michaellK2618ZO
25 Jul 2025
It was such an incredible experience to hike Mount Kilimanjaro with Climb Kili! There were so many organizations to choose from, and I ultimately selected Climb Kili because of the small group sizes (~6), and I think this was the right choice since it allowed me to really build a relationship with my fellow hikers. Overall, I was most impressed by how well we were cared for by the whole staff -- everything from the food to the camps to the guidance on the trail. Our main guide Emmanuel and our three asssitant guides were all phenomenal! I felt so supported throughout the entire trek, and they adjusted to our needs to enable our entire group to reach the summit.
If you're looking to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, I cannot recommend Climb Kili (and Emmanuel and his team) strongly enough!
A few years ago I put down a $375.00 deposit to climb Kilimanjaro with Climb Kili and asked if I could actually be able to summit on my Birthday - Climb Kili said yes and we started our 7 night/8 day Lemosho climb on Sunday 29 June
From the start our trip was outstanding: (1) the booking, (2) payment, (3) pick up at the airport by Mike while he waited over an hour for us to clear immigration/customs the night we arrived, (4) arrival and accommodations at the Summit Lodge Hotel, and everything else. We were well taken care of
The day before our adventure we met with our lead guide Herment, guides Dismas and Florian, and program coordinator Rickson. We were given great instructions and were excited to be on our way
We met our teammates: (1) two gentlemen from NYC, and (2) 3 proper Londoners - two women and one man and spent the next week with them (and we will spend many more they were that good of people (more on that later)
The bus ride to the mountain was full of our crew and it was fun getting there to the Lemosho Gate. We were provided with a nice little lunch while all of the arrangements were made for part entrance and then mid-afternoon we were off! Our pace-maker, Dismas, was very good at keeping a nice slow pace and Herment, our leader, made sure that none of us were behind him as he brought up the tail end of our group, and all the while the porters from every company were passing us
All of the camps were established before we arrived and everything was in place for us to just chill and absorb it all. We had EXCELLENT food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so much so that I really didn't need to eat any of my own personal snacks. We were WELL FED, all the time. In fact, the cook wondered why we didn't eat MORE - well, we couldn't it was so good and we were full after every meal. One of the days the team found out that it was the birthday of one of our teammates and our cook made him a CAKE, with frosting! The detail that our crew gave to us was superb and definitely made everything better
Day number 3 was difficult for me as it was a long hike and I was physically exhausted. The next morning on day number 4 (hike to Lava Tower and eventually Baranco Camp) I went outside my tent after breakfast and getting stuff ready and looked at my day pack and cried inside to myself at the thought of carrying it. Herment, our leader, must have noticed something because he came over to me and said that he would carry my day pack for me the entire way. At first I protested and he grabbed my shoulder and said something like, "Brother, this is what we do" and he took that burden from me. My eyes were red. He stayed right by me the entire hike from that camp to Lava Tower to Baranco while carrying my pack. THAT is leadership. Herment, called "The Commander" by others, is a leader, friend, and a man who I would follow anywhere
At Lava Tower I felt altitude sickness and knew then and there I would not be able to summit. I kept that to myself as we headed down to Baranco Camp and later that night after dinner I had a private conversation with Herment about going down. He said all the right things and said to sleep on it and to talk about actions the next morning. Sleeping was somewhat difficult that night as I weighed in my mind what it would mean for me to NOT summit on my birthday as I had planned and prepared for. Eventually my thoughts were decided and we agreed to have me go down via the Umbwe route with a guide (who also carried my day pack) and 3 porters while my team would continue the trek upwards - all 6 of them did summit
I was picked up by Immanuel from Climb Kili and made my way back to the hotel where I stayed for the next 3 days waiting for my team. The Climb Kili staff was so generous and wonderful as well as the hotel staff and made me feel like I had won despite not summiting
The feelings I have related to my trip (we did a 5 day Safari after this as well) are joyous and I attribute it all to everyone associated with Climb Kili. My 50th birthday was memorable despite not getting to the top and I will always remember the good people who made me a better man
What an unforgettable experience. The Climb Kili team was exceptional—John and Christian were excellent guides. They were thoughtful, patient, extremely knowledgeable, and great at their jobs. Everyone involved made the trek as smooth and enjoyable as possible, supporting us, cheering us on, and in general being tireless and utterly competent. A once-in-a-lifetime experience that was made so much better by being with such great people. Loved it so much.