48 Years on One Mountain
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb was founded in Arusha in 1978 — before most of our competitors were born. We have not moved. We have not been acquired. We have not become a booking portal. We are still in Arusha, still climbing Kilimanjaro, still doing this the right way. Learn about the Chagga people and culture that make this mountain home. Curious about what the climb is actually like? Read our honest account of what Kilimanjaro is like. Not sure if Kilimanjaro is the right goal? Compare Kilimanjaro to the Atlas Mountains before you decide.
Mushtaqali Y. Abdallah
Founded Mount Kilimanjaro Climb in Arusha in 1978 — in the early years of Tanzania's tourism industry, when Kilimanjaro was still a mountain most people knew only by name. What started as a small local guiding operation has grown into one of Tanzania's most experienced Kili operators, completing over 2,000 successful summit climbs.
In 48 years, the company has seen London agencies and app-based platforms come and go. Most competitors are 5–15 years old. Mushtaqali's operation was building routes and training guides when they were not yet imagined. The mountain is 75 kilometers from the office — and the expertise it produces is irreplaceable.
How Bobby Tours Tanzania Became Mount Kilimanjaro Climb
Bobby Tours Tanzania was established in Arusha in 1978 — in the early years of Tanzania's tourism industry, when Kilimanjaro was still a mountain most people knew only by name. The company began with a simple mission: show the world what Tanzania had to offer, and do it with expertise that only comes from being here.
Kilimanjaro was always central. The mountain is 75 kilometers from our office. Our guides have grown up in its shadow, tracked its glaciers, and learned its moods across decades of seasons. When the climbing operation expanded, we gave it its own identity: Mount Kilimanjaro Climb.
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb is the climbing arm of Bobby Tours Tanzania. The parent company handles safaris, cultural tours, and expedition logistics across Tanzania. Mount Kilimanjaro Climb handles one thing: Kilimanjaro. The specialization is intentional. When you climb with us, you are not a line item in a generalist tour operator's ledger. You are the entire point.
In 48 years, we have seen companies come and go. Some were London agencies who never visited Tanzania. Some were app-based platforms with no crew of their own. Most of our competitors are 5–15 years old. We were building routes and training guides when they were not yet imagined. Discover the mountain's geology, history, and facts →
Why "Local" Actually Matters
When you book through an overseas agency, your money goes: booking platform fee (15–25%) → agency margin (20–30%) → operator. The "operator" — the people who actually take you up the mountain — receives 50–65 cents of every dollar you pay.
When you book directly with us, 100% goes to the team responsible for your safety. We pay guides properly. We pay porters above the recommended minimum. We invest in equipment. That is only possible when the middlemen are removed.
Your safety depends on the quality of your crew. The quality of your crew depends on how they're compensated. Booking local is not just an ethical choice — it's a safety decision.
Most Kilimanjaro companies were founded in the 2010s or 2020s. Our lead guide Mussa has more personal summit experience than most operators have total company experience.
Mussa
Senior Lead Guide · Mount Kilimanjaro Climb
Mussa has 500+ personal Kilimanjaro summits across all routes. His read of altitude sickness, weather, and individual climber capability is unmatched — from first-time hikers at age 10 to first-time hikers at 70. Families regularly ask whether young children can summit safely — see our age policy and family safety record. Every Mount Kilimanjaro Climb private climb is either led by Mussa or a guide trained directly by him. Learn what a Mount Kilimanjaro Climb private climb includes →
The Difference a Lead Guide Makes
Summit success on Kilimanjaro is not purely physical. 40–50% of failed summits are the result of poor pacing, inadequate acclimatization scheduling, or a guide who doesn't intervene early enough when altitude sickness develops.
Mussa's 500+ summits means he has seen every presentation of altitude sickness. He knows the difference between mild AMS and the early signs of HACE. He knows which climbers can push through and which need to descend immediately. That judgment, built over 20 years, is what keeps our success rate at 95%.
He doesn't let sentiment interfere with safety. If you need to turn around, you turn around. If you need a different pace, you get a different pace. Every decision on your climb is made by an experienced guide, not a policy manual.
Mussa's philosophy: "My job is not to take you to the summit. My job is to bring you home safely — with the summit if possible, without it if necessary."
How We Operate
We Are the Operator
Most Kilimanjaro companies online are booking agents based in London, Amsterdam, or New York. They take your booking and subcontract to a local operator in Tanzania — adding a 40–60% markup and zero accountability. We are that local operator. Your money goes directly to the guides and crew who take you up the mountain. Before booking with any company, read our guide to choosing a Kilimanjaro operator — with questions to ask and red flags to watch for.
Honest Pricing
Every fee — park entry, conservation, rescue fund, camping — is included in your quote. No supplements at checkout. No surprises at the gate. We built this policy because we've seen what the alternative does to climbers who arrive in Arusha having budgeted wrong.
Private Climbs Only
We don't run group departure calendars where you're assigned to a team of 30 strangers. Every Mount Kilimanjaro Climb climb is private — your guides, your crew, your schedule. If you need to go slower for altitude acclimatization, you go slower. Your lead guide makes that call, not a tour director managing 30 people.
Safety as Non-Negotiable
Twice-daily pulse oximeter checks. Medical-grade oxygen on every climb. Emergency evacuation protocol from day one. Your lead guide has the authority to turn you around — and the years of experience to know exactly when that's the right decision. We've had climbers disagree in the moment and thank us later.
Real Climbers. Real Summits.
"Mussa was incredible. He knew exactly when to push and when to let me rest. On summit night, his encouragement got me through the hardest hours of my life. I would not have made it without him."
"I was terrified of altitude sickness before I booked. Ali Hassan explained everything honestly before the climb — what to expect, how to prepare, what the warning signs were. His knowledge made all the difference. Summit night was tough but I never felt unsafe."
"The 8-day Lemosho route was the right choice. Juma Mwasha was calm, professional, and really knew the mountain. The longer itinerary made the altitude manageable. I summited with no altitude issues and felt great the whole way down."
Porter Welfare Standards
The sets minimum standards for porter wages, gear provision, and working conditions. We exceed every standard. See our full sustainability report →
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb
Part of a Larger Mission
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb is the Kilimanjaro climbing arm of Bobby Tours Tanzania — a family-owned tourism company that has operated in Arusha since 1978. Browse our all-inclusive Kilimanjaro climb tour packages, all with transparent pricing, certified guides, and a 95% verified summit rate. Bobby Tours Tanzania also runs private safari operations under the brand Magical Tanzania.
After your summit, most climbers want to see Tanzania's wildlife. Our sister brand designs private safaris for Kilimanjaro summiteers — Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire. Kilimanjaro's unique ecosystems also host wildlife year-round, from colobus monkeys in the rainforest zone to eland and duiker on the slopes.
Check current cell coverage on the Kili routes before you go — and see how our guides manage communication logistics on the mountain.
Read about the animals you'll see on Kili →
Explore Magical Tanzania →Prefer to chat first?
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Last updated 9 August 2026 · Reviewed by the Mount Kilimanjaro Climb editorial team — Don Kassim's 48-year Arusha operation. Meet the team.
Page reference: About Mount Kilimanjaro Climb. Information sourced from on-mountain records and 48 years of operating Kilimanjaro climbs. No claims are made about external certifications; this page describes what our team has actually done on Kili since 1978.