Our Team
I first climbed Kilimanjaro in 1999, when I was 20 years old. Twenty-five years later, I'm still coming back.
People always ask me why. The honest answer is that every climb leaves me completely wrecked — exhausted beyond words, unable to eat after descending, swearing to myself that I'll never do this again. And yet I always come back. Because every single climb has a story. And because I can't think of a more meaningful job than being part of those stories.
I've guided on mountains around the world, but nowhere have I seen every single participant push themselves as hard as they do on Kilimanjaro. Almost no one finds it easy. And yet it's not a mountain reserved for the elite. If you love mountains, dream of climbing abroad, and can commit around ten days and the budget to match — you can take on this mountain. And those who give everything they have can stand at the top. That's the rare sweet spot Kilimanjaro sits in.
But there was something I always wanted to change — something specific to how things worked on this mountain.
When booking through a travel agency, you get a different guide every time. Every tour means rebuilding the team from scratch, re-establishing trust, starting over. The quality, the care — there's no way to accumulate it, no way to build on what came before.
And then there's the money. Most of what clients pay flows to the agency in the middle — not to the guides and porters who actually take you up the mountain.
I wanted to work directly with local guides. To build something together, and keep building on it. To make sure the money reached the people who actually did the work. That was always the goal.
Then I met Aaron.
The first thing that got me was something he said after our tour ended. "Hey — were the clients happy? What do you think we could do better next time?" In all my years on this mountain, I had never met a guide who thought that way.
The second surprise came after we descended. "Just gonna drop my bags at home," he said. He lived right at the trailhead. He wasn't just a guide who worked on this mountain — he was from here.
I later learned that Aaron had worked his way up from porter to chief guide. He'd also guided for Japanese TV crews — including the climb with actor Kenta Kiritani. The local guides and staff trusted him deeply. He was the one who held the team together. His commitment to quality wasn't just personality. It was the result of a lifetime of earned trust, built from the ground up.
In 2020, COVID wiped out tourism overnight. Aaron and his team lost everything.
I didn't hesitate. By then, I trusted Aaron and his team completely. Sending money felt like the only natural thing to do.
Even if it wasn't used exactly the way I imagined — that was fine. I sent it anyway.
I found out the truth when I returned after the pandemic. Standing at the summit, another guide quietly told me what had actually happened to the money. Aaron had used it to pay for the children in the village to go to school.
Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have sent so much more.
In 2026, Aaron and I founded a company together in Tanzania.
The average monthly income in Tanzania is under $200. When a group of 15 sets out, around 50 staff members are involved. That's 50 people — and their families — whose monthly income depends on that one tour. By working directly with the local team instead of through an agency, every dollar goes straight to the people who made the climb possible.
But what we're really working toward is something bigger.
We want the children growing up in the villages at the foot of Kilimanjaro to grow up thinking: "I want to be a guide someday." For that to happen, guiding needs to be a job worth aspiring to — one that pays well, one that carries pride. Every tour you take with us is a direct contribution to building that future.
If you've ever thought about climbing Kilimanjaro, we'd love to have you. Please reach out — we'll take care of the rest.
Founder
Atsushi Yamada
Founder, Yamakara Aron
At 23, Atsushi became the world's youngest person to complete the Seven Summits — a record that still stands today. After working as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, he founded Yamakara in 2010, now one of Japan's leading mountain tour companies. Featured on TBS "Jounetsu Tairiku" (2011).
Our Team
Aron Teete — CEO
Born and raised in Marangu village, right at the foot of Kilimanjaro. Aron worked his way up from porter to chief guide — the hard way, over decades. He has guided Japanese TV crews on the mountain, including actor Kenta Kiritani's summit. Among local guides and staff, he is the one everyone follows.
Augustino Frank — CFO
Aron's childhood friend and business partner of 30 years. The financial and operational backbone of Yamakara Aron.
Tony — Operations Manager
Aron's son and the next generation of Yamakara Aron. Runs day-to-day operations on the ground.
Our Licensed Guides
All guides are fully licensed by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA).
| Robson Teete | No. 042160 |
| Leons Moshi | No. 039120 |
| Emily Kimaro | No. 039654 |
| Freddy Teete | No. 043469 |
| Selestin Temba | No. 039999 |
| Elly Minja | No. 040466 |
| Holson Mamuya | No. 042867 |
| Richard Teete | No. 045267 |
| Mark Timira | No. 039118 |
| Moses Chonjo | No. 041300 |
| Danford Mkonyi | No. 042124 |
| Erick Temu | No. 038844 |
| Davis Kimambo | No. 043090 |
Our Numbers
94.6%
Summit Success Rate
123 out of 130 climbers reached Uhuru Peak (5,895m) across 8 tours from 2022 to 2026. These numbers reflect what our team makes possible, every single climb.