Climbing Kili

Rustic Pathways is excellent at giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture of where they are visiting through having local leaders and activities with locals. Even when I was in the remote peaks of Kilimanjaro I was surrounded by singing and dancing Tanzanian leaders and I ate Tanzanian cuisine. The route that Rustic Pathways takes allows students to sleep in huts, which makes the climb more comfortable when temperatures range around freezing. Additionally, when I was at my lowest point, the Rustic and Tanzanian leaders constantly provided motivation and love. I felt safe on the mountain because the leaders would genuinely ask how we felt, and we had medical check ups every morning and night. Reaching the summit was unbelievably difficult, and what made it even more special was doing it with Rustic and my sixteen new best friends. I left Kilimanjaro in awe of the amazing people I met and feeling grateful for the opportunity. I can confidently say my time spent in Tanzania changed my life for the better. I have grown in my understanding and acceptance of different cultures, I discovered a strength and resilience inside myself, and I developed relationships with wonderful people. Thank you so much Rustic!!