Karisimbi peaks at an elevation of 4507m,
on the border of Rwanda and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
As the 11th highest peak in Africa, located
within the same national park as the
infamous mountain gorillas, I assumed –
naively – people would visit this park with
some frequency. A wiser soul would have
looked into this beforehand; in actuality,
roughly 100 people make the trip
annually. However, having just realized
that permits for gorilla trekking were sold
out in Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC for
months, this was our next best adventure.
After all, how much preparation could a
two-day hike possibly require?
The first day’s goal was an 1100-meter
ascent to the rest camp. Trudging around
the jungle through copious amounts of
mud, I was grateful for having
remembered rain gear. With fresh signs
and smells of buffalo, our convoy – 6
hikers, 3 porters, 2 guides and 7 military
men – were on high alert for a sighting, as
we trundled up a moderate incline
through mossy prehistoric looking trees.
“Arête,” whispered one of the guides,
causing the hair to prickle on my arms,
and forcing our group to crash to a halt.
ZENSPIRATION.ORG
Full body rock/paper/scissors to
keep warm
“located within
the same national
park as the
infamous
mountain gorillas”
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