If you’re trying to explain just how high Kilimanjaro is to someone, here are a few quick comparisons. Taller than the 16 Tallest Buildings in the US Combined Have you ever visited One World Trade Center or the Empire State Building or The Ledge at Willis Tower? The panoramas from these buildings are…
Erik van Leeuwen [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons Nick Symmonds isn’t your typical mountaineer. A two-time Olympian and seven-time NCAA champion, Symmonds is a world-class athlete who just loves climbing. He became one of three runners in US history to break the 1:43 barrier in the 800-meter race and broke the 4-minute…
A test of strength and grit followed by an accomplishment you’ll never forget – could there be a better bonding activity between a father and his son or daughter? We’ve happily facilitated countless treks that have turned into special moments between fathers and their children. For Father’s Day, we’re highlighting just a few with quotes…
Only ice and volcanic rock are found in Kilimanjaro’s Ashpit. Somewhere past the snowline of Kilimanjaro, deep inside a mysterious, hidden crater, a massive elephant graveyard lays tucked away amid the snowdrifts. Countless tons of elephant remains and ivory stretch across the crater floor, if you believe the legends of Kilimanjaro’s Chagga people. When…
Living or not, glaciers are being called an endangered species by members of the scientific community. Why? Because around the world fields of ice are retreating – many at unprecedented rates. Here are the facts about Kilimanjaro’s glacier loss Kilimanjaro’s glaciers are shrinking in surface area and becoming thinner. Glacier surface area shrank by 1…
A 33-mile round-trip run up 15,177 feet, through jungle, beyond glaciers and past clouds to the highest point in Africa – then back down again. It takes the average trekker seven days. Kilian Jornet and Karl Egloff did it in around seven hours and set records for fastest ascent and descent on Kilimanjaro. Here’s…
Below the arctic peak of Kilimanjaro, a misty jungle covers the mountain slopes. Moss-covered trees, seas of ferns and elusive monkeys abound in one of the Seven Summits’ only rainforests. This is where every Kilimanjaro trek begins. Lemosho, Umbwe, Machame, Marangu, Rongai – your first step is always into a sprawling jungle filled with…
You’re never more than an inch from success and failure on Kilimanjaro; we’re talking about footwear of course. That inch of rubber and leather between your feet and the mountain is critical for the trek. Luckily, your trip doesn’t have to fall to pieces if your hiking boots do. Two of our most popular stories…
Karanga camp, elevation 13,249′ – Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Photo: David Kotz Kilimanjaro’s majesty is almost impossible to describe, but they always say a picture is worth a thousand words; photos of Africa’s highest peak convey the wonder and strange beauty of Kili immediately. Thomson Kilimanjaro trekkers regularly capture breathtaking images during their time on the mountain. The…
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…
