Kilimanjaro(5895) - Page 26

Ian McKeever once held the record for completing the seven highest peaks in the world in the fastest time

An Irish mountaineer and charity fundraiser has died while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro inTanzania.

Ian McKeever, who was 42 and from Lough Dan in Wicklow, was leading a group of climbers when they were struck by lightning.

Mr McKeever was a leading member of the Kilimanjaro Achievers Team, a group of veteran climbers which led groups to the top of the mountain.

In 2007, the adventurer had scaled Mount Everest.

He is also the former holder of the record for completing the seven highest peaks in the world in the fastest time - 32 days fewer than the previous record.

In 2009, he was part of a team that attempted to row the South Atlantic Oceanin under 30 days, but the boat lost its rudder and they were forced to postpone the attempt.

More recently he had been attempting, along with African climbing guide friend Samuel Kinsonga, to break the record for the fastest ascent of Kilimanjaro, as part of their anti-racism Black and White Makes Sense Campaign.

Mr McKeever was the author of two books - Give Me Shelter and Give Me Heroes - and was working on a third book Give Me 28 Days.

On his Facebook page on Wednesday night, a statement said: "It is with deep regret, that we, Ian's family, fiancee Anna and friends, advise of his sudden death on Kilimanjaro, today, doing what he loved best."

Mr McKeever had been posting messages on the site during the ascent of the mountain.

His last post, on Tuesday, said: "Shira 2, 4,000m. Torrential rain all day. Spirits remain good even if drying clothes is proving impossible! We pray for dryer weather tomorrow - the big day. It's the Lava Tower."

It is understood none of the other climbers suffered serious injuries.

In a message of condolence, Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny said: "I was very saddened to hear of the death of renowned adventurer Ian McKeever.

"I had come to know him over recent years and I admired him not only for his own achievements and charity work but also for his work with young people in challenging them to achieve their full potential.

"He was extremely passionate about what he did and driven in his belief that everybody can achieve their potential during their lifetime.

"Ian said to me once that there was no place he would rather be than in the mountains."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20896985

Site of the project:

http://www.kilimanjaroachievers.com/Team.html

Seven Summits record

“My Dad phoned my Mum from the hospital yesterday to convey the very sad news. He said that he was fine but he was thrown into the air by a bolt of lightning, so I’m anxious to hear from him again.”

Mr McKeever had climbed Kilimanjaro several times, often leading groups of youngsters, and was on this occasion leading a large team of mostly Irish climbers raising money for charity.

The attempt on the 19,340ft mountain,Africa’s tallest, began on December 30 and immediately ran into unseasonal bad weather.

On Mr McKeever’s Kilimanjaro Achievers Facebook page, colleagues wrote that the group was above 13,000ft but that conditions had been terrible throughout the climb.

“Torrential rain all day,” they wrote on Wednesday. “Spirits remain good even if drying clothes is proving impossible! We pray for dryer weather tomorrow – the big day.”

They were due to ascend to the Lava Tower, a key point of acclimatisation at 15,000ft, before descending slightly to sleep before pushing higher towards the summit, which they aimed to reach late on Friday.

The storm is understood to have worsened as the group was climbing towards theLavaToweron Wednesday.

Mr McKeever died later that evening.

Among those taking part in the climb was a school group from Ballinamore in north-westernIreland, with four students and a teacher, Aoife Ni Mhaille.

Padraig Leyden, head of St Felims College, said he had a brief conversation with Miss Ni Mhaille.

“It was very frightening and very severe,” Mr Leyden told The Daily Telegraph. “The group hid behind rocks for the entirety. I do not know whether they witnessed what happened.

“They were taken off the mountain and were brought to a local hospital for checks. All the students are physically fine, but naturally very upset about what’s occurred.”

Tributes poured in for Mr McKeever and his achievements during a decade-long mountaineering career in which he set a world record for the fastest successful summiting of the highest peaks on all seven continents, finishing the feat in 156 days in 2007.

Pat Falvey, renowned Irish explorer, said Mr McKeever “followed his dreams with conviction and inspired others”.

“It was a freak accident and a complete fluke,” he told the Irish Independent. “I have lost two friends in lightning strikes, including one on theHimalayas— but they are very rare on Kilimanjaro.”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: “Ian said to me once that there was no place he would rather be than in the mountains.

“I would like to extend my sympathies to his fiancee Anna and his family, friends and fellow adventurers.”

Hello! This Artem Rostovtsev, from the slopes of Kilimanjaro. We are now in the camp of Mandara. Today, the entire group met inAfricaand we have started a program Climbing Kilimanjaro.

Don Striker Named New Superintendent of Denali National Parkand Preserve.

The National Park Service has named Don Striker as Denali National Parkand Preserve's new superintendent.

Striker has been the superintendent atNew River Gorge National River,West Virginia, for the past five years, and brings a strong background in both business and resource management to his new position.

Since 2007, Striker has managed New River Gorge along with the nearby Bluestone National Scenic River and the Gauley River National Recreation Area. The parks annually see more than one million visitors, and include four visitor centers and more than 100 access points.

