematic and brutal. The violence only ceased when Tutsi rebels, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), invaded from neighboring Uganda where they’d been in exile. The rebels came in, and fairly quickly overthrew the Hutu government. Many of the perpetrators of the genocide fled the country. And perhaps the most miraculous aspect of this is that the leader of the Tutsi army, Paul Kagame, ordered that no revenge killings take place against perpetrators of the genocide, thus ending the civil war.
Today, the genocide colors the fabric of Rwandan culture. Having seen the horrors of what civil war and corrupt power can do, Rwanda has become one of the most stable countries in Africa.
While civil unrest is pervasive in the Congo and close neighbor Burundi, Rwanda is a progressive although developing society. Corruption is rooted out and prosecuted at the highest levels. Because of this, Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, has become a major hub for business and the base for many NGO’s that work in neighboring countries. It has incredibly low levels of crime and is considered a very safe place for foreigners to visit.
Today, genocide memorials can be found all over the country, especially around the capital. All of these memorials mark the site of a mass grave. BCJ clients who come with us to Rwanda will have the opportunity to visit the National Genocide Memorial, to learn about what led to the genocide and all that has happened since. It is a difficult but important part of our trip, an education of what comes from hate and the importance of creating a more loving and just world for future generations.
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experiences around the world.
Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.
experiences around the world.
Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.
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"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
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All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLCs - Copyright 2025
BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2025
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.