A friend and I are going to make the Lemosho/Shira/Western Breach climb Feb next year. We've decided to go with the Kiliwarriors. We looked at many outfitters and these guys seem to be one of the best, but we're looking for some unbiased feedback.

Thanks for the help.

Going purely on hearsay, Kiliwarriors grossly overchanges for a basically standard service, and amp up the cost with one or two luxury touches and a largely hypothetical record of super-safety. In reallity the claims made by some of these supercharging companies are falacious since they draw their mountain support crew from the same basic pool, fight for space in the same campsites, and fundamentally offer nothing that a mid-range outfitter does not offer at half the price.

Seems like a pretty damning assessment to make based purely on hearsay...

Well qualified hearsay. As an insider I struggle to find any reason where and how US$4000 to US$5000 per pack can be realistically justified when we are all essentially selling the same product.

I didn't mean any offense - I'm definitely not an insider.

What's a reasonable price for the Western Breach? I've started doing research for a trip next year, and it seems like just about everyone guiding that route (or at least everyone you find on the internet) is charging $4000+.

Looking at what Kiliwarriors offers, I guess I'm willing to pay a little more for better food, sturdier/roomier tents and someone bringing along a Gamow bag. I can live without a portable shower, daily oxymeter readings, and a company-provided thermarest pad though. All in all, SENE looks like a better deal.

For the western breach you should look to a premium of about US$600, so therefore a good company should be charging about US$3000 to US$3200. Certainly you can tow along oxygen and a hyperbaric gag, but none of these justify the US$4000 to US$5000 premiums, and you would have to be eating caviar and lobster for the food to make up the difference. There are scams at the low end and scams at the high end. As Buddah said. Take the middle road.

hi all, ive booked with kiliwarriors for a climb in sept 09, they have been very good in terms of arrangements and i have booked the platinum package where i dont put hand in wallet for 10 days, yes it is expensive and maybe over the top, however, ive not climbed with any other outfitters and therefore can make no comparisons, save what i read on forums like this, which are very handy tools i might add, but ive read and been told that they are very good in what they do, so until i climb i can only add that they seem professional and they have been in contact with me regularly since i booked, hope this helps, regards,

Suttoh

We (we're from the U.S.) booked with and had a successful summit, via the Western Breach and Crater Camp, with Kiliwarriors about 6 weeks ago. We did a lot of research before choosing to go with them. We are SO glad that we did! Our guides, Faraja, Gideon, and Hosea were the BEST as were all the porters. Yes, they may be a little more expensive than some of the other outfitters but you get what you pay for. I wanted the BEST as far as safety goes and chances of making the summit - the Kiliwarriors didn't let us down.

The Kiliwarriors (on their website) are, as of this writing, the only outfitter that openly discusses the accidents that have happened on the mountain and openly talk about the dangers involved in the hike/trek.

From our first informational contact with Carol to our last day on the mountain at our certificate ceremony with Faraja leading the song and dance, the Kiliwarriors were truly awesome in ALL aspects of the adventure!

I can and do highly recommend the Kiliwarriors - and in my opinion, going via the Western Breach and Crater Camp (with the short hike up to the ash pit) is the only route to take - they KNOW how to climb the Western Breach.