“Pole, pole,” we heard for the 50th time that day. Slowly, slowly. The guides know more than anyone that Mount Kilimanjaro deserves respect and that means ascending gradually to increase your chances of success. Thomson guides—every one of them—are Wilderness First Responder-certified, have countless summits under their belt, and are trained on the largest arsenal of safety equipment of any Kili operator. When they talk, you listen.
The welcoming orange hue of our tents came into focus as we closed in on Karanga camp. I eagerly took the chair offered to me by my personal porter, Aggie, and I took in the cloudscape while he helped me remove my gaiters and boots. I could almost taste the three-course dinner the culinary staff was preparing.
After a spirited conversation over dumplings, our nightly blood oxygen checks, and some stargazing, I tumbled to sleep in my tent.
photo: Andy Liu
I woke to the sound of coughing coming from the tent nearby. I checked the time—3am. It was cold at Karanga camp (13,107’), but the hot water bottles the porters placed in my sleeping bag were doing their job and I was about to slip back into the overpowering deep sleep earned by a day of trekking Africa’s tallest mountain when I heard additional sounds. A zipper opening and the familiar voice of our head guide, Gabriel, asking our coughing neighbor how he was feeling.
I could hear the genuine surprise, bordering on embarrassment in my fellow trekker’s voice throughout their muffled conversation as our expedition’s stoic leader audibly fluffed his pillow to improve his sleeping posture while pressing him about his electrolyte and water consumption. Eventually, I heard Gabriel whisper “lala salama” (sleep peacefully in Swahili), the sound of the closing zipper, and the coughs were replaced by gentle snores.
Assistant Guide Philomena
Personal Porter Oscar
In addition to Gabriel, the incredible people who led the way and kept us smiling, like our Assistant Guide Philomena and Personal Porter Oscar, are some of the most enduring memories of my trek.
This wasn’t an exciting moment of our 45-mile Western Approach, but it’s one that makes me proud to work for Thomson. Gabriel has 300 summits behind him, but it hasn’t left him hardened. He was patient, sincere, and wholly invested in my trekking group’s care and experience.
As someone who works in adventure travel customer service, I was humbled by his leadership, listening skills, and personal attention amid the lofty arctic of Kilimanjaro. I trusted him and the other guides entirely—we all did—and they’re the reason we all reached the summit.
Gabriel would recognize subtle signs of altitude sickness before even the guest did. He shouldered weight from our daypacks when he saw us wavering on summit day and he led a climbing choir of porters and guides in singing to distract us when the days got long.
Experience, equipment, route options, and group size are all important factors when you’re comparing Kilimanjaro operators, but consider the people who make it possible. Thomson Trek’s greatest assets are guides like Gabriel who understand the efforts and sacrifices you’ve made to see his country and will go above and beyond to deliver an experience like no other.