Picture this: it is your third day on the Western Approach, and you are crossing the Shira Plateau. Everything is going well – the weather’s better than expected, the sights are astonishing, and everyone is in good spirits – when it hits you: a low rumble. you are hungry. You had a good breakfast,…
Aside from its stunning sights, gorgeous glaciers, and its unique standing as the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro is known for its accessibility when compared to the rest of the Seven Summits. It doesn’t require climbing expertise or gear, meaning there are no ropes, ice picks, harnesses or falls to worry about – all…
View of Kibo from Barranco Valley Once you’ve left the lush canopy of Kilimanjaro’s tropical rainforest – up ahead lie miles of meadows carpeted with scrub and everlasting wildflowers. There are trickling streams banked by green peat moss. Through the morning mist, you can see candelabra-shaped groundsels with gnarled branches thrust up from the earth.…
Sweat. Aches. Pains. Dust. Cold. Fatigue. Is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro even worth it? Ask any Thomson trekker who’s stood on the Roof of Africa: they’ll answer with a resounding, “YES, ABSOLUTELY!” For many, Kili was the first in a lifetime of adventures. It was the triumph that revealed their inner strength. It was one…
My name is Angela Woods, and I’m the Manager of Guest Services here at Thomson. I just got back from an adventure that will forever be etched in my memory – trekking Kilimanjaro, the “Roof of Africa”! I undertook this challenge with my amazing sister, best friend and biggest cheerleader, Ashley. For years, Kilimanjaro has…
What are the best boots for climbing Kilimanjaro? At minimum, 30 miles will stand between you and the top of the tallest freestanding mountain on the planet. Not any old boot will get you there. The right boot will make a world of difference in terms of your comfort, blister mitigation and overall success. For…
My name is Eunice Joseph. I was born and raised in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. I’m a porter at Thomson Safaris, and I really love my job! What do you like about your job? Being a porter is important to me for several reasons. It has helped me support my family financially as…
Your boots are laced tight. The rainforest fog is thick. Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped peak looms overhead. It’s day one of your trek, and you’re busy anticipating the challenge that lies before you. Little do you know about the challenges that lay behind you! Every Thomson trek requires an enormous amount of logistical organization just to make…
Each trek is different, but on average, it takes about 225 pounds of total luggage per trekker to get to Kilimanjaro’s peak and back. No one would be able to trek Mount Kilimanjaro without a porter.
How far will you go for family? For sisters Angela and Ashley, the sky is the limit–literally. This spring, they’re climbing into the clouds on a 19,341′ quest to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro! Angela Woods is Thomson’s Manager of Guest Services and a Kilimanjaro veteran—she lives and breathes Tanzania, and knows every trekking route,…
