Climb with Us

About Us

Home

  Contact us:
  phone: + 44 (0)1424-445837
  email us now

Testimonials

The following are letters and emails sent in by trekkers who have climbed with us over the past few months. We try to keep this section up to date, and delete messages that are what we consider ‘old’ - rather than relying on recommendations that are years old to advertise our treks.

Of course, all these messages are genuine. Some of the people have expressed a willingness to be contacted by potential trekkers to talk about their experience with us; so if you are interested in climbing with us we can organise this.

Anyway, hope you find them useful:

From: Graeme Smith (reached the summit via the Unique Rongai Route, 24 January 2012):

Hi Henry, Just got home and catching up with everything. I did the climb with Lewis Carey And I must thank you for everything you did for us. The climb went off without any problems and Team Kilimanjaro were excellent in every aspect of the preparation and back up support even after the climb and the Safari. So thanks Henry and your team and Team Kilimanjaro.

Graeme Smith

From: Mick Roberts (reached the summit via the Unique Rongai Route, 29 October 2011):

Hi Henry

At last I've got around to contacting you.

What a fantastic experience!! "Enjoyed" every minute - if enjoy is the right word.

Standing on the summit on my 60th was a rather emotional experience to say the least. It brought me to tears!!

The book proved invaluable on a number of occasions. I heeded your advice on wearing as much of the essential clothing and not packing it. True to your advice my luggage did not arrive with me on the same plane. Joshua our guide made arrangements to provide any equipment and clothing that might be needed. However in the morning he did inform me that it had been found but we would have to go the airport to collect it.

Even the need for the fold-up trowel was called upon - not for what you might think - but to dig a trench around the tent to divert the water running through it.

Joshua the head guide obviously knew his stuff (154 times up the mountain!) He was always ther when needed - although never in your face. He, Ibrahim and Julius were brilliant and were on hand when I had a couple of falls (not serious). They were on the descent when I think I was just exhausted!!

I can understand why you have become a Kili nut. I have got the bug - not to do Kili again - but maybe some other challenges. I was so fortunate doing Kili that I did not suffer any effects of altitude sickness which allowed me to enjoy the whole experience.

Once again thank you very much for your help and prompt replies. I have a friend who has stated his interest in doing Kili so I shall certainly be pointing him towards your book and booking through yourselves.

Cheers for now

Mick

From: Fiona Riddoch (reached the summit via the Alternative Lemosho Route, 28 October 2011):

Hi Henry

I hope you are well. I just wanted to send you a quick email to thank you for all your help in our preparations for Kili.
We had an amazing time and made it to the top at 6.15am last Friday, utterly shattered (I took a cold with me - not a good idea it would appear as I couldn't stop coughing every time we stopped walking. It also stopped me from sleeping properly). Our Scottish friends were the perfect trekking companions - we were all very like-minded in many things, including our determination to get to the top and also our mindless obedience to our guide. We were quite surprised at the end when he thanked us, as it never occurred to us to do anything other than what he told us to do!

I am sure I can think up some feedback for you... The book was excellent - really helpful. If I am wrong, excuse me, but I think you had walking sticks down as 'desirable' - but I would say they are essential (and I have never used sticks before, and was last to get them out!)

Overall I wouldn't fail to recommend TK and your services to other people.

I was wondering if you could let me know the postal address for the TK office in Arusha, as I have written a card I want to send to the guide and assistant guides, which I'd like to send sooner rather than later. They were absolutely fantastic, and I have missed them this week! I have emailed the TK address from the web but not had any response.

Best wishes

Fiona

From: Anne and John Funnell (reached the summit via the Lemosho Route, 9 October 2011):

Dear Climb Mount Kilimanjaro and Team Kilimanjaro,

We have recently returned to the UK following our wonderful holiday in Tanzania and would like to take this opportunity to express our great satisfaction with the holiday experiences that we encountered on both the safari to Lake Manyara, the Serengeti Plain and the Ngorongoro Crater and our eight day trek on Kilimanjaro culminating in the memorable climb to Uhuru Peak on the 9th of October.

The first experience we had in Tanzania was at the charming, welcoming and friendly Onsea House Inn on the outskirts of Arusha; here we enjoyed a wonderful meal and a peaceful nights sleep before our excursion into the hinterland of Tanzania to enjoy the wonders of the wildlife during our five day safari with our friendly and knowledgeable guide Reginald. Reginald had an innate sixth sense about where wonders of the African animal kingdom could be viewed and experienced, and his enthusiasm certainly enhanced our enjoyment of the sights we were fortunate enough to encounter. We were truly lucky in being spectators to some spectacular events and Reginald's understanding of our wishes and his relaxed manner to our patient observation as events unfolded greatly enhanced our very special safari. Our desire was to see leopard and cheetah in particular and we were rewarded in spades.

On returning from safari it was a treat and pleasure to enjoy the luxury and comfort of Onsea and once again indulge in the imaginative and delicious offerings from the chef.

Our next adventure unfolded with our introduction to Jacob (guide), James (assistant guide), Nico (cook), Kalisto (waiter), Lucas (waiter), Emanuel (porter), Mkare (tent crew), Emanuel (porter), Josephat (porter), Masai (dish washer), Lukas (porter) and Silvanus (toilet crew), who constituted our support team for our next challenge, the assault on Kilimanjaro (rather ‘Kili’s’ assault on us!).

We cannot commend enough the professional, cheery and attentive team who made our ambition to climb ‘Kili’ not only possible but memorable for the great atmosphere generated and sense of being a part of a team effort whose goal was to ‘get us to the top’ safely &successfully but also enjoy the whole experience moment to moment. Nico’s cooking was a revelation; we were constantly amazed at what he could produce from his cook tent, it was not only tasty & varied but nutritionally just what was needed to give us the best chance to succeed with the extreme physical exertions that our systems were subjected to. Weight loss was expected, weight gain was achieved!

The team was led by Jacob who impressed us with his experience, confidence and competence. He imbued us with the sense that we could achieve our goal under his careful guidance. On the final night he really came into his own with his amazing focus and attentive support when mental resolve was flagging and physical strength was waning. It was a truly emotional moment when Stella Point was reached with much encouragement and support from Jacob. We greatly value Jacobs contribution to us succeeding in safely getting to Uhuru and down again.

Jacob and we were ably assisted by James who was quietly calm and attentive to our needs and condition and had a wonderful knack of setting a perfect pace on some of the most difficult sections of the ascent. We believe James will have a great future as a guide once he has completed his training and is a great asset to the team. He was very sensitive to our needs as clients and climbers and always anticipated accurately what interventions he considered appropriate to ease our progress, minimise our distress and ensure our success. We wish him the success he deserves.

It was a delight to share our experiences and success with such a terrific group of people; they not only made the whole experience possible but also made us feel we were amongst friends. Had we not got to the summit we would still have been enriched by the challenge and the camaraderie.

We hope Team Kilimanjaro value & acknowledge Jacob and his selected team, (as we do), for true and valuable ambassadors of the company that they are.

Our final visit to Onsea House was like going home and the wonderful attentive service and the shower were the best treat’s imaginable after our exertions.

Very best regards from two very happy summiteers',

Anne & John Funnell.

From: Sue Whittick (climbed via Alternative Lemosho Route, 7-14 September 2011)

Henry,

I trekked with your team from the 7th to the 14th September up the Lemosho route, I was in one of the Ali Swales groups led by Tom our guide. I wanted to contact you to let you know what a great experience it was & how the team who took us were amazing. Tom was the guide leading our team with George and Gabriel as assistant guides, all of whom made it so interesting & memorable as well as a great time. The whole team were amazing, working so hard & with so much enthusiasm & energy from the time they met us right to the end of the trek, always with a great attitude & so much care. The food was amazing - how Sukuru, (may not be spelt right) & his team were able to consistently prepare & come up with such great food whilst climbing up Kilimanjaro we couldn't imagine. The guys who brought us a hot drink early each morning always had a smile & had such a great attitude however early it was & were the same late in the day, however hard the climb or how late it was. Tom took great care of us, checking we were all ok, letting us know daily what the next day had in store & how to prepare for it & alongside George & Gabriel pointing out things of interest & answering our questions. George was often our pace-setter & Gabriel was full of information, they were a great team & we couldn't have asked for more, we greatly appreciated our team & the experience they gave us. We did try to let them know but also wanted you to know how they made our experience of climbing Kilimanjaro so great & memorable.

Many thanks,

Sue Whittick

From: Dorina Abramovici (climbed via Machame Route, 8-14 September 2011)

Hi Henry,

I would like to thank you for helping my husband and I achieve our goal: to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. When I started I was unsure if I would reach the top; in the last days prior to our departure I was really scared and even did my will. (Seriously!)

I had no idea how lucky I was to have the people from Team Kilimanjaro helping us. While on the mountain I was able to compare the different trekking companies and their methods as well as their people and the way they were organized; definitely part of our success was due to TK.

Specially, our guide Guido, was paying attention of our capabilities, our worries and fears. He then decided to have a day summit instead of night summit; that proved to be the best for us.

There are a lot of things to say and I don't want to take your time. I just want to let you know that we are very happy customers and if any of my friends or co-workers would like to do the same trip we did, I would definitely recommend you. We also had the privilege to meet David in our way back to the Airport.

All the best

Dorina Abramovici

From: Stephen Smith (climbed via Unique Rongai Route, 6-12 September 2011)

Dear Henry,

I just wanted to write and tell you how much we enjoyed our entire time in Tanzania, especially the trek up Kili! The summit assault, in particular, will forever be one of the hardest, and one of the most incredible, experiences of my entire life. The sense of fear and uncertainty as you endure what seems like a never-ending climb up to Gilman’s Point (don’t look up), followed by the huge wave of relief and sense of accomplishment when you know for certain that you’ll reach the summit is impossible to accurately describe. The fact that we made it to the summit, and in great condition, is a true testament to the hard work and professionalism of the TK team that traveled with us. Our guide, Deo, our assistant guide, Godlove, and all of the rest of our crew were amazing, from setting up camp long before we arrived, to cooking incredible meals in the middle of nowhere (grilled cheese and cream of mushroom soup for lunch at Second Caves is particularly memorable), to giving impromptu Swahili lessons during dinner or a pumziko la maji. I have never seen soldiers work harder, and always with a smile. Overall, it was the greatest adventure I have ever experienced and the fulfillment of a 20-year-old dream to climb what we absolutely consider to be God’s Greatest Mountain!

