Mountain-guide regan-mushi
By Developer
Published February 7, 2023

MEET OUR Mountain Guide:
Regan Robert Mushi

Tanzania - regan roberth mushi standing - mountain-guide regan-mushi
Position: Mountain Guide
Date of Birth: 4 July 1992
Place of Birth: Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Language Spoken: English, Swahili, and Chagga (native language)
Number of years in the travel industry: 10 years (2012- present day)
Number of years working with Easy Travel: 9 years (2013- present day)

About Regan

I am a married man with a wife and a son. Originally, I come from the Kilimanjaro region but am now based in Arusha, where I live with my family. Arusha city is also the base for my work as a mountain guide. The idea of becoming a mountain guide came when I was still in primary school. My grandfather was a mountain guide. So, I enjoyed seeing him with visitors, and from there, I developed my interest in becoming a mountain guide like him. When I completed my secondary education, I started work on Kilimanjaro as a porter before leaving to go to college, where I studied wildlife management. After completing my studies, I returned to work as a qualified mountain guide.

My first experience working as a porter was hard for me, but I managed to reach the base camp. When I returned to the mountain to work as a mountain guide, I was experienced in climbing the mountain, so I sent an application to the Kilimanjaro Authority, which handle the training of mountain guides; I was selected for the training, and undertook the training in both theory and practice.

After the training, I acquired a license as a mountain guide, and in 2013 I joined Easy Travel and went for further training to add to my skills and knowledge. This included training in First Aid and as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). I have been working for the company for nine years now and look forward to continuing working with them. This is a company that pays its employees fairly and which has well-organized management. It cares for its employees and guests, who give it many excellent reviews for providing them with super memories of Tanzania.

Favorite Park in Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro National Park is my favorite for many reasons. First of all, I was born in the Kilimanjaro region, and I know the environment very well. I like hiking, and you can experience many different things in the Kilimanjaro National Park, especially when climbing the mountain. You never get bored, thanks to the mountain’s five changing ecological zones and varied scenery. You will experience the human activity – such as farming – in the cultivation zone, and the variety of wildlife (for example, black and white colobus, blue and velvet monkeys, buffalo and antelopes) as well as the tall trees, the beautiful flowers and the evergreen canopies in the forest zone. The third zone is the heather and moorland zone, where there are shrubs but fewer animals, although mice and birds can be found. Soon you will be in the fourth zone, the ‘Alpine desert’ zone, with less vegetation but inhabited by skink lizards and birds such as lammergeier and the white-necked raven. The fifth zone is the summit zone, often called the Arctic zone, where you will find glaciers, the crater rim, and the ashpit.

Favorite Route

My favorite route for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is the Lemosho route.

Favorite Food

My favorite food is rice with tilapia. This fish is delicious and a great source of protein.

Favorite Hobby

I like to spend time watching animal documentaries and movies.

Favorite TV Show

My favorite show is Man vs. Wild on DSTV.

Favorite Singer / band

My favorite singer is Diamond Platnumz, a bongo flava artist from Tanzania.

14 Questions and answers with Regan

Climbing Kilimanjaro is the trip of a lifetime because you can experience things you cannot experience anywhere else in the world. One example would be the amazing permanent glaciers. This is also a mountain on which you mentally and physically challenge yourself. The mountain is special as it is so close to the equator, but it is both volcanic and covered with those permanent glaciers.
The Lemosho route allows climbers to see all the sides of the mountain. It also gives you enough time to acclimatize, allowing climbers to climb higher and sleep low. It also has the highest summit success rate of 95%.
Easy Travel is the best choice for trekkers to climb Mount Kilimanjaro because it is well organized and with safety as their clear priority. It takes good care of its staff and provides very good equipment for the trek. The mountain guides are well-trained in First Aid and dealing with emergencies. Easy Travel also provides good and experienced chefs who prepare excellent food for the guests up on the mountain.
My favorite month for a Kilimanjaro climb is December. Everything has bloomed at this time of the year, especially the flowers and the trees, such as the African tulip and African jacaranda. These species can be seen when descending from the mountain. Also, there is no rain during December, so it is convenient for climbers to climb during this time..
My favorite part of Mount Kilimanjaro is the forest zone because, around this zone, you can see different wild animals, such as buffalo, antelope, and various primates. It is a cool, silent zone with fresh air conditions.
Something people don’t expect about Mount Kilimanjaro is its unpredictable weather. This can change at any time, from bright sunshine to rain. People do not always realize that climbing a high mountain requires you to be well-prepared physically and mentally. 
My favorite part of the culture in Tanzania is the Maasai culture because of their lifestyle. They live in small huts, and their dress style makes it easy for them to be recognized.

Hakuna matata which means ‘no worries’

Jambo, which means ‘hi’ or ‘hello.’

Asante sana, which means ‘thank you very much

Our guests would be surprised to learn about my vast experience in hiking the highest mountain in Africa, and perhaps my skills in WFR, my knowledge about wildlife, and how competent I am in explaining nature.
Physical and mental preparation is very important before attempting an ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro. Building up your exercise regime well in advance is crucial, as this will get you into good physical shape. This can be achieved by running 5km per day and, walking 3km per day, going for hikes on mountainous terrain while carrying a daypack of at least 6kg: this will be good practice for carrying your daypack, which will contain around 3 liters of water, personal medication, raingear, and valuable stuff such as your passport, wallet, and some cash. Practice drinking about 3 liters of water daily, as you will need on Kilimanjaro. Mentally, climbers should prepare to endure temporary pains to achieve their goals. Understanding altitude sickness and staying positive are also very important.
As a guide, I have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro about 149 times, experiencing all the routes, such as the Machame, Umbwe, Mweka, Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, and Shira.
The main challenges encountered while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro are the effects of altitude sickness (which are only temporary) and the changing weather conditions. It is also very important to choose a reliable, trustworthy, professional operator to take you up the mountain!
Hikers should be advised on the best ways to avoid altitude sickness. To do this, they should walk slowly when climbing the mountain, ensure that they closely follow the instructions of the mountain guides, drink enough water, and climb higher and sleep lower to help with acclimatization. They should also try their best to eat enough food even if they have a diminished appetite: foods rich in carbohydrates are particularly recommended. 

One major challenge is that some clients are not open with us about their medical history, which can cause problems up the mountain. For example, you may discover a person who has asthma but has been afraid to say so. This is because they are scared they will be sent back and not allowed to climb the mountain. All visitors must be open and honest with us so that we can keep them safe.

Climbing with guests to the summit is easy, but extra care is required when descending because of the pressure on the knees. Sometimes when hikers are very tired after a long walk, they need support to continue.

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