The
experience of a life-time. The most exciting on-the-ground wildlife
encounter possible. Two phrases that best sum up a mountain gorilla
trek, for nothing compares, and nothing can really prepare you
for the experience, for the thrill and very real sense of priveledge
one feels being in the presence of these truly great apes. This
year, because of our tight Kenya schedule, we could only do one
Rwanda trip, where, as we always do, we did five treks, visiting
five different groups.
This year, for the very first time ever, we did so without rain!
On each trek, we completed the gorilla visit and returned to our
vehicle before the rains started, which made the entire experience
that much more pleasant. This year also marked our 40th trek,
marking our eighth time to visit Rwanda, and even with our 40th
we still never grow jaded, tired, or bored with the experience,
but instead only look forward to seeing the gorillas once more.
In Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, where the mountain gorillas live, rain is a near daily event. The tall volcanic peaks snag passing moisture, building up a cloud cover even when the rest of the country is cloudless and dry. Clouds, for photographers, are a desired condition, as it reduces the contrast that can be deadly for effective photography inside the forest. Of course, clouds can also bring rain, which can be a positive point in shooting as well, although it does make the actual practise of photography a bit more difficult. One of my all-time favorite images, and a BBC winning shot, was made during the rain on a day when we were wondering whether or not we'd even be able to do the trek -- it was pouring so hard. Clouds, too, reduce the light levels, and when gorillas are in the forest, especially under the cover of bamboo, it can be darker than one could ever imagine equatorial Africa can be at 10AM in the morning. On one of our shoots we had those types of conditions, and it seems implausible that one could be using ISO 800 or 1000, at f2.8, and still be using only 1/30th of a second!
This year, because of the absence of rain, we never had a washout, literally or figuratively. Even on our toughest day, we ended with a few great images. On that day, we treked for about three miles before finally finding the gorillas on the edge of a thick bamboo forest on the edge of a steep hillside. Most of the gorillas were hidden, but a few juveniles and young adults used the only clearing as a playground, using a hanging vine as a swing. Often, gorillas would spin on the vine, making circles that, while difficult to photograph, were hysterical to watch.
Unfortunately, the gorilla guide that we normally have was
only assigned to us for only two of our treks, which was a bit
of a disappointment because our guide has worked with us for almost
all of our previous treks and he's become not only a friend but
a vital asset in our shooting. Fortunately, one of the other guides
we had in his stead was excellent, and a perfect replacement,
but we did miss the comrade of our usual guide. Frankly, I was
as much a bit disappointed because the park superintendent, now
a personal friend, was on leave, and his replacement seemed to
be going out of his way to assert his position of authority, and
I was very annoyed when he promised us cooperation that he reneged
on, without excuse, on subsequent days.
Three of the five people that joined us for the trek had traveled
to Rwanda just for the gorillas, while two others had tied on
the gorilla trek to one of our Kenya Photo Safaris. No one was
disappointed, and the group coalesced into a wonderful, congenial
fun group that we hope to see again very soon. Enough said, here,
I think the pictures will tell the real story!