Gorilla Trekking for Special Needs/Disabled People
Mountain gorillas live on higher elevations that require people who want to trek the families to be in good physical shape which can be difficult for the elderly and disabled people. Some mountain gorilla families live on very higher elevations which makes the families very hard to trek.
Gorilla trekking is one of the most sought tourists’ activities in Africa Uganda, Democratic republic of Congo and Rwanda have not limited the life time experience to the disabled. Mountain gorilla trekking has been made possible for the disabled and even the elderly through a couple of measures.
Sedan Chairs
Sedan chairs are a type of chairs made with two metals with a seat inclined in between them.. After the briefing about mountain gorillas in the morning of trekking, allocation of gorilla families is done according to ability and age. The disabled will be carried by potters in sedan chairs and will move with the rest of the group to the jungle.
The disabled trek with their potters without being put down until the gorilla family you’re trekking is found, once you reach the family you will then be put down for better observation of one hour and take photos.
Stretchers
Stretchers are made out of bamboo sticks and are also used for carrying the disabled and elderly for gorilla trekking by potters. The best time for trekking mountain gorillas applies in all gorilla trekking national parks in Uganda, Congo and Uganda. The best time is in the dry season of June to September and December to February, visiting during the low season can disrupt your experience because of too much rain hence making it hard to trek.
Cost of sedan seat stretcher
Tourists with disabilities should book the seats in advance before travelling to the country for gorilla trekking and also inform the park authorities or their condition in advance. The sedan seat chairs and bamboo stretchers cost about $300 per person but sometimes the price varies according to the clients’ weight and distance to be moved.
