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While tipping is not common practice in many countries and cultures around the world, tipping for good service on Kilimanjaro, and Tanzania in general, is customary and expected.


Porters getting ready for the next climb, securing all gear needed to survive on Kilimanjaro for the next 8 days
Preparing for the next climb

Local Moshi Adventures is a proud partner of KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project), a Tanzanian non-for-profit organization and initiative of IMEC (International Mountain Explorers Connection) overseeing the fair and ethical treatment of porters and mountain crews.


By being a KPAP partner we volunteer that every climb of ours will be monitored by a KPAP investigative porter to ensure we are adhering to KPAP guidelines, which include:

  • Porters are paid a minimum of 20,000Tsh per day (the wage amount accepted by the porter unions in 2014) (this minimum wage does not provide a living wage)

  • Salaries will be paid within 2 days of the descent of a climb

  • A transparent tipping procedure so porters receive the full tip amount intended

  • Loads carried by the porter don't exceed 20 kg for the company (this excludes the porter’s personal kit)

  • Porters are provided with three meals per day

  • Porters have proper shelter conditions and sleeping equipment

  • Porters are outfitted with proper gear

  • Sick or injured porters are properly cared for

 
Luggage being weighed at the Kilimanjaro Park entrance to ensure it does not exceed 20kg
Porter load weigh in prior to the climb

Why are tips not included in the climb price?


The reason is transparency!


Including tipping in the price would be a loss of transparency, as porters do not know how much a company charges for the climb or how much the company budgeted for the tip.


Hence, neither the client nor the porters know, how much of the climb price went into the company’s bank account, instead of paying toward a living wage.

 

Why do I even need the mountain crew?


Fact: Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most accessible summits and a beacon for tens of thousands of visitors from around the world!

Porters taking a break after climbing the Barranco Wall
Taking a break at 4000 meters

Because Kilimanjaro is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, the Tanzanian Government and the Kilimanjaro National Parks Department (KINAPA) have established strict guidelines to protect the mountain.


Therefore, according to Tanzanian law, a client must climb with a legally registered tour operator that has aquired a TALA license for Mountain Climbing/Trekking issued by the "Ministry of Natural Recources and Tourism". (This license is only issued to legally registered tour operators.)


For safety purposes KINAPA regulations indicate the numbers of guide/s per client, while the number of porters to support a climb is dependent on the amount of the weight.


Side note: Clients wanting to climb Kilimanjaro with a guide only, are required to carry all of their own gear and food items

 

Who are the Kilimanjaro mountain crew and why are there so many?


The Kilimanjaro mountain crew consists of specially trained guides, cooks and porters without whom reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro for many climbers would not be possible.


To ensure the safety and well being of porters when working on Kilimanjaro, they are not allowed to carry more than 20 kg per porter for the company (this excludes the porter’s personal kit)


The amount of porters on any given climb depends on the amenities the climbers ask for (i.e. private toilet tent, personal oxygen etc.)


Our minimum mountain crew for 2 climbers consists of:


2 guides (senior guide and assistant guide)

1 cook

10 porters


Please note: Trekking companies that are not members of KPAP and therefore not bound by the rules of fair and ethical treatment of porters, tend to use fewer crew members to lower their costs. This comes at the price of overworked and overloaded porters, making for an unsafe and unpleasant climbing environment for climbers and crew.


Mountain crew roles and duties are as follows:

  • Guides – guide you safely up the mountain and ensure Kilimanjaro Park Department Rules including "Leave no Trace" are adhered to

  • Cooks – provide all meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner) including special dietary needs or preferences

  • Porters – carry all of your food and gear, but may also have varying duties including positions such as waiter, camp crew, toilet porter, summit porter and medical porter

 

How much do I tip and how?


It is ideal to have a tipping ceremony during the last meal on the mountain or at the descent gate. Tips can be placed in individual envelopes with the climbers giving them directly to each crew person.

Climber handing a tip envelope to a porter
How to tip a porter on Kilimanjaro

The tipping ranges below are per crew member and paid per group, not per climber:


Senior guide: $15-20 per day

Assistant guide: $12-15 per day

Cook: $12-15 per day

Waiter: $10-12 per day

Summit porter: $10-12 per day

Toilet crew: $10-12 per day

Porter: $ 6-10 per day


 

Local Moshi Adventures will inform all climbers as to how many crew members will be participating in their climb.

 

Kilimanjaro mountain crew celebrating a successful climb
Kilimanjaro crew celebrating a successful climb
 

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