Muscling through foliage so thick it feels like I’m discovering a new planet, my foot slips. Tangled roots and rain-slicked nettles feel designed to trip you up – but as quickly as I falter, porter Bernard’s hand is there to haul me up again. Our group of eight has become silent on the hike up Mount Bisoke, not simply to conserve energy and find a firm foothold, but in awe of what comes next: seeing gorillas in the wild.
It feels epic. It is epic. Spending an hour – the maximum contact that’s allowed, per day, with each gorilla family – with these beautiful, gentle creatures is perhaps the most magical wildlife experience to be found on Earth. As we trek up Rwanda’s portion of the Virunga Mountains, we take the privilege seriously. Rwanda’s tourism infrastructure demands that we do.
