Your boots are laced. The rainforest mist is thick. Kilimanjaro’s snow-covered summit looms ahead. It’s day one of your trek with I Artist Adventure—and you're focused on the challenge ahead.

But what about the incredible effort happening behind you?

Every Kilimanjaro trek we lead takes immense planning and logistical coordination—days before your journey even begins. Our experienced porters and guides make it all possible, creating a seamless experience that gives our climbers a 98% summit success rate. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the daily life of a Kilimanjaro porter—before, during, and after your trek.

Pre-Trek Prep

A few days before your trek begins, our camp manager and cook team meet at the I Artist Adventure headquarters in Arusha to prepare every detail of your mountain journey. That includes inspecting and packing:

  • Sleeping tents

  • Private toilet tents

  • Solar-lit dining shelters

  • Hot water basins

  • Cookstoves

  • High-quality food for the entire crew

  • Foam-mattress mountaineering beds (on select routes)

They also review dietary preferences and special requirements for each guest to ensure your meals are nutritious, flavorful, and suited to your needs.

Day 1 – Gear Up & Go

On the morning of your trek, our team of 30–40 porters gathers to be properly outfitted with essential gear—boots, pants, weatherproof jackets, and more. If anything is worn or outdated, it’s replaced. We believe that a porter’s well-being is just as important as your comfort on the mountain.

Then, we board a dala dala (a private mountain bus) and head for the park gate. Once there, all gear is weighed and distributed fairly. As proud supporters of porter welfare and responsible trekking, we strictly follow the 33-pound-per-porter weight limit enforced by Kilimanjaro National Park and our in-house welfare officers.

Once the registration process is complete, the porters head out. Their mission? To have your camp fully set up before you arrive.

Daily Life on the Mountain – Days 2, 3, 4, 5…

Each morning, your porters are up at dawn—not only to prepare their own meals but to cook yours too. While you're enjoying a hot breakfast (think eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and rich Tanzanian coffee), they’re already packing, weighing, and organizing gear for the next leg of the journey.

After breakfast, they carry your duffels up the trail—often at a much faster pace—to set up your next camp in time. Finding the best camp spots, clearing rocks, arranging tents, preparing meals, and managing equipment—it’s all in a day’s work.

At I Artist Adventure, we train our porters to arrange each camp like a close-knit village—so you feel welcomed and connected every evening you arrive.

Summit Day & The Final Farewell

After your successful summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the descent feels like a triumph shared with every porter who helped you along the way. And as your journey comes to a close, there’s one final moment that stays in your heart forever:

The Jambo Song.

Sung by your guides and porters in joyous unison, the Jambo Song is a celebration of success, community, and the unforgettable bond created on the mountain. It’s a farewell filled with smiles, singing, and clapping hands.

Once the team returns to the base, porters sign off on their completed trek, receive their well-earned pay, and return to their families—ready to rest and prepare for the next adventure.

Celebrating Kilimanjaro Porters

At I Artist Adventure, we honor our porters not just on the mountain, but year-round. These incredible individuals are the heart of every successful climb.

Join us for a life-changing trek and experience firsthand the power of teamwork, respect, and the magic behind Kilimanjaro’s most unsung heroes.

Explore more about our porter program and book your trek today.