What is your upcoming travel location as a hiking enthusiast? What mountain have you wanted to learn more about? We present you to Mount. Gahinga’s unique attractions, location and activities. One of the eight mountains that make up the huge Virunga massif, which runs through the three East African countries of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, is Mountain Gahinga.
Mountain Muhabura, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Nyamuragira, Mount Sabyinyo and Mountain Mikeno are other seven mountains. At the boundary of Republic of Uganda and the Republic of Rwanda, in the vicinity of Mount Sabyinyo and Muhabura lies a dormant volcano known as Mount. Gahinga. The shortest of all the other two.
Gahinga is a Kinyarwanda word that means “a tiny pile of stones” in English. It is elevated to a height of around 3473 meters above sea level. The mountain’s summit is a swampy 180m wider caldera, therefore there is plenty to view there. Bamboo plants make up the Afro-montane vegetation that surrounds the mountain. The park visitors who browse there adore this bamboo plantation. The sought-after Mountain gorillas, Golden monkeys, various birds, and more are among them. The name of Mgahinga National Park is derived from Mountain Gahinga. One of the four national parks that is home to the mountain gorilla species is Mgahinga National Park.
Only the tropical woods of African continent are home to mountain gorillas. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Virunga National Park in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo respectively are the locations offering tracking experience. These are the world’s largest species of primates. They are gregarious animals that form groups called families, each of which is headed by a dominant silverback who is in charge of guarding the family. The young are to be cared for and breastfed by the moms. The luxuriant flora that surrounds Gahinga Mountain provides a haven for these primates as well as others, not to mention the birds.
Inhabitants of the area around Gahinga Mountain are known as the Batwa people. They used to live in the forest, using the caves for shelter, going there to hunt the animals, and relying on the plants for food, medicine, and clothing. They were evicted from their longtime residence as time went on because of the need for conservation. The ex-hunters and gatherers of today still live outside the forest and cultivate for a living.
If you enjoy birds, your trip to Gahinga may introduce you to a variety of them. Among the numerous species, a select handful are particularly noteworthy. These include the dusky turtle dove, Rwenzori batis, regal sunbirds, woodpecker, speckled mouse bird, bronze sunbird, olive pigeons, olive thrush, paradise fly-catcher, and others.
What to do while at Mount. Gahinga.
Mountain Hiking.
The trek up Mount. Gahinga is one of the simpler ones in the vast Virunga ranges, so you don’t need to worry about your physical condition. Gahinga’s steep slope may be climbed in a day; it takes 5 – 6 hours, depending on one’s pace, to reach the gorgeous caldera at the top. After taking photos, one descends with smiles and wonderful memories. From either Uganda or Republic of Rwanda, you can trek.
The adventure will take place in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, not Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. While climbing, you may have the opportunity to identify several species of birds, plants, forest creatures and primates, not to mention the other mountains that make up the enormous Virunga ranges.
Briefing begins at 7:00am in the morning and is mandatory for everyone, whether they are in the Republic of Uganda or Rwanda. If you want to hike the Mountain Gahinga in Uganda, you must pay 70 USD for foreign residents and 50,000 Ugx for East African nationals.
This price is per day and includes the cost of park entrance fee, cost of the guide, but not the cost of meals, cost of a porter if one is required, cost of a tent for those who want to spend the night on the mountain or gratuities.
Packing for Mount. Gahinga Hike
You shouldn’t pack too much because it can be expensive to transport it all because a porter may be needed. The following should be noted because the list is flexible and can be expanded or compressed. An excellent camera for taking pictures, binoculars for seeing far-off objects, a warm sweater, sturdy hiking boots, long pants, a raincoat, a long-sleeved shirt, and more.
Best time to Visit Gahinga mountain.
Mountain Gahinga welcomes guests all year round. But when it comes to weather, the best times to go hiking are from June to early September and from December to February because there is less risk of excessive rain, which can make the terrain slick and make hiking difficult. On your tour of Gahinga Mountain, you can also do gorilla trekking, bird watching, photography, and see golden monkeys.
Virunga range of mountains, which consist of eight dormant mountains include Gahinga Mountain. You should spend a day exploring it in addition to just being familiar with its name. Driving time from Kampala to Mgahinga National Park is around 9 to 11 hours, compared to 2 to 3 hours from Kigali, Rwanda to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
