dressing for gorillas

I've read about the boots and the gardening gloves, but in early July, is it a good idea to wear/take a raincoat/poncho and also plastic overpants?

As for a raincoat, I wouldn`t advise to bother with any.

If it's a Sunday, wear neat clothing, preferably a suit. The gorillas are rather well brought-up.

Dave

yes, boots and gloves. I wouldn't bother with raingear either. take a snack in your backpack too and water. I would also wear jeans - which I did and was very thankful.

you really should ask the primate veterinarians what bandages they use.......

chuckle...chuckle...but seriously, rrc, jeans? Weren't they heavy with mud'n'sweat? Or do the nettles really get through lighter clothing so easily?

No problem at all with jeans, though I prefer relatively thick cargo pants. Besides, you will also need a pair of hiking boots.

I wouldn't go without a rain poncho. We got some pretty heavy showers when we were trekking.

dressing for gorillas

I usually prefer a light vinaigrette (with lemon juice a good substitute for the vinegar), but I imagine gorilla is heavy enough to stand up to a hearty bleu cheese.

Seriously, jeans are OK as long as you have something else you can wear while they are being washed. The gloves are a must. As for rain gear, I would at least take enough waterproofing to protect whatever electronic equipment you'll be taking. Even if it isn't raining during your hike, the greenery may be quite wet.

really....the people on my gorilla trip with me were envious I wore jeans and they didn't. Yes! the nettles get through clothing that easily. I had lighter pants on the trip with me - quick dry travel pants - but they never would have been enough to withstand the nettles. I went in the dry season - so no mud - sweat...no.

So, have now seen those wonderful creatures. Susa Group A - a very, very long uphill slog. Have some fuel food with you - trail mix, chocolate, water. (Bring extra to share with the porters.) I could not imagine not having worn good walking boots to hold my ankles steady - those vines, slippery bamboo poles, thick vegetation, steep inclines up and down the volcano, mud. My cotton gardening gloves were NOT thick enough - buy leather ones. A long-sleeved shirt is a must, and even then I was stung just where there's a bit of skin showing when you do up the buttons at the wrist! The vegetation was wet, so jeans would have been heavy and icky - wear overpants, which also helps you not get stung.

And just do it. The guides, trackers and porters all do a wonderful job and are quite passionate about their jobs.Do tip. Just look at the villages you drive through to reach the trailhead - you have far more in your daypack than they have in their homes probably.

Glad you had a wonderful time! Do you mind elaborating a little on the Susa timings? How long did you hike once you got to the trail head? What time did your group return to headquarters? Just curious about that group. Susa wasn't available when we were there as they said the gorillas were too far up the mountain.

It was the Susa A group. Once we got to the trail head, it was about a 3 1/2 hours uphill slog. The group kept moving UP and AROUND that mountain. However once we arrived they looked as if they'd been calmly plonked there all day, just waiting for visitors. 3 silverbacks, one week old twins, rolling gorilla teenagers - amazing. I know that we were in the presence of our first gorilla at 1.32 pm, because the gorilla guide told us the exact time our hour started then. So by the time we'd spent one hour, then come back to the porters and fueled up again for the slippery descent, then a walk down through the village to the 4WD, a very bumpy drive out back onto the main road, we didn't get back to the Kinigi Guesthouse until about 6.15 pm. Obviously this is not the group you try to wangle if you have an international flight that evening.