Alan Arnette's Kilimanjaro Climb Begins

Last week I posted a video of Alan Arnette sharing his gear for Kilimanjaro with the rest of us. At the time, Alan was busy preparing to leave for Africa, where he would be climbing that mountain, which is the sixth of his Seven Summits for Alzheimer's expedition. After spending a few days in Europe, Alan arrived in Tanzania a few days ago and began his Kili climb in ernest today. He also started blogging about his adventure, giving us all the opportunity to follow along as he heads to the Roof of Africa over the next few days.

Today's entry is a brief one, but brings back quite a few memories for me. When climbing Kilimanjaro you actually pass through five different climate zones on the way to the summit, and today Alan hiked through the Could Forest. In his update, he notes that it felt more like Costa Rica or Hawaii than Africa, and when I did this leg a few years back, I thought the same. It was warm and humid and it didn't take long for me shirt to get soaked in sweat. That shirt wouldn't dry until I returned to Arusha at the end of the climb.

Alan his trekking the Machame Route, which is considered one of the more challenging, but scenic. I took the same route when I was there, and as he describes the trail, I can remember it well. It was a steep ascent, gaining more than 3800 feet of altitude on the first day, but by the time you're finished, you've arrived at camp, which sits on the edge of the next climate zone, an alpine marshland. Alan will hike through that tomorrow.

For anyone considering a Kilimanjaro trek, you'll definitely want to follow along with Alan's blog over the next few days. I'm sure he'll be posting regular updates on his progress, and he'll likely be sharing lots of information from the trail. It could also be insightful for those considering the adventure, as it is more challenging than what some would lead you to believe. That said, it is also amazingly beautiful and one of the top treks in the world.

Alan was more fortunate than I was on my first day on Kili. I didn't see any wildlife of note that day, but he reports that his team was shadowed by Blue Monkeys at one point. I had to wait until I was on safari to see the wildlife, and if you're going to Tanzania to do Kili, you owe it to yourself to stay a few days longer to visit the Serengeti as well. It is one of my favorite places in the world, easily living up to, and exceeding, all expectations.

Gear List For Kilimanjaro

As many of you know, mountaineer Alan Arnette is in the midst of his Seven Summit Climbs for Alzheimer's during which he hopes to reach the top of the highest mountains on each of the seven continents in an effort to raise money and awareness of the Cure Alzheimer's Fund.  He has already completed four of the climbs (Vinson, Aconcagua, Everest, and Elbrus) and was denied a summit attempt on Denali due to persistent bad weather, and in a few days time he'll leave for Africa, where he'll attempt Kilimanjaro.

Over the weekend, Alan posted an update to his blog sharing the gear that he'll be taking with him on this climb. As he notes, Kili is a different kind of climb, as it is actually a "hike-up" mountain that includes a lot of altitude, but not much technical challenge. The result is that it isn't as gear intensive as some of the other big peaks, although Summit Day does require warmer gear than most of the rest of the trek. Alan also included a video showing off his specific gear and sharing the items that he's taking with him. You'll find that video below.

I know that Kilimanjaro is is a popular destination for many adventure travelers, and I regularly get e-mails regarding the trek. I thought that Alan's blog post and video would come in handy for anyone planning their own trip to Kili as it will help you to know what exactly you should be taking with you when you head to Tanzania. There is no need for a bulky down suit on this expedition, although you do pass through five climate zones from the base of the mountain to the summit, so you still need to bring plenty of gear along.

After Kili, Alan will next head to Indonesia to climb Carstensz Pyramid and then on to Australia for Mt. Kosciuszko, the tallest point on that continent.

New Film Follows Paraplegic Up Kilimanjaro

Remember Chris Waddell? He's the paraplegic athlete who climbed Kilimanjaro a few years ago without the use of his legs. Chris actually went up the mountain by pedaling a hand-cart with his arms, eventually reaching the summit of Africa's highest peak.

Now, a film about his adventure is being screened in a few select spots across the country giving us a first hand look at what it was like for him to go up the 5895 meter (19,340 ft) Kilimanjaro. It looks like a very inspiring and well made film, based on the trailer that you'll find below. I'm hoping I get a chance to see it at some point.

I had the opportunity to speak with Chris on the phone shortly after he had completed his climb, and he seemed like a very genuine, good natured, guy who loved the outdoors and simply wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of his goals. He was also very humble about his accomplishments and just wanted to breakdown barriers as to what the general perception of what a paraplegic could physically accomplish. I have lots of respect for him.

