Indonesian Digital News Archive

For many adventure travelers climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is one of the big items on their bucket list. After all, it isn't every day that you get to trek to the top of the highest peak in Africa. But next year a select group of travelers will not only get the opportunity to do just that, but they'll also get the chance to mountain bike back down the mountain, something that has never been done by commercial travelers before. Best of all, this unique opportunity will be used to raise funds for a very important cause.

In 2013, for the first time ever, adventure travel company Trek Travel will be offering their new WorldServe Kilimanjaro Bike Tour. The 12-day itinerary, which begins February 22, includes a visit to the Serengeti that includes a hot air balloon ride above the plains while the Great Migration plays out below. Travelers will also visit a traditional Maasi village and explore other cultural excursions throughout the area. But of course the real highlight will be a six-day climb of Kili that will culminate with a mountain bike descent. Prior to the climb, each participant will also be sent a brand new Trek mountain bike that they can use to train on before the climb begins. That same bike will then be shipped to Africa for the ride. After the climb is over, the bike is theirs to keep.

This special Kilimanjaro Bike Tour is limited to just 20 people and is designed to be used as a fundraiser to support several projects that will deliver clean drinking water to more than 150,000 people living in Tanzania. As such, the price tag for the trip is quite high, although 90% of the funds are going directly for the cause. Trek Travel is offering three tiered pricing of $25,000, $55,000 and $85,000. The main difference in those levels is simply how much cash goes to the water projects. Of course, the ideal way to go would be for an adventurous traveler to sign up for the tour and raise funds from sponsors to help cover the costs.

This sounds like a fantastic way to visit two of my favorite places on Earth in Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. Tanzania is a great destination and this would be a way to experience some unique activities while also contributing greatly to improving the life of the people that live there.


KiliClimb Trek Bike Video from WorldServe International on Vimeo.

At the beginning of May I posted a story about a non-proft organization called the Heroes Project, a non-profit organization founded by Everest summiteer Tim Medvetz to help wounded vets overcome their physical challenges by climbing some of the tallest and most iconic mountains on the planet. Tim, you may recall, suffered a severe injury of his own when he was in a terrible motorcycle accident some years back that required metal implants, a long recovery time and lots of physical therapy. Motivated by that challenge, he went on to climb Everest as part of Discovery Channel's Everest: Beyond The Limit.

On June 30th Tim will set off on his next expedition this time traveling to Africa to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak on the continent. Accompanying him on that journey will be Marine Staff Sergeant Mark Zambon, who lost both of his legs while serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan last year. This will be both a tremendous challenge to Mark and a fantastic adventure as he treks to the Roof of Africa.

We can all follow Tim and Mark on their journey as they'll be posting regular audio dispatches to the First Ascent Facebook page. First Ascent is of course the line of outdoor gear from Eddie Bauer that has become quite popular with climbers over the past few years. They are a proud sponsor of the Heroes Project and will help share the progress of this expedition.

Good luck to Tim and Mark. Enjoy the climb!

A few days ago Canadian motivational speaker Spencer West completed an amazing challenge by climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa. But unlike most who take on that mountain, West is a double-amputee who was making the climb to raise money for charity.

Dubbed the Redefine Possible expedition, Spencer took on Kili to raise funds for the Free The Children organization, an international charity that looks to empower young people through education. To date the climb has raised more than $500,000, which is earmarked for a project to bring clean drinking water to children in Kenya.

Standing 5895 meters (19,340 ft) in height, Kili is a challenge for any hiker. But for West it was a completely different level of difficulty. Born with a rare genetic disease called sacral agenesis, Spencer lost his legs at the age of five. He was determined to not let that be barrier to him leading a normal life however and he has used his upbeat message to inspire others as well.

On June 12 Spencer, along with his best friends David Johnson and Alex Meers, set out on an eight day climb of Kilimanjaro, which West did on his hands and in his wheelchair. Yesterday they reached the summit in time to watch the sun come up over Africa. Most of their journey has been captured in photos, blog posts and videos. You can learn more about their experience at the expedition's official website, where you can also donate to the cause if you're so inclined.

Checkout video from summit day below. Very inspirational!

I received a note last week about an amazing organization that is helping wounded soldiers to re-connet with their lives by climbing some of the biggest mountains on the planet. The non-profit is called The Heroes Project and it works with disabled vets to assist them in overcoming their injuries and giving them renewed hope through the challenge of taking on the Seven Summits.

The organization was founded by Tim Medvetz, who many of you will probably remember from the television show Everest: Beyond The Limit. Through that show we learned that Tim had suffered a brutal motorcycle accident but that he was determined to still do extraordinary things despite the damage that had occurred to his body. In summitting Everest, Tim was able to show what was possible for those who were recovering from life altering accidents.

After returning from Everest Tim decided he wasn't done climbing and he wanted to help others who were in a similar position that he was once in. So, he founded The Heroes Project and set about visiting the Seven Summits, taking wounded vets along with him for the climb. Currently the group is doing fundraising for a Kilimanjaro climb that is scheduled to take place next month. There, on the highest peak in Africa, they hope to once again have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the life of a soldier that has suffered wounds in combat.

The video below gives a bit more information about the organization and is a great introduction to what they do.