No explanation needed... 2014, you ruled!
Read moreVIDEO: KILI INT'L WOMEN'S DAY 2014 HIGHLIGHT REEL
It's been nearly 6 months since our adventure, but our energy, friendships and sense of accomplishment haven't faded one bit! The experience we shared is something that we've all carried with us into our day-to-day and continues to inspire us. Check out the highlight reel from our March 2014 summit, and climb vicariously through this group of 28 incredible women! Or better yet, join us on our upcoming 2015 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY SUMMIT.
Read moreWE'RE SO PROUD AND HAPPY TO REPORT...
SUMMIT STORY: KILIMANJARO
At 10:30 pm on the night of March 7th, I woke up, crawled out of my sleeping bag and, in the light of my headlamp, put on almost every piece of clothing I had packed. This was the night that I was going to walk from base camp to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I was leaving with the “early group” in solidarity with some of the slower hikers and as an attempt to embrace what was going to be an extremely long climb at any speed. The darkness was intimidating, and I took in what little light I could see as I waited for the others to get ready. Looking down at camp, I could see the soft glow of tents lit up like nightlights by the headlamps of other cold hikers within them. Basecamp spills out into a great valley that contains the city of Moshi over 12,000 feet of elevation and 4 climate zones away.
Read more5 ESSENTIAL MUST-HAVES FOR YOUR KILIMANJARO TREK
There are lots of Kilimanjaro packing lists out there, but here are 5 less obvious items that I know from my experience are must haves on the mountain:
(Oh and, these apply to the Inca Trail too!)
Read moreKILIMANJARO KILLIN' IT MIX
Being mentally prepared to conquer Kilimanjaro is equally (if not more) important than being in physically prepared! A fierce, positive attitude makes ALL the difference, and, I don't know about you, but nothing pumps me up more than some good ear candy!
Here's a playlist of some of my fav jams that I'll be rocking from now till when I hit Uhuru peak again this March! Complete with guilty pleasures, classics, indie hits and even a broadway tune.
Check it out. Turn it up. Get excited. And, don't be afraid to dance…WE AREN'T!
Read moreWHAT TO WEAR TO UHURU PEAK: A gear guide for your trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro
Having successfully summited Kili a couple times myself, I wanted to share with you all my look for the coldest, longest, most difficult and most rewarding part of the trek...the night of summit! I made this handy dandy pictorial gear guide to give you an idea of what has worked for me (spoiler alert: lots of layers)! All this gear is tried and true and has gotten me to the top safe, sound and toasty (relatively speaking)!
The great part is I just keep adding layers along the way to the top. I'm basically just wearing different combos of this gear all 7 days I'm on the mountain (with a few changes of midweight tops and pants along the way). So, if you have these pieces (or one's that are comparable) it's a good start to making sure you're in shape (gear-wise) for Kilimanjaro!
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