Tanzanian Trailblazers: Kilimanjaro Guides Take Their Expertise to Nepal's Peaks

Our own Abraham Kipokola joins forces with Nirmal "Nimsdai" Purja to climb the Island Peak in Nepal

What you need to know:

Their successful summit marks an important milestone for the Tanzania tourism community, with these three men becoming the first from Kilimanjaro to join an international expedition in Nepal as guides. The climb was made possible through the invitation of the globally celebrated mountaineer Nims and Altezza Travel, a Kilimanjaro-based tour operator.

Every year, hundreds of Kilimanjaro guides take climbers to the summit of the Roof of Africa. However, few have ever guided internationally before.

Abraham, Vitalis, and Joshua became the first Tanzanians in the guiding crew for Elite Exped's expedition in the Himalayas. Nims (aka Nimsdai), a famous climber, started this company after climbing all 14 of the world's tallest mountains. He did it in just six months and six days, setting a new world record. You may watch Nims' incredible journey in the documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible" on Netflix.

Nims made his first journey to Tanzania in August 2022 to evaluate Kilimanjaro's potential for his clients. Completing the climb in under 9 hours—a task that usually takes most a week or more—Nims caused surprising looks of the other climbers, who were not accustomed to encountering a star of his caliber on their path.

Recognizing Kilimanjaro's well-developed tourist infrastructure and the government's encouraging policies during his stay, Nims saw great promise in Kilimanjaro. This led to a fruitful partnership, with Elite Exped sending its first groups to Tanzania under Nims’ banner in summer 2023.