"Why on Earth do you want to climb Kilimanjaro?"
I knew someone would ask me this. It was a friend of my dad's, who admittedly isn't much of a traveler. I wasn't sure how to answer him.
I could say...
1. I wanted to climb it before the glaciers disappear.
2. It's one of the only Seven Summits I will ever be able to climb.
3. "Because it's there!" And in the spirit of George Mallory, I could say it exasperatedly.
(Seriously. That was his answer to a pesky reporter in 1924 who didn't seem to accept all his other reasons for wanting to scale a big snow-covered rock called Mt Everest.)
I truth, it's all three, and then some.
(But I chose number 3. The smart-assedness runs deep.)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Outfitter I Picked
You can't go barreling up Kilimanjaro without a guide. Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) won't let you. And you'll probably want a few porters to carry some of your stuff, in "great white hunter" style.
And not wanting to do this on the cheap, I signed on with an outfitter that runs scheduled treks.
After much looking around, I picked Kiliwarriors, a Tanzanian-owned outfit.
I found them while I was working for ASTA several years ago. They wanted to be included in a section for travel suppliers on our member Web site. Since many of these suppliers weren't native English speakers (or writers) I usually went to their sites to lift a few images and hack together a page for them. I was very impressed with the way they did things (good wages for the hired help, eco-friendly, and generally being straight-shooters).
I thought if I go to climb Kili – and I knew I would one day – I want to climb with these folks.
Fast forward about 5 years. It had been a few years since my last epic trip and I was itching for another one. A project I'm on looks like it will end early summer of 2010, and I'm racking up paid time off like a madman, so it seemed like a good time to go. I did a little research on other firms, but kept coming back to Kiliwarriors. No slick brochures (you have to download it as a PDF) or free DVDs (they have one for $20 or so from Amazon) but I like them even more for it.
And not wanting to do this on the cheap, I signed on with an outfitter that runs scheduled treks.
After much looking around, I picked Kiliwarriors, a Tanzanian-owned outfit.
I found them while I was working for ASTA several years ago. They wanted to be included in a section for travel suppliers on our member Web site. Since many of these suppliers weren't native English speakers (or writers) I usually went to their sites to lift a few images and hack together a page for them. I was very impressed with the way they did things (good wages for the hired help, eco-friendly, and generally being straight-shooters).
I thought if I go to climb Kili – and I knew I would one day – I want to climb with these folks.
Fast forward about 5 years. It had been a few years since my last epic trip and I was itching for another one. A project I'm on looks like it will end early summer of 2010, and I'm racking up paid time off like a madman, so it seemed like a good time to go. I did a little research on other firms, but kept coming back to Kiliwarriors. No slick brochures (you have to download it as a PDF) or free DVDs (they have one for $20 or so from Amazon) but I like them even more for it.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
$500 says I'm gonna climb Kilimanjaro
Well, I've up and done it. After some research, I plunked down a $500 deposit to climb Kilimanjaro in June 2010.
Ultimately I hope to write about the trip, but this far out it will be about what I'm learning about Kili, Tanzania, booking a trip and so on.
More to come. I swear!
Ultimately I hope to write about the trip, but this far out it will be about what I'm learning about Kili, Tanzania, booking a trip and so on.
More to come. I swear!
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