Elizabeth Mandel celebrated the start of a new year by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa (at 19,300 feet) and the world’s highest free-standing mountain. After about three months of rigorous training, she and four hiking friends flew to Tanzania to join a 7-day trek to the summit.

Elizabeth at the summit

The group consisted of eight trekkers, 29 porters, two cooks, and four guides.

Trekkers climb the first 7,000 feet in the first two days, then spend a couple of days hiking farther and acclimating and then finish with a brutal push to the summit. This includes a final 7,000-foot ascent between morning on day 5 and sunrise on day 6. (“We climbed 3,000 feet on day 5, slept for a bit, then back up at 11 pm to start the final 4000 feet, reaching the summit at sunrise.”) Again, for perspective, the Grand Canyon is 4,000 feet deep. And the oxygen at 19,000 feet is ½ that at sea level. Then, of course, you need to get back to the bottom. Day 6 continues with a steep 7,000-foot descent, and day 7 is a final 16 miles and another 7,000 feet down.

Tropical weather at the start of the trek

Glaciers at the “roof of Africa” – 14,000 feet higher

The women in the group included 2 guides and 5 trekkers

Elizabeth said, “I love the mountains, but I probably wouldn’t have considered this trip if a friend hadn’t invited me along. I am so glad I did it. My four friends are all older than I (the oldest was 76), and they were an inspiration and a reminder to prioritize what you love and to never stop challenging yourself. I am grateful to have had the health and resources to enable me to embrace such an amazing experience.”

African Safari

Following the trek Elizabeth and a friend continued their African adventure with a six-day safari, visiting 4 national parks in Tanzania. Following are just a few of the animals they saw.