From Summit to Service: How Climbing Kilimanjaro Taught Me About Hospitality Management S1E3

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Mountaineering and hospitality management share surprising parallels in guest experience, team dynamics, logistics, and leadership under pressure. From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to managing hotel operations, both require meticulous attention to detail and a deeply human approach to creating memorable experiences.

• Guest journey similarities include managing pre-trip anxiety and delivering on high expectations
• Support teams form the backbone of both experiences – porters and guides on mountains, housekeepers and staff at hotels
• Logistics and detailed planning are critical to success in both environments
• Leadership under stress separates great operators from good ones
• Both fields require understanding the human element behind operations
• In hospitality as in mountaineering, details create the path to satisfaction

Next time we'll explore what hotels, resorts and restaurants can learn from adventure operators.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Today, I want to explain how mountaineering, or
climbing a mountain, relatesdirectly to teaching hospitality
management.
Welcome to Housekeeping.
Didn't Come where hospitality,adventure and business collide.
I'm Rob Powell, entrepreneur,adventure traveler and
hospitality instructor at theUniversity of Arkansas
Hospitality Management Program.
Back in 2022, I climbed MountKilimanjaro.

(00:26):
The summit is 19,341 feet abovesea level.
It's the highest peak in Africa, but it's not a technical climb
.
Instead, it's a test oflogistics, endurance, teamwork
and leadership, exactly likerunning a hospitality operation.
Now let's draw a few parallels,starting with the guest journey.

(00:50):
Just like a resort guest, asyou would imagine, every climber
has some level of pre-tripanxiety.
So do resort guests.
You also have high expectations, not only of yourself, but of
the trip and of the adventureyou're going through.
Then you can have moments offear and discomfort I know I
certainly did and you'll alsohave some level of desire for

(01:13):
personal achievement.
That was my driving factor whenI climbed Kilimanjaro and it is
my driving factor on everyadventure that I go through Well
, most every adventure.
Now, if you're in operations inthe hospitality world or you're
a mountaineering guide, yourjob is to anticipate these
moments, build confidence andcreate small wins along the way.

(01:36):
The second parallel is the teambehind the scenes, the support
group, the unsung heroes OnKilimanjaro or any
mountaineering adventure.
The porters carry the gear, thecooks prepare hot meals, the
guides monitor altitude,sickness and weather conditions.
Every role matters.

(01:57):
I had a team of six peoplesupporting me on my latest climb
.
It's identical to a hotelHousekeepers prepare the rooms,
line cooks prepare the kitchen,front desk agents handle guest
requests.
Now, true hospitality leadersunderstand that service
excellence comes from a team ofcoordinators, not individual

(02:21):
heroics.
Another commonality betweenmountaineering and hospitality
is the logistics.
They are everything On themountain.
Every detail matters Waterpurification, food supplies,
tents, gear, medical checks,weather windows and timing.
One mistake can jeopardize theentire climb.

(02:44):
In hospitality it's the sameStaffing schedules, maintenance,
food cost control, guest flowand operational efficiency, just
to name a few.
The best operators are quietlyobsessive about details.
And the final parallel I'd liketo draw is about leadership, not

(03:06):
just general leadership, butleadership under stress.
On summit night things get realFatigue weather, altitude.
Your ability to stay calm,communicate and encourage your
team makes all the difference.
That's leadership.
Hospitality managers face theirown summit nights regularly

(03:27):
Overbooked hotels, shortstaffing, guest complaints,
equipment failures.
And more.
Leadership is earned duringthose hard shifts, not the easy
ones.
These are some of the things Itry to teach every semester.
My students at the Universityof Arkansas learn about
financial statements, marketingand operations, but I also want

(03:49):
them to understand that thisbusiness is deeply human the
ability to lead under pressurematters and details are the path
to guest satisfaction.
Whether you're climbing amountain or running a lodge,
you're managing unpredictableconditions, delivering comfort
and helping people accomplishsomething memorable.
Now, in our next episode, I'llflip the script.

(04:11):
What can hotels, resorts andrestaurants learn from adventure
operators?
See you next time.