General Information

Adventure travel can be challenging and unpredictable, and a good Trip Leader is essential for a successful trip.  All our trips are led by an english-speaking Trip Leader, who will be a qualified, professional guide, with years of mountain experience.  We also aim to give the local economy the maximum benefit from our trips, and our policy of using a local Head Guide as our trip leader (as well as using local guides, cooks, porters and drivers) ensures this happens.

We have local guides on all our walking and trekking trips and they are very capable.  Many have been guiding for years and have built up a wealth of experience regarding all aspects of trekking and walking.  Their knowledge of the routes on the mountains is excellent, as is their knowledge and practical experience of altitude-related problems.  The East African mountains have unique geological history and special flora and fauna that is not found elsewhere, and the guides have a good local and cultural knowledge of these aspects (better than a western leader) and can answer all your questions on the mountains.

In Tanzania, Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) control mountain guide training and qualifications through the courses run by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority at its headquarters in Marangu for people that wish to become KINAPA qualified mountain guides.  This course not only covers the necessary mountain skills, but also first aid, flora and fauna of the mountains, altitude sickness conditions and the importance of protection of the mountain environment amongst other things.

On our trips we always have a head guide who holds this qualification, and a number of other guides, some of whom may also be qualified. There are many people that work as guides who do not hold this qualification.  However, they also can be very good, as they often work with and learn from qualified guides, and often have years of guiding experience themselves. The ratio of guide to client is about 1 guide for up to four travellers, though the minimum number of guides however small the group, is never less than 2.

The head guide will lead the trip, speak very good English, and is the main liaison with the group; he meets you at the airport and is with you until your flight home.  On the trek or walk, the guides keep you informed about the route, and plans for the day ahead etc.  All the guides have good English and their warm friendly characters shine through during the trip, and often by the end, they have become less of a guide and more a knowledgeable friend!

We do not send a trip leader from UK as a matter of course to accompany our treks and walking trips, as we feel that a local qualified guide knows his country better than a non-local guide, and will generally lead trips perfectly capably and satisfactorily.  It also allows increased contact with the local guides, which can make the trip more enjoyable, as they are friendly people and give an insight into the country and its culture.  Further, it means his costs do not have to be borne by the group.