One of the most important factors when climbing Kilimanjaro is your Guides and Porters. It will be their knowledge, assistance and support that will get you safely to the summit and down again!
We work with one of Tanzania’s premier guide companies, who have been leading treks on Kilimanjaro for over twenty years and during that time they have led thousands of trips across all routes.
Your guides are among the best qualified and experienced on Kilimanjaro and unlike other operators, they are all Tanzanian. All the guides we use speak excellent English, and in addition to their knowledge and experience of Kilimanjaro they have received training in; first aid, mountain rescue, local flora and fauna, and history of the mountain and are registered with Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA).
Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP)
Climb Kilimanjaro also supports Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) which was founded in 2004 with the aim of improving the working conditions of porters on Mount Kilimanjaro and other hiking areas in Tanzania.
A set of guidelines had been drawn up by KPAP which include:
- Porters must me appropriately dressed for the trek with warm and waterproof clothing
- Porters must be adequately fed on the trip
- The load carried per porter must be limited to 20 kgs
- There must be adequate porter to client ratios; 2 porters per client on the Marangu Route, 3 porters per client on the on Rongai, Machame, Shira, Umbwe routes, 3 – 4 on the Lemosho Route.
- Porters, guides and cooks must be provided with a set wage.
- Clients should be advised to tip staff appropriately for their services at the end of the trek.
All of the porters used by Climb Kilimanjaro are members of Kilimanjaro Porters Assistancer Project (KPAP) and benefit from a variety of resources available to them including:
- Language classes
- Classes in environmentally sustainable tourism
- Healthcare and first-aid classes
- Training in providing customer services
- Classes to know their rights
- Legal advise
- Assistance in micro-finances to improve their family’s living conditions
- Guarantee of an education for their children
- Year-round employment possibilities
- Access to an affordable equipment and clothing store