Travelogue from Kilimanjaro: A family adventure to Africa's summit

At the beginning of 2025, our CEO, Claus, climbed Kilimanjaro with his family. A magical experience that will remain in their hearts forever. Read about his experiences below.

If you fancy treating yourself and your family to the experience of a lifetime and a great challenge, then climbing Kilimanjaro might be just for you.

In February 2025, my wife, our two adult daughters, and I took on the challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro via the Machame route. We included an additional day of acclimatisation to increase our chances of everyone reaching the summit.

You don’t need to be a marathon runner or a professional mountaineer to climb Kilimanjaro. If you’re reasonably fit and prepare well, you’ve got a good chance of reaching Africa’s summit while enjoying some of the most beautiful landscapes the world has to offer.

The ascent begins at 1,800 metres at Machame Gate and heads towards Uhuru Peak — the top of Africa, at 5,895 metres.

From the first step, it’s a steady climb upwards, partly on paths and partly on rocky trails where some climbing is necessary.

Along the way, we experienced the most breathtaking scenery, which became more spectacular the higher we climbed. Above 5,000 metres, there’s only barren desert with lava rocks and dust. It felt like being on the moon or Mars; it was truly beautiful and unique. Experiencing the sunrises and sunsets in the various climate zones we passed through was magical — not to mention the moonlight and clear starry nights where we saw the stars more vividly than ever before.

All the good advice we received about walking slowly, staying hydrated, and eating whenever possible was crucial to follow. As we ascended, we indeed felt how the altitude affected our bodies. Our appetites changed, and it was sometimes challenging to consume the necessary calories to maintain our energy levels. Our strength wasn’t the same at higher altitudes, and we tired more quickly than usual.

Here, the guides’ assistance and encouragement were simply invaluable. Our guides were extremely professional — they had a firm grip on altitude sickness symptoms and how to treat them, and they were excellent at ensuring we ate and drank correctly at the right times. They were also a bit like sports psychologists, helping us maintain our focus on our goal — the Uhuru Peak.

Our family’s bond was strong. We were all determined not only to enjoy the journey but to reach the summit. And finally, after five days, we reached the Uhuru Peak. It was an afternoon of brilliant sunshine, calm winds, minus 5 degrees, and snow at the summit. Words can’t describe the incredible feeling when all four of us stood on the summit together — having accomplished the climb and getting to witness this magnificent view over Africa. It was and is one of the most beautiful sights we’ve ever experienced, and it was worth every moment of the climb.

It’s not only our guides who deserve a massive thank you for safely leading us to the top. The entire Kilimanjaro team deserves immense praise for their role in helping us complete the ascent. Our cooks prepared delicious meals and took great care of us, and our team of porters was simply outstanding. Unbelievably resilient — they carried food, tents, tables, and everything we needed up the mountain at a pace the rest of us couldn’t match. By the time we reached camp, everything was set up, and we were greeted with smiles and songs. It was both impressive and incredibly motivating.

The ascent took five days and the descent 1.5 days. The descent is much quicker as it’s less energy-consuming than climbing upwards, and as we descended, our bodies gradually returned to normal.

Climbing Kilimanjaro, for our family, was a unique, fantastic, and unforgettable experience — truly one of those lifetime experiences that has already found a special place in our hearts.

Claus,

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller