Photo: Marc van der Chijs
Leave it to mainstream media to make a Kilimanjaro climb look like a cake walk.
Compared to paddler David Miller, rock climber Abbie Mood, and runner Sarah Menkedick, I’m probably the most sedentary member of the Matador team, but even I know that climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is no Sunday stroll.
But this little tidbit from ABC News, in which it’s reported that five celebrities will be doing a Summit on the Summit “charity climb” of Africa’s tallest mountain, makes the arduous trek seem exactly that.
Emile Hirsch (of “Into the Wild”), Jessica Biel (of, well, you know), Lupe Fiasco, Isabel Lucas and Elizabeth Gore will step off on Thursday, aiming to reach the summit in an effort to “use star power to help raise awareness about the need for clean water worldwide.” Fans of these celebrities can follow the climb and donate “as little as a dollar” to raise money for the cause.
Exhibit A; Arranged by Hal Amen
Don’t get me wrong: I’m all for celebs using their status to do good. And anyone with 20-20 vision can see (Exhibit A) that Biel has a body that’s in way better shape than mine. But climbing Kilimanjaro takes a bit more skill and effort than putting together a charity ball, designing a reusable bag for Whole Foods, or even running the New York City Marathon… especially if they’re shooting video and Tweeting at the same time, as they apparently intend to do.
Curiously absent from the article and from the Summit on the Summit website is information about how (or whether) the stars have trained for the ascent.
Though I wish them the best of luck and hope they raise a ton of money in the name of clean water, I’m curious to see how they handle the climb.
Community Connection:
Matador member CaliforniaKid7 intends to summit Kilimanjaro this year. Read about his 2010 resolution in Summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2010.
About the Author
More By This Author
- Female indigenous wrestler challenges barriers in Bolivia (3 comments)
- Photo Essay: The Coolest Tree Houses in the World (15 comments)
- 19 Reasons to Feel Hopeful about the World (7 comments)
Related Posts
7 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
Ha! I’ll let you have the authoritative word on that one, Turner. I’m way too sedentary.
↵ -
I was going to disagree with Turner, but actually… running a marathon might actually be harder. I’m just thinking about the pain in every step towards the end of my second one. When I climb it (at a date yet to be determined), I’ll revisit this article.
Anyway, it should be interesting.
↵ -
Well, if you are on malaria medication, you can’t take altitude sickness medication. That’s the real issue with climbing Kilimanjaro. I have three friends that have attempted it – one did not make it to the top, and the two others did, but with little breath left. The “porters” carry all of your stuff, but if you aren’t used to the kind of altitude change that occurs (which most of us aren’t), it can essentially melt your brain.
I still want to do it one day, but it definitely scares me.
↵ -
It will be interesting to see how it goes… I’m sure their personal trainers have prepped them, though
↵ -
I wonder how many crews and porters will go along with them to the summit. Btw I love the way you use exhibit A, lol!
↵