A few quick observations based on our experience, for what they’re worth:

- Route – Could not recommend the Unique Rongai trek more highly. Looking back, it’s incredible how many aspects of Kili we were able to observe on this route. The views around Mawenzi and on the Saddle are also stunning. Moreover, the acclimatization advantage of going to Mawenzi Tarn and then spending the night at Third Caves cannot be overstated, especially for those of us with no high altitude experience.

- Diamox – we took 125mg twice a day from Rongai gate to Third Caves, then 250mg twice daily through the summit assault. Our experience was that it definitely aided our acclimatization, along with our choice of route, with the only side effect being a mild tingling in the hands or feet. However, it is not a miracle drug and won’t completely prevent altitude-related headaches or nausea if one is prone to them. In short, Diamox is no substitute for proper acclimatization, but, if there are no real adverse side effects, there’s nothing wrong with stacking the deck.

- Gear – TK rental equipment was of high quality and in great condition. We ended up renting gaiters, which helped quite a lot to prevent our pants from getting too dirty and to keep scree out of our boots. Sleeping bags, poles and head torches worked very well. Also, although you do stress it in the book a few times, please reinforce the need to bring a balaclava on summit night. I foolishly left mine at the hotel thinking a fleece watch cap was enough. It wasn’t.

- Tipping – one of the first topics we discussed with our guide during our initial meeting, which helped very much in determining how we would approach it. Recommend trekkers have this conversation with their guide early to ensure there is no confusion at the end, when everyone is tired and ready to go home.

- Lodging – Onsea was like a dream, especially after the long, crowded flight from Amsterdam. Dirk and his family, Axel, Andrew and the entire staff were extremely nice, welcoming and helpful, the room was very comfortable and spacious with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside, and the food was fantastic! Also, the new guest cottages look amazing! I wouldn’t stay anywhere else and I intend to recommend Onsea to anyone going to climb Kili or just on safari.

Regarding the safari, everything went smoothly as well. Reginald, our driver-guide, was very friendly and had great knowledge of the terrain and of the local flora and fauna. The balloon safari was also an excellent idea and enabled us to see parts of the Serengeti that we wouldn’t have (and take incredible photos as well). My only caution is the selection of lodging. The Serengeti Sopa Lodge and the Seronera Wildlife Lodge are light-years apart quality-wise. I would warn people that Seronera is very crowded, VERY noisy and the service is sub-par. Its only saving grace is its location, dead center of the park. Would recommend people check out the reviews on Trip Advisor to determine where they want to stay, or at least steel themselves for where they must stay. Otherwise, the safari portion of our journey was a terrific experience!

Finally, thanks so much for all of your help in organizing such a wonderful trip! From our first e-mail asking about dates, your timely, helpful responses and all of your work behind the scenes to coordinate lodging, gear, safaris, balloon safaris, and all of our other requests were critical in preparing us for the trip and we are very grateful for your kind assistance. The services that TK provided were superb as well. From pick-up at the airport to drop-off two weeks later, TK ran a very efficient, well-organized operation and follow a very practical philosophy in their approach to planning treks and taking care of their staff. David from TK, whom we met at Onsea before and after our safari, was also very helpful and ensured all went smoothly during execution. I also must say that your book should be required reading before anyone attempts the trek. It was spot-on in every detail, making the trek very predictable. Just knowing when the weather would be clear (mornings clear, afternoons cloudy, evenings clear, like clockwork) or that reaching the rocky portion of the “Kibo Huts” route to Gilman’s Point meant we were close, or that a headache at Mawenzi Tarn was normal and nothing to worry about alleviated much anxiety and gave us great confidence that we (sort of) knew what to expect and were prepared for it. In short, thank you very much for organizing a dream-come-true vacation and making our first time in Tanzania a wonderful experience that we can’t wait to repeat (maybe on Lemosho next time)!

Warmest regards,

Stephen Smith

From: Ted O’Brien (climbed via Unique Rongai Route, 28 August-3 September 2011)

Hi Henry,

Just wanted to circle back and thank you for all of your help in organizing the trip. Nic, Tim and I had a great time, and Helen and Melanie were great company to climb with.

Everything went fairly seamlessly. Out guides and porters were all cordial. Assistant Guide Maxim (spelling?) was overwhelmingly our favorite – helpful, conversational, knowledgeable, and very pleasant to climb with. Our group spent a good deal of time hiking under his lead, and I wanted to let you know that we all thought highly of him. We also took note that Andrea (?) the waiter worked exceptionally hard on our trip. The food from Boniface was delicious.

Frederick was a good guide, and his experience was evident, however the language barrier prevented us from really communicating with him at times. His energy on the mountain was great.

Our safari guide Martin was good, but somewhat reserved.

If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.

Anyway, thanks for everything!

Regards,

Ted

From: Fiona FIelding (reached the summit via the Unique Rongai Route, 13 August 2011):

Hi Henry

Just tidying up emails having returned from Africa and came across our emails from earlier this year.

I had a wonderful time climbing Kili - a challenge but an amazing one. The Tanzanian team, lead by Deodatus Naali, was incredible. Who supports you up the mountain is what matters really - not which company you go with. Deodatus was just fabulous knowing how we all felt before we actually felt it!!! He was ever vigilant regarding everything - us climbers, the porters, the water, the campsite (current and tomorrows), the equipment, the weather, communicating with the office, giving us our messages, the food, the cooks, the other groups on the mountain, the toilet, tents….. I was surprised at just how circumspect he was especially with a group of 8 climbers and 29 guides/cooks/porters. I was impressed at the consideration he gave to all on the trail - no just those he was directly responsible for but for everyone, from junior porters in other teams (I observed him helping a junior porter get up a steep rock face - he helped the young man but also offered him advice and a word of encouragement as the young man smiled a grateful smile rather than looking embarrassed at having to be helped) to other mzungu climbers. We were all grateful for Deodatus' leadership and care.

And Vincent the cook was wonderful too. I know being gluten free and vegetarian meant extra work but Vincent always gave me delicious food. It was my 50th birthday up there and Vincent, who didn't know this before hand, managed to make me a gluten free cake with decorations. I cried - making a GF cake in a conventional kitchen with all ingredients and a recipe available can be somewhat challenging (GF cakes do NOT rise easily) but to make a GF cake up Kili - no shops, no oven, only camping ingredients, no recipe and having never made one before..….. an extraordinary effort and top score for ingenuity. I was deeply touched by the effort Vincent put in and the effort Deodatus went to to teach the porters "Happy Birthday" in English. The scene of over 20 Tanzanian men walking towards me singing Happy Birthday in their beautiful rich voices on the slopes of Kilimanjaro with Vincent and Deodatus at the front, Vincent with THE birthday cake and a chef's hat, is permanently etched into my "special moments of my life" memories. You are fortunate to have these capable and lovely men to support your business - they obviously greatly contribute to the success of your business.

Wishing you all the best Henry for the festive season and into 2012 - the year of great mystery!!

Warm regards

Fiona

From: Gwin Bompas (climbed via Unique Rongai Route, 26 July - 1 August 2011)

Henry,

On behalf of our group, i just wanted to sincerely thank you, not only for the all the arrangements and for all the advice you gave us in preparation for our recent ascent of Kili, but also to thank you for your recommendation of Team Kilimanjaro- they were superb on the
Mountain and really professional.

Of the 11 of us 9 made the summit, with the dreaded AMS hitting my son
from about 3000m and we decided at 4200m for him to descend, and my wife
just getting to Gilmans Point- a truly memorable experience

Thanks again, and i will certainly have you and TK as highly recommended to others that may follow.

Best regards

Gwin Bompas

From: Sean Flynn (climbed via Unique Rongai Route, 10-16 July 2011)

Hi Henry

I have arrived back to depressing Dublin after a truly amazing trip. I would like to thank you and the team at T.K who were outstanding and made out trip so memorable. We got to climb inside the crater, touch the ice and see the ash pit and while it was tough at the time I am so glad and privileged to have be able to achieve that. The service we received on the mountain was first class and Simon , Max , Sandy and all the gang we truly amazing in every aspect of the climb. It was clear to see after a few hours’ climbing that we had made the right choice and our entire teams summit success was in no small part down to the professional service provided each day with a cheerful smile. If you want to use this mail for a testimonial or would like a separate one I would be glade to facilitate.

Thanks again for your first class service I will be recommending you to anyone I hear wanting to climb. What next that's now the question????

Kind Regards

Sean Flynn

From: Carol and Bob Niegisch, Megan Niegisch, Jenny Wasserman, Dylan Lucas (climbed via our Machame Route, 17-23 June 2011)

We just got home from a climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro with Team Kilimanjaro organized through Henry Stedman. The trip exceeded our expectations! Everything went smoothly from start to finish. We thoroughly enjoyed our entire group of guides and porters. Everyone was so friendly, knowledgeable, and positive. It seemed that every detail was attended to and we had nothing to worry about - just enjoying the trip and the views. (I have to add, the portable toilets were a very pleasant surprise, and helped a lot!). The tents and sleeping pads were also excellent and very comfortable for sleeping.

