Gorilla tracking in Uganda’s Bwindi Park is a satisfying test of endurance

From erratic weather to impossibly coarse terrain and aggression from wild animals, tracking mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda is a breath-taking travel experience, but also a test of endurance.

The landscape here is as dramatic as it is perilous, what with steep hills, rocks and high cliffs. In this area characterised by soft, clay-loam soil and heavy rain that falls virtually all year long, landslides are a common occurrence, sometimes with catastrophic results.

Our expedition started at 7am from Four Gorillas Lodge, an eco-lodge in Rushaga, cutting through muddy tracks on a misty, cold morning to the park. It had rained heavily on the previous night. As we navigated the sharp bends up to the camp, we encountered several mudslides, some too frightfully close to human habitat.

A miscalculation by the driver would plunge the vehicle into either a river or down the cliff, a possibility that made the experience all the more nerve-racking.

Gorilla tracking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Rushaga, southwestern Uganda. PHOTO | JAMES KAHONGEH | NMG

The jungle of Bwindi is christened ‘‘Impenetrable’’ for a reason. The vegetation here is dense, the undergrowth even more compact with twigs…