In many high-altitude areas everything – food, tents, and water has to be carried by porters, so we can only supply the most basic comforts.
We use mountain camps on Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro, and we stay in mountain refuges on Mount Meru (also in Tanzania) and sometimes in the Pyrenees (in Europe).
Mountain refuges vary considerably. They usually consist of a larger building block, divided into smaller 4 or 6 bed compartments furnished with bunk beds and mattresses. They often have separate shower and toilet blocks. In East Africa all the catering is supplied by our own crews. In the Pyrenees there is usually a small bar and a dining room, catered by the refuge management. However, many refuges in the Pyrenees only have dormitory accommodation and they can be noisy and quite busy. Generally, it is preferable to stay in tents.
Mountain camps must be carried by porters, so are extremely light. In East Africa we supply a dome mess (dining tent), decked with lightweight tables and chairs and a solar light. We often also have a gas brazier in the mess for warmth. Meals are prepared mostly with fresh ingredients. It is amazing what a cook can produce after hiking and carrying a load! Water is collected from natural springs and streams, carried to camp, and is treated and filtered. Bottled drinks or alcohol are not available, but there are plenty of hot beverages. Water is scarce on these mountains so there is no laundry service.
Each two climbers are accommodated in a four-man mountain tent. Each climber is supplied with an 8cm (3in) foam mattress, blanket, pillow and -18oC (0oF) rated sleeping bag and liner. There are one or two (depending on group size) private mobile loo tents with a portable eco-flush loo.
For a supplemental cost we can include larger tents and lightweight folding cots to sleep on, and a small shower tent with solar bag style lightweight showers.
More information on mountain climbs is available on our Kilimanjaro climbs page and in the Resources section.