We knew we were in good hands from the start with our chief guide Leo. He demonstrated experience and confidence and we knew he was watching us closely throughout the trip for any signs of trouble with the terrain or altitude. He accommodated a special request from Bob and Dylan to take them to the crater on summit day after we all reached the top together. We could also see he had good rapport with the other assistant guides and porters and everyone worked well together. Our assistant guides, Guido and Rama were also fantastic - confident, knowledgeable , and friendly. Guido climbed up Lava Tower with Bob and Dylan which was a great experience for them! We felt comfortable at all times with our guides - they made it easy for us to enjoy the experience fully.

The food was excellent - well prepared and presented thanks to our wonderful cook Chocura (?spelling). He went above and beyond by making me (Carol) a cake for my birthday, and everyone celebrated with me at lunch on June 20! Our meal servers Christofer and Yuma were great - positive, fun, and friendly and always willing to teach us some Swahili! We felt totally spoiled waking up to hot tea in the morning served in our tents, and by having a table, chairs and a tablecloth everyday for lunch on the trail! We were totally in awe of all the porters who carried all the equipment and supplies with such ease over the rough terrain and always had everything set up for us when we arrived at camp in the afternoon.

Summit day was amazing. We all felt well acclimatized and excited. Some of us felt the accent was more difficult than others but we all made it in good condition thanks again to our great team of guides (Leo, Guido,Rama,Christofer, and Sagali) who provided us with support (carrying backpacks, walking slowly with us from Stella point to Uhuru, and helping us down), and constant encouragement. A special thanks to Leo for helping Megan as she experienced some nausea and vomiting on the way up, but persevered and got through it and made it to the top feeling good! Also special thanks to Christofer and Guido who were so patient with me (Carol) coming down slowly.

I think I can speak for all of us when I say this trip was one of the most physically challenging things most of us have ever done, and we worked hard to get ready. It was one of the most AMAZING experiences of our lives also! We credit our team of guides, porters, and Team Kilimanjaro's well planned climbing program for giving us the optimum experience (we all felt good throughout the trip and thus could enjoy the total experience) and for getting us all to the top and back safely and comfortably.

If possible please communicate our sincere thanks again to our climbing team.

Sincerely,

Carol and Bob Niegisch

Megan Niegisch

Jenny Wasserman

Dylan Lucas

From: Martyn Roberts (climbed via our Unique Rongai Route, 10-16 June 2011)

Hi Henry

Thank you so much for the wonderful organisation of our trek up Kilimanjaro. All five of our group made it to Uhuru Peak at 7am Tanzanian time last Wednesday (15 June) which was a brilliant achievement. Everything went really smoothly from start to finish.

Our crew of 20 was excellent though I must give special mention to our guides Jacob, Max and Joseph as well as the cook Vincent. Nothing was too much trouble for them and it is fair to say that without the efforts they put in some of us may not have made it to the top or safely down for that matter ! I should be grateful if you could pass on to Team Kilimanjaro my thanks for the superb organisation generally and the fantastic job done by Jacob and his colleagues.

Oddly enough at Uhuru Peak I met Chris Kamara (ex-Leeds United player and Sky Sports pundit) who was leading a group trekking on behalf of Marie Curie. He lives only a mile and a half from me but I've never bumped in to him until now !

Finally, I attach a photo of our group at the top and would be grateful if you could put in the Hall of Fame on your website. Thanks again.

Best wishes,

Martyn

From: Alan Boylan (climbed via our Unique Rongai Route, 10-16 June 2011)

Having just returned from a successful trip to Kili, I thought you might like some feedback on our experiences with TK. We were a party of 5, all booked via Henry Stedman doing the 7 day Rongai route, finishing on 16th June.

Our experience with TK was first class from the moment we met Jacob Slaa, our guide the night before our trek started. The 4 main members of your team, Jacob, and the assistant guides Joseph Gulash and Max, plus Vincent Akonaw, were friendly, informative and provided good service throughout the trek. Although neither Joseph nor Max speak English as well as Jacob, they were both keen to talk with us and explain about the things we were passing.

In addition they showed the spirit of the mountain, when some of our party were having problems. Max took over the pack of my friend who was having problems on the descent and Joseph gave up his gloves to another member of our party, who was not properly eqipped for the summit attempt. Jacob ensured that the only lady on our party made it to the summit, with a combination of verbal encouragement and practical help.

The other crew members were always smiling and the camps were always ready for our arrival. The equipment you use especially the tents and mattresses were very good. The food was excellent given the limited facilities that Vincent had to work with.

All in all, we had a wonderful experience, we all summitted and we would have no hesitation recommending you, based on our experiences here.

Kind Regards

Alan

From: Jane Dreaper (climbed via our Unique Rongai Route, 13-19 February 2011)

Hi Henry

Re feedback, I felt Climb Mount Kilimanjaro/Team Kilimanjaro provided an
excellent service - high quality but also really friendly - and all
members of the team did everything possible to help us achieve our goal.
It was an amazing experience and I'd definitely recommend your company
to others. And I think your book is a fantastic read!

A couple of small thoughts:
- I'd regard waterproof trousers as essential not optional. Stupidly
didn't take mine and ended up hiring them from Simon.
- Re Diamox, I took it from the first day of the trek as I'd felt run
down in the UK and my GP said I had a virus. He'd prescribed me Diamox
in 500mg doses, but Simon said it was best to take 250mg. The tablets
are difficult to split esp in a camp scenario, so I think it's a good
idea for people to ask their doctor to prescribe the smaller dose (and
then you can double up when the going gets tough!) I had the tingly
fingers side-effect but otherwise felt fantastic!
- The mobile toilet was a surprise to us (we had no idea it would be
there) but also a godsend. I guess I'd have found a way of coping with
the camp toilets but I honestly don't know how!

The food was everything you'd promised and it was fantastic to receive
such good fresh meals. FYI I tipped $300 and I think I wasn't the only
one that left that amount. I know one has to be careful not to push up
the general standard too high, but I really was happy to give that for
the service received.

Oh and one more thing, a friend is doing the trip to Everest Base Camp
later this year and she wanted your advice on Thermarests. The ones you
provide on trek are excellent and not like anything on sale in the
outdoor stores. Any tips please?

Best wishes, Jane

From: Andrew Mitchinson (climbed via our Unique Rongai Route, 21-27 February 2011)

Hi Henry

Wanted to feedback on the truly amazing experience that was our climb up Kili.

Nick and I both made to Uhuru Peak - albeit a little worse for wear.

Cannot complement TK enough for their planning and organisation - abolutely first class all round.

Now for some specifics;

Our guide Tumiani was simply the most dedicated, focused supportive individual we could ever had hoped for. Absolutly knew his way around Kili but it was the little things that made the difference. ie kept asking how we felt, what our eating was like whether we were sleeping etc all with a view to understanding out physical and mental state.
Our assistant guide Isha was equally excellent (bailed me out on the summit) happy to strap my day sack on his when on summit night to 'make me feel more comfortable' - what a great guy. Again very supportive and thoughtful about our condition. Prepared to check our gloves were doing there job (keeping the circulation going) fed us ginger tea and biscuits at Gilmans point etc.
Our waiter / porters who looked after us and meal times and first thing in the morning - always with an upbeat and happy disposition. Silly but really important when you are being challenged as this trip does.
Our cook who god knows how came up with meal after meal that really defied our location - tasty, nutritious, varied and freshly made. even baking a congratulatory cake following our success.
Please somehow pass on our massive thanks particularly to those four but to all our crew who made this trip the most memorable experience of our lives.
Our safari was an equally impressive experience - thoroughly enjoyed. Martin our safari guide was a nice guy but perhaps a little quiet, needs to talk more and be proactive with his guidance rather than to wait for a question before talking - not sure English was that good.

And to you Henry - A big thank you for all the organising this side of the channel, much appreciated - so pleased we used you guys for this experience.

Kind regards

Andrew Mitchinson
Nick Hopkins

From: Amelia Joyner (climbed via our Unique Rongai Route, 12-18 February 2011)

Hi Henry

I thought it would be nice to send an email to let you know how much we all loved our trip to Tanzania and to the mountain. I have some amazing pictures and videos.

It was an amazing experience and I loved every second of it, it was as I hoped it would be and to reach the summit in clear blue skies with the whole team was an incredible moment.

We had a team debrief over the most delicious cheeseburger in the world!! and Joshua said that it was really important that we feedback any comments/praise/ideas to you and also very importantly that we feedback our views on the team as well to you and then to Team Kilimanjaro as this is all really vital for their progression and development.

The trip was brilliant, your organisation, replies to my endless emails and the logisitics were perfect.

We were met at the airport and were transported happily off to the Outpost which was great, just right for the start of the trek, nice and informal and welcoming - they chap there made us some sandwiches even though it was really late and we were very appreciative.

Johsua's briefing was great, we liked him immediately and he was very thorough when looking at our kit and telling us about the tips etc. that made me feel much less nervous!

The transport to the gate for registration was good, everything worked really well apart from the bus breaking down which was a hilarious moment - I have a great photo of everyone pushing the bus, the poor guys started to push it with us all on board - I think they were too shy to ask us to get off but we leapt off and lent a hand, well actually I took a photo but the others helped!

Very exciting to start the trekking at the Rongai Gate, lovely hot day to start.

I thought that overall our camps really were the smartest and the best at each campsite, our team worked really hard to make sure we were all happy and comfy and even in some terrible weather they were working at night to ensure our tents were safe and pegged down well. They were very very helpful indeed and always responded to any questions or pleas for help/hot water/popcorn etc!

We loved Julius and Ibrahim, we were very surprised that Ibrahim was only a waiter as he led some of our trekking - I would like to say that he would make an excellent assistant guide, his communication skills are great, he is really kind and thoughtful and delivers information well and always went out of his way to fix anything for us. Julius was also a really lovely chap - not so good communication wise but again he was really kind and thoughtful and really funny too.

