For FULL Album of this Incredible Journey, CLICK HERE
There’s something about Mt. Kilimanjaro that attracts out of the ordinary climbers. Summiting the tallest peak in Africa demands gruelling efforts, intense passion and extreme determination. Without a doubt, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is a life-changing experience for pretty much everyone who makes the journey.
30 climbers who began their ascent on October 18th took this journey on behalf of a greater cause, raising funds for SHALVA’s children with special needs and their families. These climbers from Israel, the UK, the USA, Canada, France and Switzerland set off to spend ten days surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful scenery on their way to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro located in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro is a natural wonder and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Our participants hiked through 5 eco-systems, including rainforest, desert and arctic terrain, all to benefit SHALVA’s children with special needs and their families.
On their first day, the group led by SHALVA trek leader, Perry Sugarman, and supported by some 75 members of ground staff, ascended the mountain via the Lemosho route, known for its outstanding beauty. Because the Lemosho route is slightly longer than others, it gave the climbers more time to acclimatize to the altitude, thereby providing them with a greater chance of a successful summit at Uhuru peak.
Our diverse group of climbers spent a magical Shabbat at the Barranco Wall, located at 3,900m above the clouds. All participants elected to observe Shabbat as part of the global Shabbat project and unanimously agreed that it was the most wonderful Shabbat experience of their lives, complete with an eruv, special Shabbat meals and services led by group members, Chazan Anton Ereira and Rabbi Ari Shainfield, from the UK.
On the last night before the summit climb, the group awoke around midnight to begin their final trek up the scree slopes to Stella Point. They reached this point by dawn and continued on around the rim of the volcano to the highest point, Uhuru Peak. This gruelling final trek involved 1,295m of ascent, 2,145m of descent, and over 13 hours of hiking. On October 28th, our trekkers received their Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park certificates and returned to the hotel, exhausted and ecstatic, for well-deserved showers and a large celebratory dinner. A one day safari finished off this memorable adventure before the team headed for home to share their adventure with their supportive family and friends.
The trek has been hailed a huge success and has raised over $300,000 for SHALVA’s children and their families.
For more information about SHALVA’s next climb, contact perry@shalva.org.
