Category: Guides/Porters

Kilimanjaro Porters – The Thomson Difference

  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…

Meet Kilimanjaro’s Porter Protectors

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…

meals on mount kilimanjaro with thomson safaris
FEATURED POST

Keeping Meals Fresh on Kilimanjaro

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…

Porters and their respective tribes

The People of Kilimanjaro

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…

Trekker Kristen with a group of porters

The 2% Club: One Trekker’s Story of Pre-Summit Descent

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.

Porters carrying gear up the mountain

What Goes Into a Kilimanjaro Trek?

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?

Orange and black porter uniforms

Outfitting Our Kilimanjaro Porters

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.

SEARCH BLOG BY TOPIC