As you know Joshua had to leave us for a few days and there was a bit of an unsettled feeling within the group - I think that we were a little unsure of what was happening but we got on with it and tried not to worry. I think it is difficult in such an unusual situation away from home, I think the nerves you have naturally about what you are undertaking might make you feel a little less able to deal with change in that situation and having felt very confident in Joshua and felt that he was a strong guide and great for our team - I did feel anxious at his departure. BUT this is not a criticism in any way as it was a situation that was unavoidable - when Jackson arrived the next day we all felt much safer again as he gave off the aura of being firmly in charge!! He was strict with us but so kind and so sweet - he would stop you to make sure your hands were warm or to make sure your hood was on properly, he knew all our names very quickly and although he was much more serious I quite liked that, no-one ever said no to more soup when Jackson was in the mess tent!!!

We were all very upset that Jackson had suffered snow blindness from summit night and so upset that we hadn't noticed even that he didn't have glasses on, I just feel terrible about that - we were all so self absorbed in getting down. I hope he has recovered?

Foodwise - I ate A LOT! but I realised very quickly that was what was needed, anyone who didn't (the American girls were much more reticent to eat than us) felt must more tired and tearful through lack of energy I think. The porridge was great, eggs were fine, hot lunches were lovely, having different soup every day and evening was great - always lovely although the peanut one was probably my least favourite. Evening meals - the only thing I would say is that we have the orange vegetable stew for 4 or 5 evenings in a row under a slightly different name, it was tasty and filling and did the job but we had it just one too many times - that would be my only comment to TK for their cook - we had Solomon who was brilliant, he loved coming into the mess tent and making us guess what was for pudding etc.

We really did have such fun on the trip and we laughed all the time, a good group and a great time.

Kit hire - all good, Onsea - AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

I was quite broken when I got home!! I underestimated how hard coming down would be I think and I was exhausted, much better now, very proud and I would recommend you very highly. We met loads of people on the plane with stories from their week and we were always better prepared and out of camp first each day and really well looked after. Other teams on the mountain really did not look as strong as us and had stories of tents blowing down and getting to camps really late etc.

I will email TK direct as well,

Thanks again

Mil X

From: James Shorthouse (climbed with ten friends via Alternative Lemosho Route, 30 January - 6 February 2011)

All seems slightly unreal now that we are back in the UK and getting down to the (sadly necessary) day jobs!

Henry, just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our trek and the trip to Tanzania. Many thanks for all your efforts in organising a truly memorable trip, and I attach the image of us at Uhuru Peak to confirm 11 out of 11 did indeed summit. The 8 day Alternative Lemosho route meant we had the mountain to ourselves for large periods of time, away from the crowds and with spectacular views into Kenya and of Mawenzi. The crew were great and made everything so much more possible – it is difficult to single out individual porters (although we are all humbled by the speeds they can carry loads up the mountain whilst we move “Pole-Pole”) but the ever cheerful Jackson typified the positive attitude of the crew. The assistant guides were really helpful setting a steady pace and leading us on valuable acclimatization walks, and our main guide Deo was a confident and reassuring face who took full control of the trek when Simon had to return home due to his family bereavement.

We were lucky that all our luggage arrived with us, and all flights were on time (thanks KLM) so the trip was hassle free, and we have all brought great memories back with us, along with hundreds of photos and a not altogether healthy taste for Kilimanjaro beer and fried battered bread (an inspired high energy food served up one memorable evening).

Not sure if you want “suggestions” from us but if so then maybe some form of light for the Mess tent (instead of the candles) would be good.

Once again many thanks for organising what was a memorable trip for all of us, and which has also helped us raise several thousand pounds for a number of charities.

Best wishes

James Shorthouse

From: Neil Smith (climbed with a friend via our Unique Rongai Route, 31 January - 6 December 2011)

Hi Henry,

We made it!

We had a great time climbing Kili, our guides were great (Patrick and Thomas), food was amazing( I can’t make food that good at home with a full kitchen), we were well kept other than Jess with a bit of altitude sickness at Mawenzi Tarn, and it was great with just the 2 of us.

Cheers,

Neil

From: Tara Osborne (climbed with seven friends via Lemosho Route, 7-13 January 2011)

Good Afternoon Henry,

I just wanted to send a quick thank you message to everyone at CMK. We had a wonderful and successful Kilimanjaro climb last week, which I can attribute almost entirely to the crew that took us up. The guides, porters, cook, etc were all fantastic. No matter what time of day or night they always had a ‘Jambo’ and a smile for you. I was very pleasantly surprised by how incredibly attentive everyone was; not just because this meant a great level of customer service, but also because the crew were acutely aware if anyone had not had their third bowl of soup and would be concerned. The support, encouragement and humour that each member of the crew showed was a true testament to the company and the them as individuals. I don’t think we could have picked a better team of guys to go with. To get fresh omelettes on the last morning was astounding, I can’t believe that someone had been able to carry the eggs safely for the previous 6 days, and probably on their head! The soups and fresh fruit were a real bonus and truly appreciated by all the walkers. Thomas and Christopher (the waiters/trainee guides) will make great guides when their day comes, I don’t think some of us would have made the summit without them. James, Abel, Frank and Raymond were astounding; their experience and professionalism shone through throughout.

Not only did we all reach the top and have a great time, but we have also been able to raise more than £2000 for Help for Heroes and a similar amount for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Thank you for everything Henry

Kind regards,

Tara Osborne

From: Gisele Irola (climbed via Unique Rongai Route 14-20 January 2011)

Awesome. Thanks!!

Team Kilimanjaro kicked ass. Was a week of a lifetime. :)

The whole group made it up - some took 6-7 hours, others took 20. But all around, a huge success. Felix and Alex were absolutely wonderful. And apparently you are a crazy and fun guy. :)

Gisele

From: John Morrissey (climbed via Unique Rongai Route December 31 2010- 6 January 2011)

Henry

Just arrived back in Chicago from a successful climb and safari. Before I piled off to bed I wanted to write and thank you. Your crew was excellent. Nick bent over backward to make sure I made it to the top (which was in doubt until the last moments) and Tumaini is one of the nicest people I have ever met. His daily acts of kindness to my son and I will always be remembered. There are no words to describe the admiration I have for the porters.

I'll send a more detailed briefing later but I wanted to let you know that your company, from the staff, to the food, to the support we received, both before and during the climb, greatly exceeded my expectations.

Thanks for making it possible.

From: Hoda Mehr (climbed via Unique Rongai Route December 27 2010- 2 January 2011)

Hi Henry,

Hope you had a pleasant new year holidays!

As you know we had a great one :) We just arrived back home yesterday. Everything went very well with our team. Arash & I both made it to the top. So did Adam, Reatta, Surasak, Jacquie & Lauren.

I have to say our crew were amazing. Deo, Frank, Sam & Freddy were so great to us. For me personally Frank was the reason I made it to the top. His big smile, positive attitude and minute by minute encouragement made a big difference. Also, on the way down, I was really scared of the loose scree and I'm so grateful to Frank who hold my hands all the way down. Needless to say that without L ucas and Christophe (the food crew) the trip would have not been as enjoyable. The morning tea/coffee, popcorn /hot chocolate and the warm soup were always the highlights of our days. Thank you for the excellent crew and well-organized itinerary.

Everything went very well and we had a memorable experience. Thank you!

All the best,

Hoda & Arash

------------------------------------------

From: Cynthia Carter (climbed via the Unique Rongai Route, September 19-25 2010)

Hey Henry!

Happy New Year.

First, let me apologize for taking so long to send you this email. I just wasn’t making it the priority I should.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for arranging our Kili trek and safari. We had an absolutely fantastic time and believe our porters, guides, and cook were the best on the mountain. They were all very tolerant and always concerned about our well being and comfort.

So, some interesting highlights:

We loved the hot water for washing the first and second day; I even washed my hair on the second. After that, we only used it to wash our hands and brush our teeth b/c the minute you washed and then touched anything, you were dirty again.

I won’t even discuss the toilet situation, but suffice it to say, by day three we were pretty much just going behind the rocks and shrubs. I don’t know if you heard, but the week we were on the mountain was supposedly the busiest ever. We woke up after the first night to find tons of tents pitched on the trail. We stopped and asked someone what was going on and they said hey had picked the Marangu Route, but the park closed it because of the number of people and diverted them to our route. They didn’t get to the first camp until midnight and had to put up their tents where ever they found a free spot, which was on the trail.

I am allergic to wheat, but didn’t want to bother anyone with having to prepare special meals (I am really good at picking around wheat). But, when our guide, Athumani (spelling), asked if anyone had food allergies, my friends piped up that I did. Athumani spoke with our cook and he made gluten free meals for me.

We did not do the full moon hike with sunrise summit. We changed our route and got to School Hut Camp a day early and were given some choices. Leave camp at midnight a day early after a couple of hours rest, get some sleep and start the summit at 4 am, or wait an entire day on the rocks in the freezing cold and begin summit 28 hours later. Even though we really wanted to do the full moon trek and sunrise summit; option two was really the best. We had the sunrise at Han Meyer’s and reached the summit around noon.

For our safari, we had a wonderful guide by the name of Isadore. He was hilarious. At each outdoor meal, he even used a Masai blanket as a table cloth, which was the only guide we saw doing this. We even got to meet his wife once we returned to Arusha. During one day of the safari we ventured off road to get closer to a lion under a tree. It was at this point we got a flat tire and Isadore had to get out of the vehicle to change it. His eyes were huge the entire time. I enjoyed the safari much more than I thought and was pleased we got to see every animal we could, even a Black Rhino.

Our accommodations were nice and we all loved the lodge we stayed at the first night.The property was beautiful and the food great. We even got to sit at the bar and have some really nice wine.Once again, thanks so much for making it such a memorable trip.

Best,

Cynthia Carter

------------------------------------------

From: Nancy Kaye (climbed via the Machame Route, October 17-23 2010)

Hi Henry

We made it! I just wanted to say thank you for all your help in
organising a great trip. We had a fabulous time. I had a bit of a
wobble on day 2 when I felt awful from the altitude sickness and threw
up and the same thing happened the next morning but after that I had a
massive turnaround and was fine! Good old diamox. We even did the
summit a day early.

