When we decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity to help raise money for the Evelina Children’s Hospital in London, we were surprised at how many different tour operators we came across on the internet. Because we had never done anything like this before we decided the best way to find a tour company was through the recommendation of people that had done the climb, and the name that kept coming up was ‘Mosha Climbing Tours’, everyone that we had spoken that had used Mosha Climbing Tours had all reached the summit successfully, and they did nothing but praise their guides Ewald and Seraphini.
So after getting in contact with them, the three of us booked with Mosha Climbing Tours and landed in Tanzania, Africa on October 9th 2016.
We decided to book a completely private trek, tailored to suit us as we had never done anything like this before and didn’t want to hold others back. The cost of this was very competitive compared to other tour operators who were quoting us more for a non private trek. With the guidance of Ewald we decided to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on the Marangu Route also know as the Coca Cola Trail.
We started our climb on the October 11th and hit the summit on the 16th, along the way we saw lots and lots of people failing and turning round to descend the mountain. This was because of a few reasons, but the most common reason being they hadn’t had the chance to acclimatise properly, and this unfortunately is down to the guides for not taking their time to make sure that they were ok.
Our lead guides, ‘Professor Ewald’ and ‘Dr Seraphini’ as they are known on the mountain, are both “Chaga” Tribesman and they were simply outstanding, they knew every nook and cranny on the mountain like it was the back of their hand, they knew how long to rest us and when to push us, they were magnificent, believe me when I tell you if you have Ewald and Seraphini as your guides they will do everything possible to make sure you reach that summit!
Professor Ewald and Dr Seraphini are the best guides in Kilimanjaro bar none and if you book with Mosha Climbing Tours as we did, insist you have these two as your lead guides – you will thank me!
– Mitchell Scott. Brighton. Privateline88 –
After months of research, we decided to book our trip with Mosha Climbing Tours for our attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and go on a safari. We did the Machame route, but over 7 days, in July 2017. We were a group of 4 and 2 additional single climbers joined us on the hike which was great. The staff were absolutely amazing with all of us, it seemed nothing could ruin their good spirits which was a great motivator for us. Our guide, Seraphini, was fantastic and if it wasn’t for him a few of us would not have made it on summit night. Seraphini was great at informing us on what was coming up, what the next day held for us, and he was always checking we were ok and if we needed help he was the first one there. I would definitely recommend having the extra day up the mountain and doing this route in 7 days because we saw how much hiking had to be done in 6 days and I don’t think we could have done it. The scenery on this route was the best part of the whole trip (apart from summiting the mountain of course). We were all well fed and even had fresh fruits and vegetables, which we didn’t expect!
After the Climb we then did a 3 day safari to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro, and stayed at the Ngorongoro Wild Camp, which was another memorable experience. Doing the Safari is a great way to relax after the climb, and as you are there, you would be stupid to not visit the national parks to see all the animals, it really was amazing.
– Claire Castle. Birmingham, UK –
I decided to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on the Rongai route, and all i can say is it is a once in a lifetime experience, and an experience you will never ever forget. The mountain itself is obviously amazing, but the greatest charm, for me, was getting to know the people along the journey. I was a single climber and so I joined up with a group that was made up of 2 other single climbers and a couple. The Mosha Climbing Tours team is truly second to none, and I highly recommend them.
I got altitude sickness after reaching the summit and because of their safety and wellness awareness I was very well cared for. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else looking after me, they knew what they were doing, and i trusted them which is the main thing. Our guides were full of knowledgeable about them mountain in terms of the different routes, the culture and history of the mountain, the different flowers and animals we came across so i learnt a lot as well as achieving the summit! The service and politeness of everyone exceeded expectations. Even with the altitude sickness I had the best time of my life and that’s all thanks to Mosha Climbing Tours!
– Bob McKay. Montana, USA –
Early in the process of selecting a tour guide company, it was clear to me that the the larger companies/agents didn’t really care about your needs and requirements they just wanted to get you booked on a trip and it was very impersonal, then i came across Mosha Climbing Tours, and i am SO glad i did. From my first email exchange with Mosha Climbing Yours was quick to respond to all of my questions. I spoke with Seraphini and Herment throughout my booking process depending on who up the mountain and it was great to finally meet them both when we got there. They both provided the highest level of personal service from the first time we spoke until we departed after the trip. The equipment they provided us with was high quality and in good condition, and the food which was cooked and served to us was nothing short of amazing, there was plenty of variety in the meals provided and they were the perfect balance to give you that ‘fuel’ you needed when climbing.
On the summit day we chose to not do the midnight start and instead we set off at 5am. Even though we didn’t see the sunrise we avoided the bitter cold and when we finally reached Uhuru Peak, the summit, we had it completely to ourselves and as a result could take our time capturing the moment, and this was all thanks to Herment’s experience and knowledge. On the climb I got to know everyone really well, not only the guides and the other people that joined our group but I also learnt a lot more about the friends who i was on the trip with, and it has definitely brought us all closer. Herment was great at motivating and helping us all it is so clear how much he cares about Kilimanjaro, he is actively involved in working to get the National Parks to improve conditions on the trails and provide improved rescue services.
Herment is a very experienced and competent guide, whose goal is clear – to provide everyone with a first class service and a successful trek to the summit. He exceeded all our hopes and expectations and I can’t thank Mosha Climbing Tours enough for the experience they provided us with.
– Tony Moore. Edinburgh, Scotland –