Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experience is a Tanzania-based company, owned and operated by Simon Mtuy. SENE is run almost entirely by native Tanzanians, ensuring that all profits stay in the country. We utilize the skills and expertise of East Africans to support and develop the local economy.
Keeping most business operations in Moshi,Tanzania, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro is important to Simon, yet he recognizes that SENE cannot grow and develop without a satellite office in the Untied States to facilitate client communication, outreach, and marketing. Since 2007, SENE has maintained a full-time staffed office in the U.S. to plan your trip, answer your questions, and alleviate pre-expedition concerns with patience, sensitivity, and good humor.
The overall responsibility for the success of your trip lies with our senior staff located in both Moshi, Tanzania and Minneapolis, U.S.A.
Mountain Guides
SENE guides have three priorities on the mountain:
- Your health and safety
- Your goal attainment… the summit of Kilimanjaro
- Your enjoyment of the trek
They understand that all three are inextricably linked and vitally important to a successful climb. All our guides are highly skilled professionals with the proper training, knowledge and attitude to fulfill all three priorities and more. Meet our Senior Guides below.
Simon Mtuy (Founder/Senior Guide)
Simon has summited Kilimanjaro more than 300 times – the first when he was only 16. In the 15 years that he has been guiding climbers up Kilimanjaro, Simon has established himself as one of the most knowledgeable, competent, and ethical guides on the mountain. When not guiding climbs and bike rides, or hosting guests at the Mbahe Farm House, Simon maintains close oversight of the day-to-day operations of SENE. Read more about Simon.
Ayum Lyimo (Senior Guide)
Ayum has been working with SENE since 2006. Years of accumulated knowledge, quiet confidence, and a calm demeanor earn Ayum high respect among other mountain guides and clients alike. When not working, he is at home in the foothills of Kilimanjaro with his wife and children.
Augustine Nderingo (Senior Guide)
With more than eight years of experience guiding clients on Mount Kilimanjaro, Augustine has great leadership skills and works cooperatively with the entire climb team. Augustine has been known to invite clients with time left to spend in Tanzania into his home to meet his wife and four joyous children.
Safari Guides
When you are on safari you don’t want a driver who finds animals by looking for the traffic jams of other vehicles. You want a guide and naturalist who knows wildlife habits and locations from training and experience. Our safari guides have what it takes to give you the type of wildlife safari you want in the uncluttered wilderness of Tanzania’s beautiful national parks.
Gerald Lemnge (Safari Guide/Driver)
With years of experience and training as a naturalist, Gerald is an amazing guide to the animals and birds of Tanzania. His priority is to find for you the wildlife you want to see. He does it by knowing the premier viewing spots in each national park. When not patiently observing game, Gerald will keep you laughing with stories culled from years of safaris throughout Tanzania. There is no better or more personable guide than Gerald.
Richard Kimaro
Richard has over 12 years of experience guiding safaris, and he studied tour guiding and tourism at the Kenya Utalii College. Richard is fluent in English, Spanish, Chagga and Swahili and in his free time he enjoys learning more about film photography and IT (information technology).
Joseph Matula (Safari Guide/Driver)
Joseph started working as a driver for SENE three years ago and is now one of our best safari guides. He studied at the Professional Tour Guide School in Arusha and rounded out his on-the-ground training with Gerald. Joseph enjoys sharing his knowledge of local flora and fauna with his clients and he is currently involved in studying the trees and flowers of Tanzania.
OFFICE STAFF
A great trip can’t occur without conscientious attention to every detail. All our back-office staff go that extra mile to make sure yours is truly a smooth and worry-free adventure.
Tim Leinbach (U.S. Operations/Communications)
Tim runs our office in the United States and is the person with whom you will most likely communicate as you plan your trip. Since 1990 Tim has lived on-and-off in Tanzania for many years, speaks Swahili, knows the country from the inside, and is sensitive to the interests and needs of our guests as he arranges the perfect Tanzanian adventure for you.