Thanks to The Goat for sharing this one.

Sherpa Climbs Seven Summits In 42 Days

Way back last March of last year I posted a story on Ang Chhiring Sherpa, who at the time was attempting to set a speed record for climbing the Seven Summits. Fast forward a year, and he has accomplished his goal and in highly impressive times.

According to this story, which is in French, (use Google Translate), A.C., as he has known, managed to knock off each of the seven summits in just 42 days of accumulated climbing. That's the amount of time he actually spent on the mountains itself, and not his his total time from start to finish of all of the mountains. The individual times for each of the peaks looks like this: Mount McKinley- 12 days; Kilimanjaro - 16 hours, 37 minutes round trip!); Elbrus - 8 hours, 14 minutes; Kosciusko - 2 hours, 32 minutes; Aconcagua - 7 days; Vinson - 4 days;  and Everest - 19 days.

A.C. actually finished off his quest last may when he completed his climb of Everest, but I hadn't seen confirmation of his final time until this story was send my way by Louis-Philippe Lonke earlier today. While the news might be old, it is still a very impressive time and accomplishment that deserves a salute.

It should also be noted that A.C. wasn't making the climb just to achieve a record. He was also raising funds and awareness for the Himalayan Women & Children Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping to educate women and provide basic health care and other services for those living in the Himalayan mountains.

A worthy cause to say the least.

Low2High: Africa Expedition Underway

A unique expedition got underway last week in Africa when Brit Kyle Henning set off on his bike from the shores of Lake Assal near Djibouti, Ethiopia. That region has the distinction of being the lowest spot on the continent, falling 155 meters (508 feet) below sea level. From there, Kyle will ride his bike to Tanzania, covering about 3000km (1864 miles), where he'll then proceed to climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa at 5892 meters (19,340 feet).

Henning has dubbed his journey fittingly enough Low2High: Africa, and he has undertaken this excursion to raise funds for the New Day Children's Center, located in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Kyle hopes to raise £2,500 (roughly $4000) for the center to help meet the needs of some of the children there. He has just finished a two year stint in the Peace Corps, where he helped to improve the HIV/AIDS Services Network in the city, but he hasn't finished helping out just yet.

Already ten days into his ride, Kyle has posted a rather large update to his blog to help keep everyone informed of how the journey is going so far. He has also spoken with ExWeb, who have posted a nice interview with him as well. Henning tells ExWeb that he is "having the time of my life" on this expedition and that he is glad that he has taken on the challenge.

This seems like another fantastic adventure. As I mentioned a few days back, traveling through Africa on a bike sounds like a great way to explore the continent. Getting to visit it's lowest and highest points along the way, is an amazing bonus. Hopefully Kyle is successful in his venture, both for himself and the children he is trying to help back in Bahir Dar.

To donate to Kyle's cause, go to his fund raising page here. As of this writing, he has raised about £888.13, so he is well on his way towards his goal, with a bit to go yet.

Martina Navratilova Abandons Kili Climb Due To Altitude Sickness

Last week I wrote a story about tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who was attempting to climb Kilimanjaro for the Laureus Sports For Good Foundation. At the time, she was just about to embark on her climb, calling it "just a basic hike." Turns out, she got more than she bargained for, as she had to be assisted from the mountain and spent some time in a Nairobi hospital recovering.

According to this story, Navratilova reached as high as 4511 meters (14,800 ft.) on the 5894 meter (19,340 ft.) mountain before she turned back. Apparently, fluid had begun to collect in her lungs, and she was showing all the classic signs of altitude sickness. On Thursday of last week she abandoned her climb and was assisted down the mountain by porters, who took her to a nearby hospital before she was transferred to another in Nairobi where she spent three days recovering.

Navratilova is considered one of the greatest female athletes of all time and lives at altitude in Aspen, Colorado. But she had never been higher than 12,000 feet before this climb, and we all know that altitude can doe weird things to the body. It seems that that is the case here. No matter how fit and well trained you are, altitude is the great equalizer and can bring anyone down.

Fortunately, Navratilova is recovering just fine, and is on her way home. She's disappointed that she didn't complete the climb, as it was to raise funds for Laureus, but she now has a healthy respect for mountaineering, and Kilimanjaro in general.

