Looking back retrospectively, it was not by choice to hike the 3 mountains in virungas in descending order, Muhabura, Sabinyo then Gahinga. It happened by mere coincidence. It taught me not to only look out for the altitude gain, but to appreciate the unique nature of each mountain.
This time I assembled a team of four setting off from Kampala. We planned a one-night stay in Mbarara to allow our bodies enough travel rest. The journey from Kampala to Kisoro can have its toll (486 km and about 8 hours by road). However, with good planning, this can turn into a gratifying road trip. On this particular trip, the one stop was for rest and so we minimized the distractions on the road. Many ideas can crop up if the mind is not tamed.
After night’s stay in Mbarara, we embarked on the road, with a brief stopover in Kabale. We arrived earlier in Kisoro town and we were able to visit the Mgahinga information center in the town. On the two previous occasions it had eluded us since we would arrive a bit late. The rangers are usually friendly, since we had means, we would further be briefed at Ntebeko the next day before the hike.
Kisoro town has a number of spots with decent accommodation. We located one, our generous host had some renovations at his humble aboard so we had to get one of the resorts for a night’s stay. As now had become the norm, with the first cock crow, our day packs were ready and we headed off to start the hike. I must emphasize that we had mastered the checklist for our day packs.
On arrival, the park rangers and guides were in the vicinity, they opened up the center and took us through the brief about the park. Sabinyo and Gahinga share the same information center, the brief is as interesting as the hike. On this hike we had two experienced guys, a friend and myself, one who had attempted Muhabura and stopped at the first hut, plus one to whom this was a totally new experience. This was a great mix.
We started the hike a few minutes past 8am. The hike takes you through grasslands and an extensive Bamboo-forest cover. It is also worth noting that one member of the team was a bit unfit and this took its toll on him. Once we reached the mountain base (2,845m asl), this fellow could not believe this was the start of the hike up. Another indicator at this point is a wooden staircase (more less make-shift ladder) There is also a couple of rocks, which are mostly dry and easy to navigate with good hiking boots or shoes.
On the way up, one notices altitude gain with sneak peeks into the town below. We actually had one of the porters we had used on the previous hike to Sabinyo. These are the unsung heroes in the mountains. They diligently help hikers with daypacks or any other load. Gahinga is a fair hike to the summit which elevates to 3474m asl. We were rewarded with an astonishing sight of a swamp at the top. This is a magnificent sight, described geologically as a caldera. A caldera is a depression with forms when a volcano erupts and collapses. A sui generis swamp with a panoramic cover of amazing vegetation.
There is a diversion route where we caught the view of mount Muhabura, strikingly elevating to kiss the sky. On the way down we got to see some monkeys and deer. Gahinga has a sizeable bamboo forest cover and is a great habitant for these animals. The guides reckoned it would be unfortunate for hikers not to see a couple of animals. The way down was smooth and were able to reach the information center by early afternoon. We headed to Kabale town and stayed the night, and returned to Kampala the next morning.
“You never climb the same mountain twice, not even in memory. Memory rebuilds the mountain, changes the weather, retells the jokes, remakes all the moves” (Lito Tejada-Flores)
Mount Gahinga Experience (3Ps Highlight)
Purpose
One-day hikes instill discipline which is very inspirational. This particular one was in preparation for another major hike. The virungas offer good hike experiences that allow you to relax and recover in the evening. The scenic views are impressive, the culture, and people are interesting in this area, so it goes without saying that the experiences stay with you for a life time.
Plan
We had to schedule a weekend with a Friday to spare. This was pivotal to the plan. We had a road trip experience from Kampala to Kabale with a stop-over in Mbarara. The gear situation was sorted. Mountaineering gear is quite expensive so it’s better to build over time.
Physique
Body conditioning here involved some jogs and walks in my residential neighborhood. The target was a minimum of 40km per week (alternating in 7-day period)