Emily Bacheller (Communications/Marketing)
Emily enjoys communicating with clients and helping them plan their trips. She is also SENE’s webmaster and director of marketing and social media. In March, 2013, Emily returned home from her first trip to Tanzania, where she met her co-workers, went of safari safari and climbed to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Lucy Kimambo (Accountant)
Lucy is SENE’s computer savvy and detail-oriented accountant. She holds a BA in Management and Accounting from the Moshi University of Cooperative & Business Studies. In her free time, Lucy enjoys visiting Tanzania’s beautiful national parks. She is also interested in Tanzania’s economic development and participates in development forums and seminars.
Happiness Minja (Reservations)
As her name implies, Happiness is SENE’s optimistic and social reservations agent. Her skills include fluency in English, Chagga and Swahili and her ability to work with many different personalities. Happiness feels good knowing that her hard work contributes to SENE’s growth and success.
Aneth Olotu (Assistant Accountant)
Aneth Olotu, SENE’s new Assistant Accountant, holds degrees in Accounting and Community Economic Development from the Moshi University of Cooperative & Business Studies. Aneth lives in Moshi with her husband and child and is well-known for the beautiful cakes that she bakes and decorates.
Tara Mtuy (Financial Controller)
Tara is eager to see SENE grow and provide more job opportunities for the local people on Kilimanjaro. When she is not working with SENE, Tara is dedicated to her job in HIV/AIDS research at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi, Tanzania.
mBAHE fARM cREW
The staff at Mbahe Farm treat their guests as if they are party of the Mtuy family and they work hard to ensure that your stay is as comfortable as possible. From morning wake up calls to delicious meals and guided hikes around the foothills, the staff at Mbahe Farm is here to meet your every need.
Wilson Mosha (Mountain Guide and Host at Mbahe Farm)
Wilson has guided a countless number of clients to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and has reached the summit himself over 1,000 times. He now works primarily as the host at Mbahe Farm, where he treats the guests as if they were his family. Wilson is an excellent conversationalist who used to work as a secondary school science teacher.
Bernard Nazaleno Gudule (Host)
Bernard has worked as the friendly host and waiter at Mbahe Farm for almost three years now. He hails from Irniga, Tanzania and completed a hospitality training program at the Bristol Cottages in Moshi. Bernard is fluent in five languages, including the tribal languages of Kinga, Bena and Hehe.
Valerian Mtuy (Groundskeeper)
Valerian Mtuy, better known as Master, was SENE’s very first employee. He has been working as the groundskeeper at Mbahe Farm for over fourteen years. In addition to his many responsibilities, Master has helped build the beautiful guesthouses and maintains the organic gardens at Mbahe. Master has lived in the village of Mbahe his whole life, and he returns home every evening to spend time with his wife and five children.
Mountain Crew
No Kilimanjaro expedition can succeed without a dedicated crew of chefs, porters, and others working to make your trek comfortable, fun, and pleasurable. Our crew are treated very well and in turn they treat you very well. From hot tea or coffee in your tent in the morning to a joyous greeting with singing and dancing at the end of each day’s climb, you will find no better service and no more fun crew on the mountain than ours. Here are a few of our more distinguished crew members.
Please also see our information about SENE porters.
Christopher Kiplet (Senior Cook)
Kiplet (as he likes to be known) has being working as a cook since 1980 and with SENE since 2005. Kiplet’s big smile and delicious food keep people happy and warm on the mountain.
Alex Richard Masunya (Cook)
Alex, who hails from Arusha, Tanzania, is one of SENE’s best camping chefs. His delicious meals and exuberant personality are sure to be a highlight on your Kilimanjaro climb or camping safari. Alex studied cooking and baking at the Arusha College of Hospitality Management and gained experience working as a safari chef in South Africa and Mozambique. He is fluent in Swahili, English and Portuguese.
Godlisten Kessy (Crew Supervisor/Assistant Cook)
Godlisten doubles as a crew supervisor and assistant cook. He uses good humor and a soft touch to make sure the crew team is in place and everyone is doing his job to the highest standards. And he uses good spices and soft stirring to make sure your soup is up to high SENE standards!
Omary “Chaser” Abubary (Camping Crew)
The strongest man on the mountain and the one with the widest smile, “Chaser” is most often responsible for carrying and maintaining SENE’s portable bio-degradable toilets. Due to his dedication and work ethic he is often entrusted with many other critical crew tasks on an expedition.