Just a basic trek indeed!

Martina Navratilova Climbing Kili This Week

Add Martina Navratilova to the growing list of celebrities that have attempted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. The tennis legend is in Tanzania this week where she hopes to make the climb to raise funds for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, an organization that promotes sportsmanship and fair play in athletics.

As a competitor, Navratilova was a fantastic athlete who was always well prepared for her matches. Her conditioning will no doubt be helpful for her in the climb, as she has never been above 12,000 feet before, although she does call the Kili trek "just a basic hike." The fact that she lives in Aspen, Colorado, and is use to altitude already, will be a benefit as well.

The goal is to raise 100,000 euros, or roughly $134,000, through her donations page, which can be found here. Reportedly, more than half of that sum was already raised before Martina ever left for Africa, which bodes well for her reaching her goal.

Over the course of the next week, the tennis great will be hiking up the mountain, and of course she's carrying her trademark racquet and a few tennis balls with her. While she doesn't expect to play a match at the summit, she is going to hit those balls off the top of Kilimanjaro just to see how far they'll fly. My guess is they hit the Serengeti from all the way up there!

Book Review: The Summit

Climbing Mt. Everest, or any other big peak, is always fraught with perils. You have to deal with altitude and technical challenges. You'll have to acclimatize and plan your ascent carefully, and spend months preparing for an opportunity to reach the top that may never come, often due to circumstances beyond your control. How a climber deals with those challenges and adversities varies with each individual. For climber,  professional mountain guide, and author Eric Alexander, it is his religious faith that helps see him through those challenges.

That is the core premise behind Alexander's new book The Summit, which hits bookstores soon. The book is his opportunity to share not only his adventures in the mountains, but also how his faith in God served him well on those expeditions. In fact, those journeys actually helped to strengthen that faith and give him further insights into his beliefs.

On its surface, Alexander's story is a typical tale of adventure in the mountains. In the book he shares stories of his climbs on Ama Dablam, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Everest, and more. Those tales include near death experiences, crushing disappointments, spectacular triumphs. and moments of self discovery, aind in the author's case, moments of clarity about his faith.

The book begins with Alexander meeting and befriending Erik Weihenmayer, an experienced climber who also happens to be blind. The two men discovered that they were kindred spirits and soon they were climbing together all over the world. Their friendship would lead to the two of them going up Everest together, with Alexander serving as guide as Weihemayer climbed into history, becoming the first blind man to reach the summit of the tallest mountain on the planet. But the two climbers would go on to have even more adventures together.

For most arm chair mountaineers, Weihenmayer's story is well known, but in this case it is told from a different perspective, that of his guide, who helped him through some of his most challenging climbs. But Alexander also helped other physically challenged adventurers reach their goal, such as taking four blind teens to the top of Kilimanjaro and taking three "at risk" kids to the top of Mt. Pisco. Often times, Eric suffered and struggled himself to ensure that the people that he was guiding succeeded in their mission.

While The Summit does offer some interesting insights into the various climbs, I personally found little new in the book. If you've already read some of the more well known mountaineering books, you probably won't feel that you've garnered much new out of this book. The most interesting story for me personally was the climb up Everest with blind mountaineer Weihenmayer, but you'll likely find his own book, Touch the Top of the World, a better read. Don't get me wrong, The Summit isn't a terrible book, although I did find the writing to be a bit uneven at times.

Perhaps part of my issue with the book was Alexander's focus on his faith. Now, admittedly, that is one of the central messages of the book and at the core of the story that the author is telling. While I am personally not a religious person, I do have a spiritual side, and a healthy respect for other people's religious beliefs. That is why when Alexander refuses to take part in in certain cultural rituals in Nepal, such as spinning prayer wheels, on the basis that they are essentially pagan rituals, I couldn't help but feel a bit of a disconnect. While I respect Eric's religious views, I couldn't relate to the way he saw some of the beliefs of others.

That aside, The Summit is a solid entry into the mountaineering book club. For armchair mountaineers who are looking for something new to read, the book will keep you entertained, and if you're a Christian who takes their faith very seriously, the religious aspects will appeal as well. If you're new to the genere however, there are plenty of other books I'd recommend ahead of this one.

