Kilimanjaro Climbing Tours with Certified Local Guides
Climb & Sum It Africa is a Kilimanjaro climbing company based in Arusha, Tanzania. We run small-group climbs led by KINAPA-certified local guides who give honest advice on the right route for you.
Our story
Climb & Sum It Africa didn't start as a company. It started with a few of us who grew up near Kilimanjaro, spent years guiding on its trails, and got tired of seeing travellers sold routes and packages that weren't right for them.
So we did it our own way: small groups, honest advice about which route suits you, and guides who have walked every camp on the mountain more times than they can count.
We also run our own farm lodge in Moshi, so the food on your trip is grown by people we know.
A note from our founder
I lead our climbs and, most days, I'm the one answering your first WhatsApp message too.
I didn't learn this mountain from a manual. I learned it camp by camp, season by season, alongside guides like Innocent and Elisha who have become more like brothers than colleagues. That's still how we train every guide who joins us: on the trail, not behind a desk.
When you write to us, you're not filling in a form that goes to a call centre. You're talking to someone who will probably be with you at 4am on summit night. We keep it that way on purpose.
Meet the people on your mountain
Most of our team started as porters and worked their way up. Select a guide to read their story.
Benedict Gasper Minja
Mountain & Cultural GuideBenedict was born and raised in the last village before the mountain forest, so Kilimanjaro has always felt like home. He started climbing as a porter while still in primary school and worked as one for more than five years.
He then studied professional cooking and worked as a mountain cook and in tourist restaurants, before continuing his education to become a professional mountain guide.
With more than 10 years of guiding experience, he has led many climbers on Kilimanjaro. He also leads cultural tours that share local traditions and everyday life, and provides transfers and guiding around Tanzania.
His deep connection with the mountain, the culture and the people makes every journey with Benedict personal and authentic.
Innocent Christopher
Mountain & Safari GuideInnocent is a professional Mountain and Safari Guide, born and raised near the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. He started his tourism career at 17 as a porter, supporting himself through school.
After four years as a porter, he trained as a mountain guide. Today he has more than 14 years of guiding experience and has led over 260 groups to the summit of Kilimanjaro, plus many groups on Mount Meru.
He is trained in First Aid, Wilderness First Responder (WFR), mountaineering medicine, medical logistics and mountain rescue. He has also worked as a camp guide in Serengeti National Park and travelled through many national parks across northern and southern Tanzania.
His passion for Tanzania's mountains, wildlife, culture and people shapes every trip he leads.
Fedrick Anton Choda
Professional Mountain GuideFedrick began in mountain tourism as a porter, a role he held for three years before professional training to become a guide.
For more than seven years he has led groups on Kilimanjaro, building deep experience in high-altitude trekking, mountain safety and client care. He enjoys sharing his knowledge of the mountain, its environment, wildlife and local culture.
Fedrick holds a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certificate and has completed further training in first aid, high-altitude medicine, emergency response and mountain rescue.
Professional, responsible and friendly, he is committed to making every climb safe, enjoyable and unforgettable.
Elisha Erasto Tungaraza
Mountain GuideElisha was born and raised in the Mwanza Region, near the shores of Lake Victoria, and later moved to Moshi to study.
After secondary school he discovered mountain tourism and worked as a porter on Kilimanjaro for around five years, developing a deep understanding of the mountain.
He then completed professional guide training, passed his examinations and obtained his tour guide licence for mountain guiding and local tours around Moshi.
Today he has around four years of experience as a mountain guide, and his strength and knowledge of Kilimanjaro give guests a safe, enjoyable and memorable climb.
Said Banyuza
Professional Mountain ChefSaid is one of our most experienced mountain chefs. He began as a porter, which gave him a real understanding of working conditions on Kilimanjaro.
He then completed professional mountain cooking training and became known for preparing fresh, varied and delicious meals in difficult conditions, with limited facilities and a small mountain tent.
Said believes good food is part of a successful climb, and works hard to serve meals that feel like five-star hotel quality, even high on the mountain.
Why climb with us
Over a decade on the mountain
The same small team, on the same mountain, since the start.
Certified, trained guides
Every guide is KINAPA-certified and registered with Tanzania's Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Our senior guides also hold Wilderness First Responder training.
98.5% summit success
It comes from pacing and acclimatisation we have refined over hundreds of climbs, not luck.
A fully local crew
Your guides, porters and cooks all come from this region and know it better than any manual could teach.
Ready to climb Kilimanjaro?
Tell us what you have in mind and we'll get back to you with a clear, honest quote.
Request a free quote