It had rained the night before my trek, I was told the trek would be difficult due to the rain and they were not kidding! There was myself, my guide, my porter and two Bwindi National Park Rangers, it was my own expedition! My porter, could not speak much English and kept saying sorry each time I slipped on mud, it made me smile he was so polite, I would definitely not have been able to complete the trek without him, he was a star helping me at every stage.

The experience was slightly more challenging due to the altitude because I was out of breath a few times but as I was the only client I was at my own pace and just stopped to catch my breath whenever required. (Note to self – need to go to the gym more!) Good waterproof boots required on this trek, the mud was a challenge let alone the steepness of the slope, how Dian Fossey made this trek, I will never know.

When we finally reached the Karisoke Research Centre area and building remnants where the staff and Dian Fossey lived I was in awe of the beauty of the trees peering out from the mist. One could only imagine how they all lived in such a magical place. My guide took me to the graves of the gorillas that Dian Fossey encountered during her time at Karisoke.

Dians grave was situated at the end next to Digits, her most favoured gorilla. This was a time for reflection of what she went through and encountered during her time here. After reading her book ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ I recognized many gorilla names on the graves and was saddened there were so many. I was so proud of myself that I actually got to see such an amazing place and grateful that it is still there for other avid travellers. Well done Dian Fossey for opening our eyes and enabling us to enjoy the gorillas today.

Thanks for reading

Author: Steppes Travel