Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experience
by Maria Gahlinger
(Canada)
Tents
Glacier
Summit
Reaching the summit was something I never thought possible and I will always remember the incredible feeling of standing on the "top of Africa". The 4 in our group all made it to the summit!
The Kilimanjaro climb is now a fond memory and I wanted to thank you again for suggesting SENE as a good company to go with.
The experience was excellent.
The guides (Emmanuel and Ambrose) were very knowledgeable and helpful, taking very good care of us, making sure we stayed healthy and safe.
They checked our health regularly and were sensitive to our needs, always very respectful and encouraging.
We were woken up every day with coffee brought to our tents.
The porters were treated very well and greeted us each day when we arrived at our camp with singing and dancing.
The food was fantastic... delicious and attractively displayed and little touches such as a beautiful tablecloth made the meals special.
The tents, sleeping bags and other supplies were in good condition and clean.
I was impressed by the overall organization of the company and how well they are known and respected in the area.
Mostly I appreciated their attention to safety by their knowledge and the safety equipment they carried... a good first aid kit, oxygen and gamma bag (not sure how to spell that but used in emergency in case of someone suffering from altitude illness. The bag can be pressurized after the sick person is placed in it and they would then be carried off the mountain).
They focused on prevention of illness by ensuring time to acclimatize - spent the first day at Simon's farm at 6000ft, then did the Lemosho route which is longer and more gradual, always walking very slowly, and keeping an eye out for our health (twice daily checks of our vital signs, ensuring we drank enough water, asking how we were, watching our breathing).
I really liked that SENE is a local comany and its founder, Simon, very involved in the community and doing a lot of charitable work.
After the climb, we went on a 4 day safari which was also fantastic, seeing a lot more animals than I could ever have imagined, staying in wonderful lodges and having a very knowledgeable driver (Amos).
I highly recommend SENE to anyone wanting to climb Kilimanjaro or going on safari!
Thanks again
Maria
ps I'm not a great photographer and just had a small digital camera but it's the memories that count!
Kilimanjaro gear - what to pack »
