What Now, of the Kilimanjaro Mountain Crew?

How a tiny African non-profit and its Partner climbing companies are taking steps to help the lives of thousands of Kilimanjaro guides and porters during this virus crisis.

As I write this, a heavy full moon is inching its way towards the jagged skyline of the Rocky Mountains.

The same full moon that lit my way, and that of my guides, porters and fellow climbers the night November 17, 2013, as we made our way to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Every year some 50,000 people attempt to summit the mountain. About a third or more don’t quite make it. Whether or not you stand under that triumphant sign has a great deal to do with the quality of your guide and porter team.

The minimally-staffed but very proactive not-for-profit Kilimanjaro Porter’s Assistance Project or KPAP was formed in 2003 to attend to the needs of porters who annually make multiple treks up this magnificent mountain.

In times past, those porters, many, if not most, of whom come from farming backgrounds, didn’t always have the proper clothing or gear, or even food to sustain them as they carried often huge loads of tourist gear to the camps.