Hiking Mount Gahinga is such a rewarding adventure on a Uganda or Rwanda safari. The activity can easily be combined with mountain gorilla trekking or golden monkey tours. It sits at the border of Rwanda and Uganda. Gahinga is a dormant volcano, found in the corridor between Mt. Sabyinyo and Mt. Muhabura, although it’s the smallest among these three volcanoes. Locally, in Kinyarwanda, this volcano’s name means a small pile of stones. One of the most interesting features of Gahinga is its swampy caldera on the mountain’s peak.
The caldera’s size is 591 feet wide. It is from this mountain that Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park attained its name. It has an elevation of 11,394 feet and forms part of the chain of the Mufumbiro ranges. It’s strategically located that Rwanda, D.R Congo, and Uganda all have a share.
Mountain Gahinga’s slopes are highly covered with bamboo vegetation and a mixture of some alpine vegetation. This vegetation has for decades been one of the reasons for the various primates along the mountain such as mountain gorillas and the golden monkeys. There are equally other monkey species in numerous numbers on the mountain’s slopes.
Compared to the other Virunga volcanoes, Gahinga is easier to hike. However, this still calls for the tourist’s fitness because there’s equally some resilience and effort required to elevate to the summit. Hiking Gahinga costs $75 and permits to participate in the hike can be purchased on the very day the visitor chooses to do the hike. This therefore doesn’t necessitate the visitors to make bookings in advance.
Climbing this mountain commences in the early morning hours, and by 7:00 am, hikers are assembled to take off. Briefing by the park officials comes first, and then grouping hikers comes next. Rangers are assigned and these help in the navigation, guiding, and most importantly, teaching the visitors about the history of this mountain and its various features. Free hiking sticks are given and therefore you don’t have to worry about hiring one. Trekkers in need of porters can hire their services at a small fee.
As visitors progress, they can view vegetation on the mountain, and fauna such as different monkey species, gorillas, and buffaloes. It’s generally a beautiful experience.
