Uhuru Peak summit signpostI Climbed Kilimanjaro

Lost your certificate? Want to frame it?

The paper certificate they hand you at the park gate is easy to lose and awkward to frame. Here is what actually helps — from people who have been through it.

If you lost the certificate

Start with the operator you climbed with. They handle the park paperwork for your climb, so they are the ones who can ask about a reissue on your behalf. Have your summit date, route and guide's name ready — the more precisely you can place your climb, the easier their job is. Not every operator offers this, and it can take a while, so ask early and ask politely.

While you wait, you are not without proof of the morning. If you add your summit to the register, you can download a free keepsake certificate straight away — gold for Uhuru Peak, silver for Stella Point, green for Gilman's Point. It is a keepsake, not a TANAPA certificate, and it says so on the bottom of every one. But it carries your name, your date and your route, and it prints beautifully.

Framing the real one

The park certificate is an unusual size, which is why so many framings go wrong. Three things save you:

  • Measure before you buy a frame. Do not assume A4 — measure the sheet you actually have, then choose the frame or mount to fit it.
  • Use a mount (mat). A cut mount lets a standard, cheaper frame hold an odd-sized certificate, and it keeps the paper off the glass.
  • Keep it out of direct sun. Summit certificates fade fast on a sunny wall. A shaded spot, or UV-protective glass if it must hang in the light.

A popular pairing: the certificate in one frame, your summit photo in a matching one beside it. If you post your photo to the register, the two stay linked — the paper on your wall, the morning on the internet.

The version you can stick on something

The MyKilimanjaro shop sells the die-cut, weatherproof Uhuru Peak sticker — the one that goes on the water bottle, the laptop or the car. It is how most people here carry the mountain day to day.

See the sticker shop Gold, silver or green — what each means