members, is also the hardest group to reach and we were prepared for a potentially long, wet and cold trek through the steep slopes of the rain forest. We were in luck, we had arrived early enough and looked
fit enough to be assigned to Susa group. Sitting next to our guide, with the rest of the group in vehicle
ahead of us, we drove for around an hour through villages and over solidified lava flows along the base of the Karisimbi volcano to reach the point were we would start the trek. With wooden trekking poles we
set off walking through the alpine meadows. Fields of potatoes and waist high daisys boarded the grass track. The towering mist covered volcanoes made a breath taking backdrop. Women with babies strapped to
their backs worked in the fields and groups of children ran to greet us. We commented that perhaps the trek wasn't going to be as hard as we had initially thought. The guide overheard this comment and informed
us that we hadn't started the trek yet - the first 40 minutes was just the walk to the edge of Parc National des Volcans. Climbing over a knee high stone wall, we were know in the Parc which is home to the remaining 810 mountain gorillas left in the world. Initially on a track, the ascent started off gently with a gradual climb through the dense bamboo. Later we moved off the track and scrambled for hours through dense vegetation and up steep muddy hillsides, pulling ourselves up on branches and vines. The climb was strenuous and the
thin air at the higher altitude made it hard to breath. With tentative steps we cautiously climbed across a canopy of vines. Leading the group our guide sliced through hanging vines and the thick overgrowth
of stinging nettles using a machete. We had been advised to wear long sleeved clothing as we may encounter stinging nettles. What they hadn't mentioned was that we would be crawling through stinging nettles for
close to an hour and that light weight clothing would do little to protect against the nettles which easily penetrated through our layers of clothes. Our hands, arms and legs stung with the fiery skin rash. It was at
least a good distraction from our burning lungs and headache from the altitude. A group of trackers had set off an hour earlier than us to locate the group, however 3 hours into our trek the trackers radioed through advising they had not yet found them. An hour later, at an altitude of 3200 meters, our guide found discards of bamboo shoots and announced that the gorillas had passed through where we were within the last hour. Minutes later the radio crackled. The trackers had found them and we were really close! We left our bags in a clearing, taking only our cameras with us. Walking single file, the excitement and anticipation of the group could be felt in the air. The guide made our presence known through a series of calls and grunts before coming to a sudden halt. In unison the group gasped. Less than 3 meters away sat a giant silverback crunching nosily on wild celery. It was incredible to be face to face with a 400kg gorilla. No bars, no windows. A humble guest in his domain. We stood in silence watching on in amazement. We moved on after a while to
find the rest of the Susa family knowing they would be close to the silverback, the head of their family. I don't think anything can quite prepare you for the moment when you come upon a gorilla group in the wild; the first glimpse of a black juvenile climbing up a tree, it's mother watching protectively on from nearby; the rustling of foliage and crunching of bamboo as a gorilla reaches for a second bamboo shoot and when a giant silver back rises to size you up. The group was moving and foraging as they feed so we spend much of the next hour on
the move with them. While watching a fully grown female groom herself, one of the guides noticed more of the Susa group ahead and motioned for us to move forwards. The female we had been observing seemed
unfazed by the first half of our group passing by her. As I moved forward I was aware that she was starting to move. There were two paths that she could take and I was right in the middle. Not wanting to block her path, I stood still feeling fairly calm and expecting her meander past me on one of the two tracks. My heart began to beat a little faster, and was soon pounding as I realized that this 200kg gorilla is now coming directly towards me. What do I do? Do I move slowly forwards? Tip toe backwards? Crouch down? Run? My mind is racing and I think back to the briefing earlier in the day and realize with a sickening feeling that they didn't cover this. We learnt about what gorillas eat, how they breed and about the Susa group but nothing about what to do should a gorilla have you in its sights and moving at pace towards you. I am not aware of anything else around me at this stage and time is moving in slow motion. The gorilla is close enough that I can hear her breathing. Next I realize is that her giant hand is reaching towards me and that she has a firm grip on the calf of my leg. She releases her grip and I feel Cait's hand grab on to my arm pulling me backwards and she is telling me to move. As we step back I exhale not realizing that I had been holding my breath. The gorilla has now turned away and is moving in the opposite direction and Cait and I are taking steady steps backwards. The female glances back over her shoulder at us and then turns. Cait and I freeze. We stand there clinging to each as the gorilla once again is coming towards us. At this point Cait is convinced that we are going to be killed or the very least end up missing limbs or parts of our faces. Our friend Adrian, who is watching on helplessly, told us later that they look on our faces was priceless. Cait and I start backing away, and from somewhere behind the guide assures us it is ok but that we need to get
out of here. He turns and runs, leaving Cait and I no longer in danger but alone in the jungle with 29 gorillas in close vicinity. Meanwhile, Adrian, who was with the second guide and the other half of our group, is also having an up close encounter with 4 gorillas. Having found themselves surrounded by a circle of 4 gorillas, including 2 silverback, they looked to their guide for directions on what they were going to do. The guide
simply replied, "we are trapped". Nothing like stating the obvious. After a few moments one of the silverbacks moved forwards to walk off, gently backhanding the guide as he walked by sending the guide to the ground. Cait and I soon found the rest of the group and were later reunited with Adrian's half of the group. Our hour with the gorillas was now up. The walk back down was slippery in the rain and we came across another 5 gorillas on the way. It was late afternoon by the time we got back to the car, exhausted and covered in mud and with amazing memories and tales of coming face to face with gorillas in the wild. An experience we will never forget.
Axx
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