Climbing Guide Summits Kilimanjaro 3 Times In 27 Days

Mt. Kilimanjaro is Africa's tallest peak, rising some 19,340 feet above the Serengeti plains below. Climbing it can be a bit of a challenge, even for those in excellent conditions, as even though it isn't the most technical of climbs, it does offer a challenging trek to the summit and plenty of altitude along the way.

Recently, a Polarmax Pro Staff Guide by the name of Macon Dunnagan pulled off a pretty impressive feat of endurance by climbing the mountain three times in just 27 days, a record for the shortest time for such an effort. Macon, who has made 13 other ascents of Kili, trekked a total of 300 miles (482km) on this three summit bids, and spent more than 15 days above 10,000 feet.

Dunnagan will return to Kilimanjaro in January when he'll guide Brian Miller to the Roof of Africa. Miller is the winner of the Polarmax Mt. Kilimanjaro Ultimate Sweepstakes that I wrote about back in August. In addition to a full line of Polarmax gear, Brian also won a trip to Tanzania, full accommodations, and a six day guided climb of Kili.

Three times up Kili in less than a month is a pretty impressive feat for sure. To accomplish this hat trick, Dunnagan must have gone up and back without taking too many days off in between each trek. Figuring a six day climb, one day back down, and two days off before starting the next ascent, he didn't have a whole lot of time for any kind of recovery. While the altitude doesn't match the big Himalayan peaks of course, going up and down like that, while crossing through everything from tropical heat to polar conditions, has to be a bit of a grind.

Study Finds That Altitude Sickness Common on Kilimanjaro

According to the BBC, a new study found that nearly half of the climbers on Kilimanjaro suffered from altitude sickness, demonstrating just how dangerous a trek up the highest mountain in Africa can be. Traffic on the peak has increased in recent months thanks to a few high profile celebrity climbs, which has led to even more travelers on Kili's trails, many of which are unprepared for the challenge.

Researchers camped at 4730m (15,518 feet) on the mountain for three weeks, while conducting studies of the condition of the trekkers. They used the Lake Louise consensus scoring system, which records common altitude sickness symptoms such as headache, sickness and fatigue, and as a result they found that 47% of all the climbers tested exhibited some signs of distress, including headaches, vomiting, loss of coordination, and problems sleeping.

Even more interesting, the study says that the effects can begin to set in as low as 2500m (8,202 feet), with 75% of all people who go above 3000m (9,842 feet) having mild symptoms. Further research indicated that neither anti-altitude drusgs nor rest days seemed to have a major impact on whether or not someone became ill. The route taken to the summit had no real effect either, although acclimatizing on another near-by peak did work as an effective measure for preparing for the climb.

I can say first hand that altitude sickness can be a real problem on Kili. You'll hear plenty of people tell you that if you're in reasonably good shape, you'll have no problems, but when I went, there were plenty of people suffering. One group reported that nearly all of them had gotten physically ill, and they were dealing with tremendously bad headaches. While I didn't have those issues, I did have an awful time trying to sleep, which is not a fun feeling after some very long days of hiking. My advice is to rest well before beginning the hike, and go slowly (Pole, pole!) while on the mountain.

Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up

Late last week I was sent some information on a great charity organization called Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up. It's a fundraising initiative created by the American Foundation for Children with AIDS that encourages people to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa by creating their own challenges and events to help raise money for medical supplies and attention for children afflicted by the disease.

While the organization helps to provide ideas and concepts for individuals and groups to launch their own charitable events, it also holds its own as well, including a yearly trek to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. Next year, the AFCA is actually organizing several separate charity climbs of that mountain, with 14 open slots on each team, giving us all a chance to raise funds for this important cause, while also sending us on an adventure of a lifetime.

The 2011 dates are as follows:

February 28 – March 10, 2011

August 6- 17, 2011
September 11-20, 2011
Women’s Team: October 1 – 12, 2011

As you can see, there are ample opportunities to join in on the expeditions, including a women only option next October. For more information on the climbs and the fund raising efforts click here. 

At 19,340 feet in height, Kilimanjaro is no small challenge to overcome. But, with good conditioning, a proper pace, and the right attitude, it can be an extremely rewarding trek. Doing it while also raising funds for children with AIDS would make it even more amazing. 

New Speed Record Set On Kilimnajaro

Spanish mountaineer and endurance runner Kilian Jornet has set a new speed record for climbing and descending Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, reaching the summit of the 19,340 foot peak, and returning to the base, faster than the previous record, which was held by Tanzanian Simon Mtuy at 8 hours and 27 mintues.