The team were great - special mention to Ally our guide. Our head guide
Sifuel had to go down on day 3 as he was not well and he was replaced on
the evening of our summit with Tunaimi who did a sterling job leading us
to the summit - pole pole. But Ally was with us all day every day and
was great. Also Thomas aka "commander", a porter promoted to waiter
when our original waiter also had to go down sick - Thomas was the most
helpful man in the world! The whole crew were great, really looked
after us and the cook produced some amazing stuff on the top of a
mountain - it's just a shame that on some days we felt too sick to eat
much.

The equipment you provided was also good - those 5 season sleeping bags
were amazing. We had a bit of a disaster on our first night as we
realised only when getting into the tent that we'd left the sleeping
bags in our hotel room as we were kind of rushed out in the morning in a
bit of a whirl with people picking our bags up for us so we forgot them
- very embarrassing. So thankfully it wasn't too cold at the first camp
as we ended up sleeping in blizzard survival bags! Surprisingly warm.
A porter brought up the bags the next night...

One thing we did differently was that we left for the summit at 5am
rather than midnight, as suggested by Ally (as we decided not to have
the extra acclimatisation day). We were so glad we did it this way. We
only had an hour or so in the dark, had amazing views all the way, could
actually see what we were aiming for and the weather was changeable but
fine at the summit - also, we were the only people up there which made
it special and it was warm enough to sit up there for half an hour and
savour the moment. I think it really helped keep our mental strength up
not doing 7 hours in the dark! I hadn't seen any mention of this
anywhere else and wonder how often it is suggested, but it really worked
for us.

Anyway, thanks again Henry

Nancy

-----------------------------------------

From: Julie Neuhoff (climbed via the Machame Route, September 19-25 2010)

Hi Henry,

Hope this finds you well, I just wanted to say thank you for help in
getting our trip organised, it is clear that the company you go with
makes all the difference. The little luxuries like getting warm water
to wash your face with make all the difference. Our guides also
made a huge impact, and I can't recommend them enough; chief Alex
clearly has the respect of everyone on the mountain and his good
leadership meant the organisation looked seamless to us, I'm sure it
had its challenges but to us these were not apparent. Peter’s charm,
knowledge and good English meant we warmed to him instantly as with our
second-in-charge, Alex and Hesbon, who were ever attentive and didn't let us
change the length of our own poles (we couldn't once they had
tightened them - they're so strong) or carry too much water, they really
made an impression on everyone and made our trip a success. I won't go through
everyone but you’ve got a good crew and we all made it to the top
because of them.

It was great, so thanks

Julie

------------------------------------------

From: Chris Rawstron (climbed via the Unique Rongai Route, September 10-16 2010)

Henry

Just wanted to say a BIG thank you for organising a fantastic trek.
Kate and I and the rest of our team had a great time helped by the fact that we all summitted.
Simon, Aran and Antone were absolutely great as were the rest of the CMK team.
Your book kept me very entertained - must be your style of prose!
All the very best and our sincere thanks for a wonderful experience.

Chris (and Kate)

------------------------------------------

From: Sarah Taylor (climbed via the new version of the Unique Rongai Route, August 17-23 2010)

Hi Henry,

I would like to say a massive, massive thank you to you and the rest of your team for what was an absolutely amazing and unforgettable experience. The organisation of our whole trip (trek and safari) really was fantastic and made it a truly memorable holiday. We really were impressed with the whole team on the mountain, our guide Frederic and his team of assistant guides and porters worked unbelievably hard and were always highly professional, supportive and we couldn't have been better looked after. The care and help we received from everyone we encountered on the mountain was fantastic and way above our expectations. The tents and camping equipment provided were superb and far superior to any others that I saw on the mountain, in fact we were even asked by a climber from another group if he could have a nosy at our tents as he was so impressed with them compared to his own!! I would also like to mention the quality of the food that we received. We were astonished by the superb food that was put on our plates everyday and were amazed that it was possible to cook such good meals hundreds of metres up the side of a mountain. Having expected that we would be given with packed lunches to carry every day it was such a treat to be provided with hot, 3 course lunches every day. Very impressive!!

I would just like to mention a couple of things that we felt were essential pieces of kit that werent particularly stressed in your kit lists. Although keeping clean is the last thing on your mind, and is pretty much impossible (!!) we all felt that a nail brush would have been a very welcome addition to our kit. We were very aware of trying as much as possible to keep our hands clean, especially when eating as a stomach bug on the mountain would have not been pleasant and there is only so much a bit of antibacterial hand gel can do! Secondly, although I do not choose to use poles when walking in England, I had read in your book that they are 'highly desirable' and so I decided I would probably need to use them on the mountain and so took one along to use. On arriving in Arusha we were advised that we really needed two and we all ended up hiring an additional pole. I had not appreciated that one pole is pretty much useless and especially for the walk down, two really are necessary. Maybe in future it could be stressed that two poles are better than one!

With regards to the new route, we were more than happy to go along with the changes that were put in place whilst we were mid trek. Frederic always kept us informed as to where we were going each day and we were pleasantly surprised by how quiet and peaceful the route that we took was - it was rare that we ever encountered another group of climbers during the day. The relative quietness of the Unique Rongai route compared to other routes was one of the reasons we chose it and the new route certainly didn't disappoint. The only thing that worried us about the new route was the prospect of the ascent to the summit via the Kibo Huts - Gilman's point trail. We had read that this was not a desirable route and we were worried about the amount of scree present on these slopes. I have to say that this was definitely the hardest part of the climb and sapped a lot of our energy for the rest of the ascent however we did expect a degree of scree and we made it so it can't have been that hard!!! I would also like to add that although two of our group did not make it to the summit, I do not believe that this was any reflection on the new route and I think that they would have struggled which ever route we took.

I would also like to say thank you for taking the time to explain to me the ins and outs of the route that we took in the end, it is really nice to be able to read this now that I am home and can now make a bit more sense of what we did and the route we took. It really is appreciated. If there is anything I can do, or if you want to know anything else about our experience on the mountain please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Thanks again Henry for all your help in organising what was an unforgettable experience! I wouldn't hessitate to recommend CMK to anyone wanting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Sarah

------------------------------------------

From: Lucian Panait (climbed via the Machame Route, August 23-28 2010)

Hello Henry,

I came back from Kili and I wanted to tell you that it was an amazing experience! We made it to the top on Friday morning, just after sunrise. Everything was extraordinary and above expectations. All guides, cook, porters went out of their way to help us and make our hiking experience as pleasant as possible. It was truly a great pleasure to work with your team and I would do it again in heartbeat.

Thank you for all your help with setting it up and making all arrangements.

I will just mention one thing that was not in the book or the guide you emailed before the trip, and was such a nice surprise: we were expecting to eat sandwiches for lunch every day, which the cook would prepare for us in the morning and give us in the backpack to carry. Instead, there were no sandwiches, and the porters would hike ahead of us in the morning, set up the mess tent, and start to cook for lunch a hot meat including soup and a second course. This happened every single day! And was followed by another great hot meal for dinner. I will definitely

recommend your company to anybody I hear wants to climb Kibo.

Thank you again,

Lucian

------------------------------------------

From: Jon Greaves (climbed via the Unique Rongai Route, July 18-24 2010)

Hi Henry,

Don't think I have said how impressed I was with the organization over in Arusha, from top to bottom the guys and organization was top, I thought absolutely fantastic, from Airport transfers, to guys in the office, and especially the team of guides, cook, kitchen staff, and porters. Not sure if we just dropped lucky or this is the norm, but you defo have contenders for the 'A' team there.
Heard after the event that Athumani was probably on one of this first head guide walks, this was not apparent on the walk, as he was really excellent, already seemed like a confident, experienced old timer, dealt with numpty clients like ourselves really smoothly, knew when to smile and joke and knew when to give advise and instruction. Completely top chap, suggest you need to keep him suitably employed as he is a real asset to yourselves.

All the other team members were top too, and actually your clients the not so famous five were a good gang too, we had ourselves an excellent week out on the hill, something all of us will remember for many days.

so many thanks for all, pass on my best to all your team for a truly memorable week.

All the best,
Jon.

------------------------------------------

From: Robert Mayr (climbed via the Unique Rongai Route, July 17-23 2010)

Dear Henry,

I thought I'd get back to you with some feedback. I must say I was really impressived by the entire organisation of the trek (and the safari and everything else). The porters were fantastic and always upbeat, despite all the hard work. The guides, in particular Athumani, were highly professional in their approach and we felt very well looked after. They always ensured that our packs weren't too heavy, that we were drinking enough and that we were feeling fine and upbeat. I particularly liked Athumani's approach during the summit night: he divided the walk from Barafu to Stella Point into four subsections, which meant that we had interim goals to strive for (whether they truly related to distinct topological features was quite irrelevant!). This was very motivating. I noticed that the guide of one of the other groups that went up the summit the same day as us did not do that.

One aspect I thought was interesting and may be worth mentioning in your book/ documentation: Athumani told us to stop taking Malarone from Day 3 on as it apparently interferes with the altitude. I remember you mentioning in your book that people should just carry on taking it, so I was a bit confused (I'd read that Larium may have adverse effects in conjunction with high altitude but wasn't aware of a similar effect of Malarone and hadn't read about that anywhere). While I took Athumani's advice and only started taking Malarone from the morning of Day 7 again, I'm not entirely convinced that stopping to take it was really necessary.

Thank you very much for your list of items to bring along. It was invaluable. There's perhaps only one thing I would add: a nail brush to get the dust out from underneath the fingernails - at least to bring along for after the trek. I wasn't aware beforehand just how dusty everything was going to get and the bit of water and soap provided twice a day plus antibacterial handwash etc are really just a drop in the ocean. On the other hand, whilst on the mountain, we were much more concerned with being warm than clean.

