A trek diary from the slopes above Lake Tanganyika — and what to pack for the forest.
Getting there
Mahale Mountains National Park is reached by charter flight to Kigoma or the park airstrip, then by boat along Lake Tanganyika. The journey is half the experience: clear water, forested ridges and no roads at all.
The trek
Trackers set out early to locate the Mimikire group. Walks range from twenty minutes to four hours on steep, humid ground. Time with the chimps is limited to one hour, at a distance of ten metres, with masks worn to protect them.
What to pack
Long trousers and sleeves, grippy boots, gardening gloves for grabbing vegetation, a dry bag for cameras, and more water than feels necessary. Afternoons are for swimming and reading — the lake is bilharzia-free along the park shore.