According to this article, which is written in French, and had to be translated via Google, Kilian reached the summit of the Kili in just 5 hours, 23 minutes, and 50 seconds compared to Simon's 6 hours to that point. He then turned and raced back down the mountain, crossing through all five climate zones along the way, and finished with an overall time of approximately 7 hours and 14 minutes! An astounding time for sure.

Upon reaching the base of the mountain, Kilian was greeted and embraced by the former record holder.

Having been to Kilimanjaro and seen the conditions there, this is an astounding feat to me. The tallest mountain in Africa is no easy trek, and to complete it at this kind of speed is remarkable. To put this in perspective, many climbers on Kili make the journey to the summit and back in roughly six days, so Kilian was actually completing a days worth of climbing each hour. Amazing!

Thanks to Louis-Philipe Loncke for sending this my way.

Polarmax Giving Away A Kilimanjaro Ultimate Adventure

Polarmax, the company that makes some really great technical base layers, is currently running their Mt. Kilimanjaro Ultimate Sweepstakes, in which they'll be awarding the winner an incredible trip for two to Tanzania and a six day Kili climb. To enter the contest, all you have to do is click here, and fill out the form.

The sweepstakes will run through October 11th of this year, when a winner will be selected. That lucky person, along with their guest, will then travel to Africa in January for the opportunity to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak on the continent with Zara Tours and Kili expert Macon Dunnagan. The trip also includes round trip airfare, ground transportation in Tanzania, four nights hotel stay, and a custom made video of the adventure. The winners will also be outfitted with some Polarmax base layers to keep them warm and dry all the way to the summit. The contest is also sponsored by Backpacker Magazine and Cotton Incorporated.

For a taste of what you can expect on this trek to the Roof of Africa, check out the video below. Then, head over and get yourself registered. Take it from me, this is an amazing trip that any adventure traveler would love to have the opportunity to experience.

Top Mountaineering Expeditions For Beginners

Outside Magazine's Adventure Adviser has a great post today answering the question: "What are the best beginner-level mountaineering expeditions across the world that a regular, fit trekker can attempt?" Seems like a natural question for fans of the outdoors who are looking to get into high altitude mountaineering for the first time.

And what does the Adviser recommend? His "very subjective" list of the top five mountains for beginners to cut their teeth on.

1. Mount Baker, Washington (10,781 feet)
2. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (19,340 feet)
3. Mount Khuiten, Mongolia (14,350 feet)
4. Mount Elbrus, Russia (18,500 feet)
5. Aconcagua, Argentina (22,840 feet)

Quite a good list, as you have a strong start to the Seven Summits and a couple of other challenging, yet scenic and spectacular climbs. None of these incredibly technical, and the biggest obstacle would be dealing with altitude, but they'll give you some skills that you can take on other climbs, and a taste of what it feels like to get up into the thinner air.

What do you think? Anything that should be added to the list? I was thinking about the 18,491-foot tall Orizaba in Mexico as a possible addition and obviously something like Rainier, at 14,411 feet, which is a popular mountain for potential climbers to cut their teeth.

Any other suggestions?

Another Young Mountaineer Climbs For A Cause

We've all marveled at the stories of Jordan Romero, who at the age of 13 became the youngest to summit Everest last month. Last week, Mountain Hardware introduced their newest, and youngest, sponsored athlete, in the form of 12-year old climber Matt Moniz. Even at that tender age, Matt has already managed to successfully summit Denali, Whitney, and Mt. Elbert, the tallest peak in the Rocky Mountains. Even more amazing, he did all three of those in just eight days!  He has also been up Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, and Elbrus, and made the trek to Everest Base Camp as well.

While Matt clearly loves to climb, and doesn't lack skills in that department either, he also is climbing for a cause. He hopes to raise funds for research on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. Matt's best friend, Iain Hess, suffers from PAH, and the young climber hoped to dedicate his expeditions toward helping his pal in any way that he could. 


Last year in July, Matt set out to climb 14 of Colorado's 14ers in just 14 days, and in the process he raised $20,000 for his cause. It helped to establish the Iain Hess Breathe Easy Fund. Turns out, it only took Matt and his team, 8 days to bag those peaks. 


This is a great example of a young adventurer who seems to love what he is doing, and has a good cause that he is trying to support. I loved this story when I read it, and thought it was worth sharing here too. Great story!