Taken together, this has been an unforgettable experience. Thank you very much for making it possible! It was worth every penny and am more than happy to recommend your company to anyone who wants to climb Africa's highest mountain.

Best wishes,
Robert

------------------------------------------

From: Aasif Kazi (climbed via the Unique Rongai Route, July 17-23 2010)

Henry,

I just wanted to tell you thank you for helping me with my recent trek to Kili! It was definitely a trip that I will never forget. I'm sure that you've heard this time and time again, but the whole trip went smoothly and was executed perfectly. I would also like to rave about the staff that you have working for you. Everyone from the head guide to the porters went out of their way to make sure that me (as well as my fellow trekkers) were well taken care of; to be completely honest, it was the little things that they did (like keeping a positive attitude on the days leading up to summit night) that really made a difference for me on the trip. In fact, one of the assistant guides (Hasbon) helped me to buy souvenirs after the trip was completed, which to me was above and beyond the required. If I could, I'd recommend anyone that wants to climb Kili to go with those three guides in particular, but I know that isn't possible. However, I know that if anyone asks me for a recommendation on who to climb kili with, I will only have one answer for them: Climb Mount Kilimanjaro!

Once again, thanks for everything. And should I decide to climb kili for a second time, I already know which group I will be going with!

Sincerely,

Aasif Kazi

------------------------------------------

From: Asha Spencer (climbed 25 June-2 July, 2010)

Hi Henry,

Just arrived back in Chicago after my climb. I had an absolutely fantastic trip, and wanted to thank you for providing such a wonderful experience. Our group was amazed at the service we received throughout our time in Tanzania and on the mountain. The food we ate was better than what we eat on a regular basis at home, our guide Jonas was irreplaceable- friendly, fun, knowledgeable, encouraging, and attentive, and the rest of our staff-including each of the porters-were so thoughtful and helpful. It was a real delight to share a trip up the mountain with everyone on our team.

In short, it was a perfect week. Thanks so much!

Asha

------------------------------------------

From: Chris Wristen (climbed 6-12 June, 2010)

Hey Henry,

I just got back home to Kansas City on Wednesday afternoon, and I wanted to take a minute to say thank you for organizing my climb June 6-12. We had Joshua as a guide, and the trip was absolutely fantastic. It surpassed all of my expectations. Joshua was an incredibly knowledgeable guide, he pushed all of us to work hard whether it was hiking, eating or staying hydrated, he took good care to work with those who had some altitude sickness, he made sure we started each day early and did everything possible to acclimatize well, and he got all seven of us to the summit and back while having a sense of humor the entire way. The entire staff worked hard too, from the assistant guides (Jacob, Felix and Felix), to our outstanding cook Solomon, to the 21 porters who all worked their tails off with a smile on their face.

------------------------------------------

From: KK Condon (climbed 18-24 March, 2010)

Hi Henry-

Back at home and still cherishing all the memories of our trip.

Your team sure did a great job - you run a first class operation.

The whole crew was really amazing (kushangaza! - which quickly became our new favorite word, of course).

Freddie was cool and fun, and was obviously well qualified to lead us up the mountain. Thomas also was a class act, and the two of them deftly guided us through the obstacles while also keeping it light and fun.

I was a little loopy at the top, and argued with both of them, thinking that the summit was unnecessary. They somehow convinced me to carry on, and for that I will be forever grateful. My heroes.

Gideon was unbelievable - who could expect meals like that? kushangaza! (see?)

And we all adored Kevin as he catered to use at camp each day.

I'd love to mention everyone by name, but as hardworking (and charming) as they all were, I can't remember everyone's name.

I have NO negative comments at all. It was awesome.

The snow was a bit of a surprise - but it makes the stories all that much better. Theresa said you were interested in photos I have mine posted here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkcondon/collections/72157623606427797/)

We also quite enjoyed the safari, and Marco was a blast. The girls all kept praising me on the sleeping arrangements. Not sure how to take credit when I my only input was the price range....

All in all - it was awesome. Thank you SO MUCH!

I have to tell you, you are a bit of an icon there in Tanzania. Every time your name is spoken, it is spoken with respect and reverence, with a bit of awe. "Henry Stedman".... wow. I had no idea I was dealing with such greatness. :),

Cheers!

------------------------------------------

From: Karen Morrison (climbed February 25 - March 3, 2010)

Hi Henry

Just wanted to drop you a line to say how thrilled we all were with the Kili trip. We've been back almost a month and still on such a high! The trek was so well organised. Our Guides were great, but especially Nic who was encouraging and inspiring particularly when one member of our party had doubts. The food was far greater than our expectations, and I'm still amazed at how Teko could prepare fresh meals from scratch on a mountain at that altitude! What a great feeling it was to reach the summit together, especially as the oldest member of our group was only 16 days away from a 66th birthday! I'll never forget the views from the summit which were breath-taking.

The safari to Manyara & Ngorungoru was fabulous and the accomodation couldn't have been better. Great memories of sitting with a beer on the terraced balcony in the Wildlife Lodge watching the sun set over the crater and being able to spot so many wild animals....absolutely fantastic!

Thanks so much for arranging all this for us

Karen Morrison

------------------------------------------

From: Heidi Christodoulou (climbed February 27 - March 5, 2010)

Hi Henry

We’ve been back for 3 weeks now and I hadn’t got round to sending a mail to say thank you for arranging a fantastic trip. It was the experience of a lifetime for all involved.

The team of guides and porters were fantastic and took care of us extremely well.

Attached is a picture of the team at Stella Point, we reached the summit at different times but coincidentally all ended up at Stella at the same time whether on the way up or down.

I can see why you have a love for the mountain!

Regards

Heidi

------------------------------------------

From: Geoff Bremner (climbed February 25 - March 3, 2010)

Henry ,

I meant to email earlier but have been so busy since I got back.

I just wanted to say a massive thanks for the trek , it truly was a life-changing week for me & one that I enjoyed more than I ever imagined I would.

I cannot praise highly enough all the staff on the trek & have to especially mention Nick & his 3 assistant guides. Nick was excellent!! , he was firm when he had to be & reassuring & humorous also when it mattered. Tobias & Alex are 2 of the most laid back dudes I have ever met!!!

The porters / cooks / waiters.. were all top notch & we had such fun with them all it made the trip all that much better. In general the people of Tanzania were so welcoming it was very humbling.

I'm never one for recommending people / companies.... but be re assured i will & have already raved to people about yourselves.

Thanks again Henry & good luck for the future.

Geoff

------------------------------------------

From: Dan Peha (climbed January 28-3 February 2010)

My wife and I arranged a trek with climbmountkilimanjaro.com in January (2010) to celebrate my 60th birthday. Dealing from the USA with a company based in Britain for a trip in Tanzania can seem confusing. The pre travel email communication with the owner, author Henry Stedman (Kilimanjaro-The Trekking Guide to Africa's Highest Mountain) answered all my questions, down to the smallest details regarding the trip. We chose the Unique Rongai Route with seven days, and summited easily. Everything Henry said was true and the trek was even better than I expected. The staff was incredibly helpful, the food was quite good, the camping gear was top notch, the prices were reasonable. I really can't think of anything to complain about. Our guide, Fred Achedo, had previously summited 420 times and was very knowledgeable and concerned for our safety. Henry has apparently done more research on Kilimanjaro environs than anyone else and his book was a valuable tool for us to use before leaving for Africa. I highly recommend climbmountkilimanjaro.com!!!

------------------------------------------

From: Jenny Braithwaite (climbed Feb 23-1 March 2010)

Hi Henry

Just wanted you to know everything went very smoothly in Tanzania.

We had really good fellow trekkers and our whole team of guides,
porters etc were outstanding.
We all made it to the top with no signs of altitude sickness and had
an absolutely fabulous time.

Mount Meru, which Simon and I did on our own, was well worth doing as
an acclimatisation trek but also because it is so beautiful and full
of wonderful plants, animals and amazing butterflies. It was a bit
scary on the summit but we had excellent guides.

Kili was just a very, very, very long trek in comparison but your
Rongai route is really good. I would definitely not have liked to
climb up from Kibo to Gilman's.

So many thanks for your help in making our trip a success. We also
managed to raise over £3000 for Macmillan Cancer Support too.

Regards,
Jenny and Simon Braithwaite

------------------------------------------

From: Danny Doherty (climbed 25 Feb-3 March 2010)

Hi Henry

I was one of the party booked by Karen Morrison.

I would like to thank you and staff on the ground for a job well done. Logistically not a hitch.

All the staff on the trek, from porters to head guide, were friendly and disciplined. The food produced was amazingly good and plentiful.

The support, offered in moments of doubt from some of the party, was excellent.

To cap it all we had wonderful weather at the summit.

All in all I had a memorable lifetime experience which I would certainly recommend to others.

Regards

Danny Docherty

------------------------------------------

From: Naomi Pang (climbed 9-15 January 2010):

Hello there

I apologize for not emailing sooner, I just arrived back in the U.S. and internet access for the past few weeks has been sporadic.

Thank you so very much for a wonderful experience. All four of us had an amazing time, I still haven't completely processed it all.

Felix, Leo, Yusef, Michael (the cook) and all the porters and support staff were great, made our time on the mountain that much more enjoyable. Marco and Abdullah took such great care of us on safari- our entire time in Tanzania was unforgettable.

Thanks again for your experience, knowledge and your unending patience!
All our best wishes to everyone at climbmountkilimanjaro.com, hopefully our paths will cross again!

Naomi

------------------------------------------

From Ann Whiteley (climbed 25-31 January 2010):

Dear Henry,

Just a note to let you know that we had the most fantastic time on our trip. It really was a once in a lifetime (never again!) experience.

All went well - flights/cars all appeared on time and we had no problems with altitude sickness. We all took diamox from day 2 of the trek.

The guides were incredibly attentive to our physical health and always concerned that we were feeling OK.

