In June 2028, Team and Trail Foundation is sending its founder to Mount Kilimanjaro and Tanzania’s northern parks as a solo field recon.
The job is not a summit photo. The job is to watch how a mountain crew carries a load, to see what remains of the ice, and to come home with one small award for a partner on the ground, plus a public record other outdoor leaders can use.
On a dog team, the leaders do not haul the whole sled. On Kilimanjaro, the paying climber is not the team. The porters, cooks, and guides are. That is the story we intend to get right.
Kilimanjaro sits at the intersection of the Foundation’s mission: outdoor leadership, climate made visible, and who benefits when people travel to wild places. We will climb only with an operator that meets independent porter-welfare standards.
Colleagues who want the mountain book their own seats with that operator. This is not a Forto-led cohort and it is not a product for sale.
The Team and Trail Foundation does not fund holidays or charity-challenge vacations. That rule is already on our apply page.
Gifts to this campaign are restricted to:
Not a holiday. Not a guided trip we are selling. Not Peak Experience tuition. Not a promise that anyone summits. We can promise a report and an award.
Essays land about once a month starting October 2026. Podcasts run in short seasons so they do not crowd Dog Works Radio. The YouTube channel carries the same audio. Eighteen months is a long runway. We will not ask every week.
No. Colleagues book the operator themselves.
No, unless the board publishes a change. Gifts fund the award and the public record.
Held for March 2028; we may move a few days earlier if the operator advises it for weather.
Yes. KPAP/KRTO or equivalent in writing.
On Kilimanjaro, porter loads are capped. Extra luxury in your duffel is extra weight on someone else’s back. Pack for five climate zones. Break boots in at home. Rent the bulky cold-sleep items in Moshi if that keeps the duffel honest. Confirm what your operator already provides — tents and pads are often included.
Non-negotiable: broken-in waterproof boots; merino or synthetic layers (no cotton); waterproof shell; insulated jacket for summit night; sleeping bag comfort-rated at least 14°F / −10°C; headlamp and spare batteries; sun protection; 3 liters of water capacity.
The Load We Carry is a Team and Trail Foundation field recon on Kilimanjaro and in Tanzania’s northern parks in early 2028.
We are not selling seats. We are not funding a holiday. Our own apply page already says we do not support charity-challenge vacations.
• one grassroots award in Tanzania after the recon ($500–$5,000) for porter education or gear, or one community partner
• the public record, a monthly essay series and a short podcast season so other outdoor leaders can use what we learn about crew, climate, and who benefits
Dr. Robert Forto is going as one person. Colleagues who want the mountain book the operator themselves. We climb only with an operator that meets independent porter-welfare standards.
The climber is not the team. The people who carry the load are.
Unused funds stay in the Foundation’s outdoor-access awards.