When I first created this website back in 2013 and 2014, time wasn’t on my side, and web design was more complex than it is in 2021. I’ve been reworking the site during the pandemic, and as I revisited my initial thoughts and reflections on my Kilimanjaro climb, I wanted to add a few more details. While most of this was written shortly after we returned, not all of it was.

Eight years later, this adventure still stands as the highlight of my travel experiences. I have enjoyed many trips as much as my journey to Africa, but none have matched the spirit of adventure found in climbing Kilimanjaro. It was—and remains—the greatest adventure of my lifetime. I leave room for another journey to potentially rival it, but Kili was truly special. I sometimes consider doing it again, but no other trip could recapture the freshness of that first experience, so I strive to remember everything I felt during my 2013 climb.

 

On January 13, I departed from Phoenix to New York City, then Amsterdam, and finally Arusha, Tanzania. My thoughts were consumed by the realization that my dream finally had wings. Hugh and I had often talked about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, but we always found ways to put it off. Getting ready didn’t sound like much fun to me—after all, I wasn’t a hiker. I also wasn’t sure I wanted to live without running water, such as flushing toilets, for a week or more. Of course, being scared of the challenge had absolutely nothing to do with it (right!).

In December before I left, my husband Hugh said to me, “If you hadn’t asked your brother, we could still back out.” But Dave (age 75) had agreed to come with us, and his son David (age 49) was also joining the climb. The stories I heard through our very active family grapevine about how much each of them was training convinced me that bringing up the rear would be my role. My sister Mary shared that she was now considered a member of the sane side of the family because she wasn’t coming with us.

When people find out we did the climb, the most common question is, “Did you train?” I tend to downplay our preparation, as it was far less than I had intended. In the six weeks leading up to the climb, I added two weight training sessions per week, biked an extra 10 to 20 miles per day, and walked about three miles during a few lunch hours. What truly helped me during the toughest parts of the climb was my 10+ years of Pilates training. When I had to step up two to three feet without much to hold onto, it was my core muscles that gave me the strength.