Of our group of 8 seven of us made it to the summit for sunrise on Jan 30th. Every day of the trek was its own mini adventure with the most fantastic views and we felt we had a really good all-round 'look' at the mountain. Only on our decent from Horombo to Marangu did we realise what a completely different view people get who decide to go on the 'coca-cola' route and we were so glad we didn't go that way.

Overall, climbmountkilimanjaro.com are to be thoroughly recommended. We saw a few outfits on the mountain who made us realise how lucky we were to be with our particular guides. On summit night we actually had 4 guides and 2 extra porters roped in for a group of 8. We saw some groups with one guide and up to 10 or so people.

Many thanks for your organisation of such a fabulous experience.

Very best wishes Henry,

Anne Whiteley, Carol Furlong & Tony Furlong

------------------------------------------

From: Ed Burton (climbed Unique Rongai Route, 25-31 January 2010)

Hi Henry,

Just to say a massive thanks for what was quite genuinely the experience of a lifetime. Guides and trip was amazing and we have stil not got over the fact that we made it to the top!

All t best and if you would like us to give you something to put on the website etc then please do let us know.

Thanks again

------------------------------------------

From: Rebecca Schaefer (climbed Unique Rongai Route, 18-24 January 2010)

Hi Henry - I wanted to let you know we had a fabulous trip. I was thoroughly impressed with everything - it all far exceeded my expectations or hope. You know, when you buy something over the internet sight unseen - especially something big like this - you never really know how it's going to turn out. Well, everything turned out great. I was especially impressed with our guides; James Matu, Nick, and Mackson. James is a natural leader. He won our confidence right off the bat. He made a very good first impression, taking command immediately, and using humor to make it all slide. Besides making good decisions and all that, he has exceptionally good people skills. He could work in the States for NOLS; he's that good.

Of course there was some nervous anticipation when we got on the bus to drive to the starting point, but it wasn't long before Nick struck up a conversation with me. I found out shortly that both he and James had taken a NOLS course, which immediately put my mind at ease. I took a NOLS course, too, in the fall of 2008, and I know what a strong program it is, so hearing that they had had the same experience, plus a week of Wilderness First Responder training from NOLS/Wilderness Medicine Institute, made me feel right off that I was in good hands. I then relaxed a lot. I knew in myself that everything was going to be o.k.

NOLS is a top notch organization, and you could use your guides' NOLS experience as a selling point in promoting your tours.

I felt very comfortable with Mackson as well, especially as he guided me down the mountain in the night while everyone else went on for the summit. We didnt' exactly follow a trail (that I could discern), but he said hakuna matata, he could get anyone down the mountain, trail or not, because he's spent so much time there. He said he has summited somewhere around 300 times. He obviously knows the mountain like the back of his hand.

I'm sure you know that all three of our guides are strong Christians. This created a special bound with us, as we sang hymns together as we walked and had some great conversations. I couldn't imagine a better choice of leaders for our group. Asante sanna. If I come back again - and I would very much like to - I would like the same 3 leaders for our next group. And Rashid, too. The food was amazing. I was prepared for 7 days of rice and pasta. Boy, was I surprised! The fresh mangoes every day sure went down easy! :)

We did get to know a few of our porters, mostly the ones that had some English. Joseph, as our waiter, was very kind and gentle. He was super attentive, noticing what we needed and getting it before we could. Really all of the porters impressed us as very well-behaved young men. I can only imagine how the scenario would go in America, with each young man trying to show off his manhood and one-up the other to establish his place in the hierarchy. Our porters, however, all seemed to cooperate - not compete - and run as a smooth unit. The system ran smoothly. I'm not sure who is responsible for making it that way, but they need to be commended.

I also like that the guides and the porters, etc., slept together adn socialized together, rather than having the guides off in a special tent by themselves. I'm sure this lack of hierarchy helps the ship run smoothly. Every night I fell asleep to the sound of happy Swahili chatter and peals of laughter and songs from the porter tents. It was a pleasant and comforting way to fall asleep. I rather miss it, now.

We, as a group, were also pleased to see that everyone working on our behalf were well-dressed in warm clothing and decent leather boots. I would feel terrible if I were climbing the mountain in all the latest and best gear, while the porters were grunting by with all my junk, wearing sandals and thin jackets, as I've heard some do.

I should mention the safari, too. It was very interesting and we saw animals of almost every sort. Martin, while not having the charisma of our mountain guides, did go out of his way to hunt down some lions for us and was always on the lookout spotting many different animals for us. We all agreed at the end, however: the safari was good, but the mountain, and the commraderie we shared there, were fantastic.

Asante sanna sanna!

Rebecca Schaefer,
Happy Camper

------------------------------------------

From: Alisia Kilgus (climbed 18-24 January 2010)

Henry,
I recently returned from hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro on the Unique Rongai Route with the Schaefer group. The trip was absolutely amazing and an uplifting experience for our entire group. A large part of this good experience came from the wonderful guides and porters that we had.
James Mattu was our main guide, with Nick and Meckson (I don't know their last names) as assistant guides. I would like to give each of them my highest recommendation for their hard work, assistance, and their kindness during the week. They were attentive to our every need, beyond what we could have hoped for; provided uplifting entertainment on the trail, singing and a lot of laughs; answered our questions; and were personable and kind, we began the trek as strangers and left as friends.
I would also like to give a high recommendation for Rashid, our cook, and Joseph, a porter and our personal server. Each met our needs and went above what we required in making us comfortable and seeing to our needs.
Thank you, also, for your part in selecting a Christian guide for our group. This made the trek, which was incredible anyway, become a spiritually uplifting experience for each of us. I cannot express the blessing that my 7 days on Mt. Kilimanjaro brought, a result of caring guides with a similar faith in the God of all creation.

Thank you again,

Alisia Kilgus

------------------------------------------

From: Bonnie Saunders (climbed 18-24 January 2010)

Jambo Henry,

I'm Bonnie Sauder, (57years young), from Roanoke, IL, USA. My husband Ed, (60years young), & I climbled Kilimanjaro Jan.18-24 with Rebecca Schaefer, Mellisa & Alisia & of course our amazing guides & porters.

We (except for Rebecca, unfortunately), summited at 7 a.m. Jan. 23. We had a fantastic experience largely due to our WONDERFUL guides James Matu, Nick & Meckson. They were fabulous! They were the best.........so patient, kind, humble, very nice, very concerned, took such good care of us, very patient, very pleasant. We really enjoyed them.

Standing on the "roof of Africa" was such a thrill. The weather was perfect, sunny, clear, calm but cold. The glaciers are beautiful........everything was beautiful. We are very thankful for the great quality time we had with our guides & our 7 fabulous days on Kili. The Unique Rongai route was a great way to see the mountain & a great way to get acclimated. I had never been above 14,400 ft so I didn't know how my body would behave at 19,341ft. but I didn't have any problem at all at the higher elevations & on top.

Thanks for everything!

We highly recommend our guides James, Nick & Meckson!

Sincerely, Bonnie Sauder

------------------------------------------

From: Hayley Lennox (climbed 21-27 January 2010)

Hi Henry

I thought I would pop you an email to let you know how it all went. The trek was absolutely fantastic and we had amazing weather, the visibility was as far as the eye could see most days with some cloud cover in the afternoon. All the team made it much to our amazement as Simon did very little training but with the help of Joshua he made it too! The days walking for acclimatisation was very useful with Joshua changing the itinerary ever so slightly to help with the adjustment, we had an extra day at Base Camp and had a small attempt at the summit walk to the beginning of B to adjust further. We had such an amazing time and cannot thank you enough for providing such an amazing team – each and every porter was vital in our trek and we hope we have thanked them enough.

Joshua and Athumani Juma took great care of us and we could not have made it without the whole team looking after us. We cannot express our gratitude enough. They provided us with 3 cooked meals every day, set our camp up and would run past us with all the equipment on their head to our next camp. On arriving we were greeted with Popcorn and Tea/Coffee and then had a lovely meal to look forward to. We all lost our appetite from day 2/3 and felt very guilty as the food was amazing and we really enjoyed the traditional food but just couldn’t eat much!! Solomon the chef is fantastic and really created a total mix on the menu with such variety each day, I cannot believe that he creates these meals with just one gas stove! Felix and the waiters were really great, funny and interacted with us all every meal time, he also helped us up to the top on Summit morning.
As for Athumani Juma – He was so caring we nicknamed him ’Mother’ from day one onwards. Mother because every mealtime, he would come in and regardless of our condition, he make us eat, he kept our morals up and taught us so much about the mountain. We would all like to make a recommendation that Athumani does deserve to be a head guide. Between himself and Joshua, we would not have made it to the top without them and found it very difficult to show how appreciative we were for both of their help. Athumani kept us going when we got low, his English language is astounding and his people skills really was first class. He could read our body language, see when we were happy and sad and identify when we were poorly, all the qualities to be a fabulous head guide.

I would again like to thank you and your company for the best trip of our life and one we will never ever forget and photos are on Facebook.

Hayley and the team xx

[Follow-up email from Hayley]

Thank you Henry! Yes, the summit climb is very difficult and without Joshua it wouldn’t have been possible. Although we have praised Athumani in my previous email [see below], I hope this praise is also excepted for Joshua as well. He was really the best guide we could have had and I can understand why he is your best ranked guide – he is truly amazing! We all called him Wesley Snipes as we thought he looked like him – we are sending him a region one copy of Blade so he can see!! Hehe.

On comparison, there were many groups who didn’t have the same service and had packed lunches rather than cooked. I took many months to try and find the most appropriate company and we all said during the trek that we were very glad to have chosen Climb Mount Kilimanjaro. We all have purchased a T Shirt and have already spoken to people who would like to do the same thing one day and recommended yourself as the company to go with.

----------------------------------------------------------------

From Linda Herrman (climbed on Unique Rongai Route, 27 December-2 January):

Dear Henry,

I have finally caught up after returning from my trip to Africa and I wanted to follow-up with you about our climb.

