Exceptional Support : Kili Porters

Let me tell you about some absolutely remarkable dudes that helped us climb Kilimanjaro. Our group of 14 had 33 porters along for the ride, as well as 4 guides, a head cook, and an assistant cook. These people all made huge contributions to our success with summitting the mountain.



On the last day, various members of our group of 14 posed with our kickass porters - Katie and I jumped in for a photo op.



Here's the amazing thing about the porters that climb Mount Kilimanjaro. All of them are climbing the mountain, from camp to camp, with limited clothing and equipment themselves. On average, a porter will carry 20 kilograms (44 pounds) for others (meaning us crazy tourists) and up to 5 kilograms (11 pounds) for themselves. They walk up the mountain, help set up and take down camp and some of them perform other duties as well. (cooking support, waitstaff, etc.)

Another impressive thing about the Kili Porters - their balance. I couldn't even balance this box on my head for more than a second or two. These guys are doing it while slowly trekking up a mountain for a few hours at a time. I actually took quite a few pics of the various objects that were balanced on porters heads and will post more in the next couple of days.