Adventure Chronicles Offers Top Trips for 2010

Way back in November I made my selections for the Top 10 (+2) adventure destinations for 2010 over at Gadling.com, and while we may be nearly three months into the new year, it is never too late to offer up more suggestions for great trips to take in 2010.

Enter the Adventure Chronicles, a great website that offers plenty of fun and interesting content along the same themes and subject matter that we all love. Last week, they listed their picks for the best adventure trips for 2010, with some really great options nearly every traveler.

The list is not ranked in any particular order, but does offer up some great suggestions for anyone still looking for something adventurous to do this year. Some of the trips making the cut include following in the footsteps of John Muir by hiking the Sierra High Route, making a summit bid on Mt. Rainier, and rafting the Bitterroot River along the border of Idaho and Montana. All told, there are nine great adventure trips, most of which take place in North America, with the lone exception being a trek up Kilimanjaro.

With the vast majority of 2010 still ahead of us, have you made plans for your next adventure? If not, give this list a look. You may find something you hadn't ever considered before. Besides, the year is flying by quite quickly, and you don't want to let it pass without adding a little adventure to your life.

Summit on the Summit Documentary Airs Sunday!

Back in January, a team of celebrity climbers made the trek up to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. The team, which included musician Kenna, rapper Lupe Fiasco, and actors Emile Hirsch and Jessica Biel. Dubbed the Summit on the Summit, the climb was made to create awareness of the growing global clean drinking water crisis.

On Sunday, a 90 minute documentary of the climb will air on MTV (Yes, that network still exists!). The program begins at 9PM Eastern Time/8 Central. Below is the trailer for the film, check it out to get a glimpse at what it's all about, then set your DVR for Sunday night to see the entire movie. Should be worth watching.

Seven Ribbons Foundation Sets Sights on Seven Summits!

I frequently mention the Seven Summits around here. It's one of the top achievements in the adventure world, and a lofty goal for anyone. The concept is fairly simple. Reach the summit of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, although there is some debate over Australia vs. Oceania, which usually leads to climbers going up eight mountains rather than seven.

I recently came across an organization called the Seven Ribbons Foundation, which is an International charity that has made it their goal to to place a pink ribbon, representing the fight against breast cancer, on each of the Seven Summits. The goals of the Seven Ribbons Foundation are simple. Inspire those with breast cancer to beat the disease, work to prevent the disease from spreading by promoting early detection and generate awareness of breast cancer through the Seven Summits climbs

Checking out the organization's blog, it appears that they have only recently begun their campaign. In fact, I don't believe they've even climbed their first peak yet, which means we can follow along as they go through the process of preparing and tackling each of the mountains. They are currently hoping to begin this June, when they travel to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro.

Another great series of climbs for another great cause. Good luck to the entire team as they get started on this amazing adventure.

Climbing Kilimanjaro Along The Lemosho Route

PlanetFear has a cool article up on their website which offers a nicely detailed story on climbing Kilimanjaro along the Lemosho Route. The article includes some great photos of the climb as well, helping to show off the variety of climate zones that trekkers experience while on the mountain.

Standing at 19,340 feet, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, and one of the few places on the continent where you'll experience snow. One of the highlights of the trek is that you actually get to experience five climate zones on the way to the summit including tropical conditions, rainforest, moorlands, high desert, and arctic. The various images that are included with this story show each of them off very well, and brought back good memories from my visit to the mountain. Even the image of the white necked raven, a common site on Kili, gave me smile.

The Lemosho Route is one of six possible paths to Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro. It is considered one of the more challenging routes, but is also more scenic than most of the others. It also has the benefit of having less traffic as well, as most trekkers take the Marangu or Machame Routes. The last section of the article has some good information on this route and what you can expect should you choose to take it.

There are also a few good, basic travel tips for Tanzania in general and some suggestions for equipment to bring along too, and while the text of the story is interesting and helps to set the mood, the photos really are worth a thousand words and really capture the experience of Kilimanjaro.

Summit on the Summit Documentary Trailer

As I previously mentioned, there is a documentary in the works that follows the Summit on the Summit team as they climb Kilimanjaro. The film is set to air on MTV on March 14th at 9 PM (presumably Eastern Time), and will follow the various celebrities who made the trek to the top of Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. The trailer for the documentary has just hit the web, and you can check it out below. Looks good so far!