M7273RJelizabeths
10 Apr 2023
I did the 8-day Lemosho route in February 2023 of this year with roam wild Adventure with 4 other ladies. For our group of 5, we had a lead guide, 2 assistant guides, a chef, a waiter, and 17 porters. One of the porters was the lead camp porter, who organized our camp setup every night and helped clean off the dust/dirt from our pants and shoes every day when we got to camp. Another porter was the toilet porter, in charge of setting up the toilet tent and maintaining the toilet for us. (It was always clean!)
Our meals always included some hot soup, protein, carbs, veggies and fruit. There was always hot porridge at breakfast, along with eggs, sausage, crepes. One night at dinner we were just casually talking about how awesome crepes with bananas and nutella would be, and voila! guess what the chef made us for breakfast the next morning!
Our guides Ezekiel, Michael, and Peeta did a superb job of leading us up the mountain. We had health checks done daily at breakfast and at dinner time – oximeter to check our oxygen levels and heart rates. We were also quizzed daily on how much water we drank during the day, how did we feel – any headaches or nausea, how is your appetite, etc. We were well taken care of the entire trip, and we were also well fed. Our pace was determined by the guides. It was slow - slower than what I would normally do for a hike, but deemed necessary in order to properly acclimate to the reduced oxygen as we climbed higher. ‘Pole pole’ (pronounced pole-a pole-a) means ‘slowly’ in Swahili, and we heard this a lot over the next few days. Since the porters didn’t have to worry about elevation acclimating, they would march ahead of us and get to the campsite a few hours ahead of us. Once the camp sites were set up, some of the porters would backtrack to us and take over carrying our daypacks for us. It was always an awesome sign when we saw our porters coming our way because it meant that we get a load off and that we were only about an hour away from camp. I don’t know if every trekking company does this, so I thought it was a very welcome gesture.
I’m happy to report that our entire group of 5 made it to the summit. Some of the porters came with us on our midnight summit to help carry our backpacks so we wouldn’t get too tired as we had over 3000 ft to climb in the dark. Once again, this was another welcome gesture, as I didn’t see any other groups with porters during our ascent. Overall it was an amazing once in a lifetime adventure, if I were to hike up Kilimanjaro again, I would pick Roam wild Adventure again. Not only were we well taken care of, but it was obvious that the guides and porters are also well taken care of and properly equipped.
One of the best trips I've taken yet ! I decided a few years ago after meeting Helen Soto the owner of Roam Wild Adventures, to add Kilamanjaro on my bucket list.
This would be a great way to celebrate my 50th birthday.
Well, we all know how that went and 2 years later, post covid-19, I DID IT !
The best part of this adventure was completing this adventure with 4 friends some from out of state.
Let me start by saying I was very impressed by the attention to small detail this company has to offer.
The porters and guides are very friendly they make u feel welcome and safe at all times.
The food was incredible. The "Chef" Oria makes sure you are well fed with proper nutrition for the everyday miles while trekking.
I miss the delicious healthy meals, especially the porridge???? and soups made for us daily.
Three full beautiful delicious meals are provided as well as snacks to take with you along the daily trekk.
They provide warm water for face and hands first thing in the morning, they carry and set up portable flushable toilets.... yes flushable toilets for base camps !
The biggest thing for me was how in tune the guides Petta, Michael and Ezekiel became after a day or so with everyone.
They knew when we needed extra "breakie breakies" along the way.
The warmth of the porters is heartfelt they truly cared for our well-being. Once they reached a base camp and set up, some came back to meet us along the way to take the weight of our packs off, which was incredible they were trekking double. The tents are very sturdy and the sleeping bags very warm if you decide on the option to rent and not carry the extra weight flying.
We opted for the 8 day Lemosho Route which made it possible for us all to acclimated gradually. I am a chronic asthmatic, and the worst part for me was getting out of a warm tent to go to the "Office" which we named our bathroom. The drastic temperature change would make me feel as if I just ran a mile but once in the warmth my breathing would regulate.
For any type of adventure it is imperative to let the company know of any medical issues and medications that you take.
Especially getting a medical clearance as well.
The mountain has helicopter evacuation for any emergencies. The guides carry oxygen in case it is warranted and have first aid kits.
Every morning before breakfast our oxygen level is monitored for precautionary measures.
My favorite part aside summit day was the beautiful energy felt while everyone sings in honor to
Mt. Kilamanjaro.
My overall experience was mesmerizing.
Watching Mother Nature's magnificent ???? sunrise while on the mountain with awesome people was a memory of a Lifetime!
I chose Roam Wild Adventure as my guide to Kilimanjaro (and my upcoming safari). I chose them because they are:
-a small, new company (#supportsmallbusiness)
-woman owned
-eco minded
-actively giving back to the community
And while there are a lot of great companies you can choose from to climb Kili or tour Tanzania, I could not be happier with my choice. Everyone was amazing, professional, and truly cared about me and my success. Helen was incredibly responsive to and patient with my millions of questions from booking time to go time.
Support Roam Wild Adventure. They do good things.