Hiking Mount Gahinga : Mount Gahinga is an extinct Volcano in the Virunga Mountains situated in the border of Rwanda and Uganda. Gahinga Mountain lies between Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Muhabura but it is the smallest of the three volcanoes. The mountain is sometimes known as Mount Mgahinga, the mountain got its name from a local Kinyarwanda means “small piles of stones” this awe-inspiring has a swampy caldera on its summit with an altitude of about 3,474 meters above the sea level and comprises of a beautiful afro-montane forest, bamboo that shelter mountain gorillas. But there are other fascinating wildlife species and birds that make up the Mt. Gahinga eco-system including golden monkeys. This is part of a chain of 8 volcanic mountains of the Bufumbira ranges. The volcano chain spans across Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mount Gahinga offers astonishingly easier volcano hikes unlike Mount Muhabura or Mt. Sabyinyo or Karisimbi volcano in Volcanoes National Park. But all in all, you should be physically well to make a complete 6 hours’ trek to the top of Mt. Gahinga in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Permits for Gahinga volcano climbing are available at US Dollars 75 and no need for prior booking. Note Gahinga volcano can be explored either in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda.
Treks to the peak of Mt. Gahinga begin at 7:00am after briefing from the park official at Mgahinga park offices. After briefing, you will get a hiking stick and in case you need services of porters, they are also available for hire at affordable price. Your first stage of trekking to Mt. Gahinga takes you via a dense bamboo forest just at its base. This is the easiest stage and interestingly, there you will get great opportunity to sight wildlife species such as buffaloes, primates. And Golden Monkeys are notable to these.
As you continue ascending, you will get to see many volcanic caves and other volcanic features occupied by bats. Gahinga volcano generally has a unique peak from that of Muhavura and Sabyinyo volcanoes. Once you reach at the top, you will find an extensive shallow crater swamp with rare sub-alpine plants including lobelia, Alchemilla and senecio.
Activities to do at mount Gahinga
Golden monkey trekking
Golden monkey trekking is a notable activity done at mount Gahinga and can only be done in the Virunga ranges in the whole world with Mgahinga having the densest population of this beautiful uncommon monkey of over 3,500. Golden monkey trekking if the popular in Mgahinga but tourists can choose to go for the golden monkey habituation experience instead. This experience allows travelers to study the apes for more than one hour under the guidance of very experienced trackers and sometimes researchers the tourists can also do a four hour golden monkey habituation experience. Golden monkeys are also a lot easier to trek compared to gorilla trekking because they don’t move and build different nests daily so they can easily be found. Golden monkey trekking starts every at 8:00 am. The permit for the golden monkeys cost $100.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla Trekking: This is the main activity in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. There is only one habituated Gorilla family in Mgahinga but with arguably the most Silverbacks for a group in Uganda. While tracking the gorillas, one can also spot other smaller primates like Colobus and golden monkeys. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga starts at 8:00am with briefing at the park offices in Ntebeko. A maximum of eight people can be allowed to trek a Gorilla group in a day and visitors only have one hour to observe them closely. Gorilla permit is now cost $ 800 in Uganda
Bird watching
The Virunga conservation area contains about 250 bird species and of which 115 can be found at Mgahinga national park and the best time to do birding here is from April to May and October to November. Some of the bird species in the park include; white necked raven, pin tailed whydah, double collared sun bird, paradise fly catcher, fire finch stonechat, olive woodpecker and Ruwenzori nightjar to mention a few.
Nature walks
The nature walks in Mgahinga National Park are arranged to allow visitors get up-close with nature. The walks are arranged to see the bamboo forests, birds, swamps like Rugezi, surrounding villages and lakes like Mutanda. During these walks, expect to encounter forest creatures, wild vegetation and the local communities living at the edge of the forest. The scenery in Mgahinga can be breathtaking especially a few weeks after the main rains have stopped.
Batwa trail
Tourists can get true experience of the traditional Batwa people believed to have lived in the forest for over 500,000 years until they were pushed away, the Batwa trail was put in place in order to restore the dignity and hope of the ancient Batwa people. You can contribute to people’s livelihoods by engaging on this activity. You can learn about the history of the Batwa people, get entertained with local traditional dances and perhaps buy some handmade crafts to take back home for remembrance
What to pack for mount Gahinga hike?
The essentials to consider on your hiking adventure in Mgahinga national park or Volcano National Park particular at mount Gahinga include long-sleeved shirt, trousers, pair of warm socks, camera, daypack, a pair of gaiters, insect repellents, sunscreens, a rain jacket, a sweater, bottled water and enough snacks, gardening gloves, waterproof hiking shoes among others.
Getting to Mount Gahinga
Mount Gahinga is about 8-10 hours’ drive from Kampala capital city. It is found within Mgahinga, Southwestern Uganda and from Kigali, it is reachable via Katuna or Chanika border about 3-5 hours’ drive. Or you can take a flight starting from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airstrip Kampala to Kisoro or Kihihi airstrip. From Kigali, you can reach Volcanoes National Park within 2-3 hours’ drive.
Where to stay while on mount Gahinga climbing tours.
There are several lodges within Mgahinga National Park that one can choose to stay for the night before and after climbing the mountain. These hotels offer budget, mid-level and Luxury service. The choice depends entirely on one’s interests and budget. The accommodation facilities include Mucha Hotel in Kisoro, Mount Gahinga lodge, Virunga Hotel, Travelers Rest Camp, Kisoro Tourists Hotel and Amajambere Iwachu community camp. For today, we focus on Mount Gahinga Lodge.