Diane, Robbie and I had the most amazing experience. I can’t tell you what a wonderful life experience this trip was for all of us.

The best part of the trip was our trek up Kilimanjaro!

We were so impressed with Nick Basso and his team. From the beginning, Nick was an amazing leader and guide. I was completely confident of his leadership skills. Nick had complete respect of his team and he in turn was very respectful of them.

Nick was organized, professional and kept our group on time throughout the week.

Nick, Paul and Thomas made everyday a joy, even during the toughest times of the climb. I believe without the guidance and encouragement from them, I’m afraid it would have been more difficult for me to summit. At no time did any of them give up on us. They had one goal and that was for all of us to summit safely. Our entire group did summit, due to the professional guidance and support of a great team of guides and porters.

Please thank them for us as they did a great job!

Again, thank you Henry for all of your help and advice you gave us while planning our trip. It really helped us plan a wonderful trip to Africa .

Kind regards,

Linda Herrman

----------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Henry! I just wanted to email and thank you and your team for a great, well organized trip to Tanzania. Everything went off without a hitch, and we all had a great time.

We were thrilled to summit, and I wanted to let you know that Leo, Yesefu and Felix did a great job taking care of us on the mountain. We all had fun and always felt safe. Also, Michael did a great job making sure we had plenty of delicious food to keep us going. We loved it!

On safari, I must highly recommend Marco and Abdullah. Marco was such a fun-loving, flexible, hard-working, and happy guide and Abdullah's food is unbelievably yummy, so we were all thrilled. I really can't say enough about them--they were great!

I saw Felix a few days before I left and he told me you were going down to climb Kibo again. Enjoy and good luck!

Leslie Blickenstaff

------------------------------------------

‘On behalf of Sarah, Daniel and Myself I would like to thank you organising our Kilimanjaro climb. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience for all of us and one that we will never forget. It was also probably the hardest thing we have ever done!

What made it even more special was us getting to the summit first out of everybody that morning at 0525am! We had the whole mountain to ourselves for 5-10 minutes before the other groups came which made the roof of Africa even more breathtaking.

Thanks must go to our Guide Sifuel, Assistant Guide Frank and Porter Ally who pushed us to our limit on this final morning to make this amazing experience possible.

In fact our whole team were second to none and we were glad you picked them for us, we could not thank them enough on the last day for all their hardwork and dedication ensuring our trip was as enjoyable as possible. We were in sheer disbelief on what these hardworking individuals do for a days work and makes sitting in my office now feel like a luxury!

Thank you again Henry if anyone I know fancies climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in the future I will make sure I send them directly to you!

I wish you all the best,

Kindest Regards,

Daniel Elliott

------------------------------------------

Henry,

I want to take a moment to thank you for all of your help and to let you know that our trip was a HUGE success, far beyond reaching the summit. Between your wonderful insights and the tremendous knowledge and encouraging attitudes of our two guides, Meckson & Cabral, I will recommend the use of this trekking company to any friends venturing to Africa in the future (and even encourage those not yet planning to do so!). The company's philosophies on camping, climbing and general atmosphere jived entirely with what Michael and I had imagined.

Meckson mentioned several times how "warmly welcome" our group was on the trip and constantly encouraged the asking of questions. From botany topics, to cultural questions or route options, Meckson's knowledge of the area was truly astounding, and his sincere concern for our well-being put me at ease from day one.

Cabral's leadership and evident pride in the mountain made working with him a pleasure. He was serious when he needed to be serious and relaxed every other moment, keeping us calm and enthusiastic throughout the climb. Cabral even mentioned having met you on a recent climb as well.

The two worked as a fantastic team, and I can't thank you enough for putting us in touch.

Yours truly,

Christine Stroik

------------------------------------------

Henry

Overall, our trip was fantastic! It was one of our best trips ever. All of our guides and porters were very friendly and helpful.

The climb was more challenging than I thought it would be, at least the last day. We did the Rongai Route. During the first 5 days, it seemed as though the climb was going slowly. In hindsight, I think we all agreed that the full 7 days was good for acclimatization. Plus, it was nice to see so many different views/sides of the mountain. Contrary to some other reviews I've read, our guides were very nice and friendly. They were as curious to learn about our culture as we were theirs. We exchanged emails and plan to stay in touch. Without the porters and guides, we would not have been able to make it. I'm still amazed at the amount of work the porters do. It truly is remarkable.

On day 5 we were introduced to Jonas, who was to serve as our guide for the summit. He was a true leader. He was able to answer all of our questions and attend to any medical needs we had. David, unfortunately, had some stomach issues throughout the climb. Jonas gave him medicine which cleared things up right away. During our ascent, the guides/asst guides carried our backpacks halfway up the final path before Stella Point. This helped significantly. I was impressed at the guides' ability and willingness to help. One person in our group was having trouble at this point. Jonas was able to get her going again and she quickly caught up to us, which was nice. I didn't want to see anyone from our group not summit.

Our safari guide was also very good. His name was Isdory. He was full of information and was very friendly. He helped us with bargaining for goods, knowing and showing us where all the wildlife was and introducing us to Tanzanian culture. He even went out of his way for us on the way back to Arumeru River Lodge by stopping at an ATM and pharmacy. I'm so glad Isdory was our guide.

For the most part, all of our lodging was great. The Onsea House, Arumeru River Lodge and Kisima Ngeda were all different, but so very nice and relaxing. I wish I had more time at Kisima. It was like a little oasis. The staff, services and food at all these places were also great. The crater was great for safari. It is beautiful and there are so many animals there.

We will never forget our experiences on the mountain and during the safari. We made lots of new friends on our trip. I would highly recommend the trip to anyone and refer them to climbmountkilimanjaro.com. Overall we were very pleased! Thank you and if you would like any further detail about any portion of our trip, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Courtney Abbott

------------------------------------------

Hi Henry

Now back in the UK, I just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you how much my sister and I enjoyed our Kili trek and how impressed we were with the organisation and professionalism shown by all those employed by CMK in Tanzania.

The Unique Rongai route, while challenging in some parts, was an excellent to get away from the crowds and off the beaten track and most importantly, it allowed is to acclimatise with no more than mild headaches. It is difficult on the final push to the summit but we felt better prepared to actually make it and are very proud that we did! I would recommend to anyone to choose this route over any of the other ones.

Also, after having had a rather shambolic 2 weeks in Tanzania prior to the trek, I had begun to resign myself to the whole This Is Africa mentality. However, everybody from CMK from Amina in the office, to Deo our guide and his whole team of hard working porters rose above this. To be met by the airport transfer, guide and assistant guides all wearing CMK T-shirts was an excellent and reasurring way to be introduced. Throughout the trek, the organisation from one camp to the next, from one meal to the next never faltered and this is a real credit to your company.

Keep up the good work!!

Kind regards

Kirsty Keter

------------------------------------------

Henry,

Just wanted to pass along a note thanking you for all of the pre-Kilimanjaro help. All three of us in the group made it to the top! Joshua was a phenomenal guide and, along with a great group of porters (by the end of the trip we knew all of their names), made the experience incredible. The hike was excellent, but Joshua and his team provided an unforgettable overall experience.

Thanks again,

Andrew Dahlen

------------------------------------------

Dear Henry,

I didn't contact you before as I was still enjoying the second part of my holidays (this time in Spain and France).

Everything went perfect with our trip to Tanzania, both with the Kilimanjaro and the safari parts. We were very happy to reach the summit and even have some spare forces to go to Reusch crater. I should say that I particularly enjoyed this last walk because we were completely alone and you had the impression of walking on the moon. The organisation was very good and all people very cooperative.

I would like to praise our driver/guide work during the safari (Ayubo was his name if I remember correctly). He was extremely cooperative, friendly and incredibly trained at seeing wild animals wherever they hided.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip.

Best regards,

Carlos Ruiz de Gordejuela

------------------------------------------

Henry,

Very many thanks again from us all for making our trip such a fantastic and memorable one. Have been recounting war stories to the uninitiated since we got back from the Mara on Sunday (which was also a lot of fun, although probably too much food). Hope things have been a bit more relaxed for you over the past week or so and you have had an opportunity to enjoy some well earned rest.

Best regards,

Mark Synnott

------------------------------------------

Dearest Henry,

We are home, safe and sound in NJ. What an amazing trip we had, and now you will have the pictures that prove it! You and Wesley Snipes, and the rest of the team were incredible and we can't thank you enough for dragging our fat asses up that mountain. It is obviously an experience I won't soon forget. I hope you like the pictures. I am very happy with them, if I do say so myself.

Again, thank you so much for all your hard work. I'm waiting on a phone call from Hugh Grant's Manager by the way. . .

Best,

Charlie MacGuire

------------------------------------------

Hi Henry

I just wanted to write you and let you know how amazing our experience was on Kilimanjaro. The four of us couldn't have wished for a better experience. From meeting our driver at Kilimanjaro Airport to the hotels to the Porters/Guides everything was fantastic. Joshua our head guide was very professional and knowledgeable, we would definitely recommend him for any expeditions you can give him. Also, our two assistant guides, Nick and Cabral were just as awesome as our head guide Joshua. Nick and Cabral made the trip interesting and kept us entertained with stories during our meal times. Also, these three individuals made us feel very safe and comfortable the entire time we were with them. Not only did they treat us with respect and professionalism but they also treated us like we were friends of theirs which made us feel very welcome. I can't say enough about how well these 3 guys did. All of the porters were also very well behaved and extremely friendly as well. If there is anything I can do to help these guides or help you with other clients please let me know. I would be more than willing to be a reference for Climb Mount Kilimanjaro and these guides if need be. Thanks again for all your help and everything you did to make our trip so successful.

Sincerely,

Michael DeWald

P.S. All four of the members of our group made it to the summit and we had time to hike down into the crater and hike around some of the glaciers.

Contact us: phone: + 44 (0)1424-445837 email us now

Testimonials

Contact us:
phone: + 44 (0)1424-445837
email us now