Kilimanjaro

  Mount Kilimanjaro is the world’s tallest freestanding mountain and the largest volcano to ever breach the Earth’s crust.  During the ascent, climbers will cross into 5 planetary ecosystems including tropical jungles, alpine moorlands, deserts, snowfields and glacial landscapes.  The most dangerous factor of the climb begins at 10,000 feet where the risk of high altitude sickness increases and fatigue sets in.  As climbers’ bodies struggle to adjust to a nearly 50% reduction in oxygen levels than what exist at sea level. Symptoms from the altitude may include headaches, dizziness, nausea to lethargy and euphoria and severe cases of high altitude sickness may result in death if climbers do not descend.  High altitude sickness is one of the factors that prevents 50% of all climbers from reaching Uhuru peak, the highest point on the mountain.  

Joel and Shari successfully reached Uhuru peak via the Machame route, taking them 7 days.