Monkey Mountaineering are proud to announce our membership of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Programme. As part of this we are also one of only 16 UK based travel companies to participate in the International Mountain Explorers Connection Partners for Responsible Travel programme.
In keeping with our own ethos and values the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Programme is a Tanzanian not for profit organisation which aims to improve the working conditions for porters on Kilimanjaro. Porters and support personnel play a key role in any Kilimanjaro trek. They carry food, kit and equipment, including trekker's personal equipment up and down the mountain, support every aspect of successful ascents and provide a key cultural connection to those visiting the mountain. It may surprise you to learn that porters and mountain crew on Kilimanjaro don't always get treated fairly. Not all travel companies pay porters and mountain crew a fair wage or ensure they have the right clothing and equipment. Some companies don't even provide food for their porters.
At Monkey Mountaineering we are committed to sustainable and ethically responsible travel. We believe that populations living and working in regions and areas that we use for our trips should benefit from our visits. One of the ways we achieve this is by ensuring that all porters and mountain crew working on our treks are paid a fair wage, receive three meals per day, are treated fairly and have the right clothing and equipment.
Adopting an ethically responsible approach ensures our mountain crew are happy and well looked after. A happy, well looked after crew are more able to support your trek and more willing to share conversations with you contributing to your overall cultural experience and providing a great opportunity for the crew to learn about your culture and values too.
If like us, responsible travel and cultural experience is important to you then why not join Monkey Mountaineering on one of our 8 day Lemosho route treks. This route on Kilimanjaro is one day longer than the standard trip providing additional acclimatisation and increasing summit success rates as well as allowing plenty of time for you to get to know your mountain crew and get a unique insight into local customs and traditions. If the Lemosho route isn't what you want to do or the dates don't work for you we also offer a fully bespoke service and can work with you to fulfil your requirements (any route on Kilimanjaro on dates to suit you), why not get in touch with us to find out more.