Thomson sets “the premier standard for ethical treatment of Kilimanjaro porters,” according to the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP). What does that mean? Let’s talk about the specifics: pay, equipment and accountability. Some of the Highest Wages for Guides and Porters on Kili Paying guides and porters well is incredibly important to…
Imagine standing at the foot of Kilimanjaro preparing to hike 45 miles over seven days – 19,341 feet up and then back down again. You wear an old pair of sneakers, and most of your clothing and equipment isn’t mountaineering quality. You carry a 60-pound pack, balancing it on your head. Over the week, you’ll…
The fact that Thomson provides fresh meals throughout your entire Kilimanjaro trek, including fresh produce daily, comes as a surprise to many climbers. Few other companies make the effort to provide fresh, healthful food. Once you realize all the behind the scenes work that goes into Thomson’s mountain gourmet food, though, you understand why it’s…
If you look at Kilimanjaro’s history, one culture stands out as being intimately tied to the mountain: the Chagga. But the Chagga didn’t live around the foothills of Kili in isolation, and in fact, for several centuries, they weren’t a unified culture at all. Much like their neighbors (and longtime adversaries) the Maasai, the Chagga…
At Thomson, we’re proud to lead 98% of our trekkers all the way to the summit! But what about the 2% who don’t reach Uhuru Peak? Read David’s story of his early descent with his daughter who suffered from altitude sickness.
We sat down for a chat with James to learn about his life as a Thomson Safaris guide on Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Porters carry not only trekkers’ luggage, they carry the sleeping, dining, and toilet tents; the chairs trekkers rest on in camp; the gear needed to cook up meals, and the food that goes into them. So how much does all that extra stuff come out to?
Partnering with SmartWool, Thomson Safaris Kilimanjaro trekker, Karen Capaldi, managed to gather 1,200 pairs of socks to donate to the Kilimanjaro Porter’s Assistance Project. We got in touch with Karen post-Kili to learn more about what led to this incredibly generous gesture.
In 1889, Tanzanian, Yohana Kinyala Lauwo led Hans Meyer to fame as the first person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. Lauwo’s grandson follows in his footsteps and is now a head Kilimanjaro guide for Thomson Safaris!
This past season, Thomson Safaris became the first—and only company—on the Kilimanjaro to outfit our porters with professional all-weather uniforms. We tested quite a few prototype fabrics and uniforms until we finally found the right all-weather blend to provide protection from rain, wind and cold, while still maintaining comfort.