He has been instrumental in improving relationships with state government and local partners, building a large cadre of volunteers, and managing significant construction projects. Prior to working in West Virginia, Striker served as a special assistant to the Comptroller of the National Park Service, as superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota), as superintendent of Fort Clatsop National Memorial (Oregon), and comptroller at Yellowstone National Park.

"I am deeply humbled to have been asked to serve as the chief steward of one of our country's most spectacular and iconic parks," Striker said. "My wife, Gretchen, and I are excited to be moving toAlaska, a goal we've long held. We are really looking forward to becoming productive partners in our new community." Striker will move to Alaskain January.

NPS Alaska Regional Director Sue Masica said that Striker's accomplishments over more than 15 years with the Service position him well for theDenalijob. "Denali is a complex park, with many major business and resource decisions coming up. Over the next couple of years, the park will be looking at implementing its new road management plan, rebidding the main concession contract and continuing to work on a variety of wildlife issues with the State of Alaska and others. Don brings the talents we need to lead the Service on these issues."

Denali National Park and Preserve is Alaska's most recognized park, hosts more than 400,000 visitors every year, and encompasses more than 6 million acres that includes Mount McKinley, North America's highest peak. Striker replaces Paul Anderson, who retired this fall. Jeff Mow has been the acting superintendent.

Source: http://www.nps.gov/dena/parknews/new-supt.htm

Alaska-permafrost

Hope we can get permission and establish monitoring site at West Buttress!!

We need finalizeDenaliproposal very soon for next summer (June). Idea is that to install (just) temperature sensors on air, ground surface and ground with Iridium based satellite datalogger simmilar like Kilimanjaro setting.

Around 14K Camp (medical Camp) is another candidate (picture below). But steep and narrow open sky for satellite communication…

We try to develop 3D visualization material for 100 years glacier & permafrost history on Kilimanjaro working with Vavilov Institute for the History of Science and Technology of theRussianAcademyof Sciences

http://ffky.edublogs.org/category/alaska-permafrost/

Permafrost book

http://issuu.com/permafrostbook/docs/permafrostbook/99

Kilimanjaro permofrost

The Snows of Kilimanjaro by NASA….

The views from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro—a 5,895-meter (19,341-foot) dormant stratovolcano inTanzania—are as surreal as they are spectacular. After ascending through multiple ecosystems—including cropland, lush rainforest, alpine desert, and a virtual dead zone near the summit—climbers can find themselves peering down on a thick blanket of clouds below that seems to stretch endlessly in the distance.

But in the immediate foreground, ice dominates the view. Looking north, a shelf-like block of ice with a sharp vertical cliff sits on an otherwise featureless, sand-covered plateau. In the other direction, a second ice field spills off the edge of the plateau, down the mountain’s southern face.

Kimberly Casey, a glaciologist based at NASA’sGoddardSpaceFlightCenter, was savoring the views from Kilimanjaro’s summit and caldera when she snapped these panoramic images of Kilimanjaro’s northern (middle) and southern (bottom) ice fields. The Advanced Land Imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 satellite acquired the top image, which shows some of the same ice fields from above on October 26, 2012.

Casey was taking part in a September 2012 research expedition to Kilimanjaro to study the ice at the summit. For scale, bright tents that were part of the scientists' base camp are visible in the lower left of the northern ice field image.

Despite Mount Kilimanjaro’s location in the tropics, the dry and cold air at the top of the mountain has sustained large quantities of ice for more than 10,000 years. At points, ice has completely surrounded the crater. Studies of ice core samples show that Kilimanjaro’s ice has persisted through multiple warm spells, droughts, and periods of abrupt climate change.

But trends beginning more than a century ago suggest Kilimanjaro’s peaks may soon be ice-free. Between 1912 and 2011, the mass of ice on the summit decreased by more than 85 percent. Researchers say it’s no longer a question of whether the ice will disappear but when. Estimates vary, but several scientists predict it will be gone by 2060.

Rising air temperatures due to global warming could be contributing to the ice loss, but a number of other factors are just as important, if not more so. An increasingly dry regional atmosphere, for example, is starving the mountain of the fresh snow needed to sustain the ice fields. Drier air is also reducing cloud cover and allowing more solar energy to warm the ice surfaces.

Casey and colleagues noticed yet another ominous sign during their 2012 expedition. The northern ice field, which had been developing a hole since the 1970s, has separated. “This was the first year that the northern ice field completely divided into two,” said Casey.

“We were able to walk on land—or we could have even ridden a bicycle—directly through the rift.”

Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov

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Local Ultra Runner Completes Circuit of Mount Kilimanjaro

Saint Louisresident Jerry Frost was recently one of the first people in the world to run a complete circuit around the tallest freestanding mountain in the world: Mount Kilimanjaro. Frost, an ultra marathoner in his fifties, spent eight days running around the base of Mount Kilimanjaroas part of the first annual Stage Run around the Roof of Africa, a run hosted by the Tanzanian adventure outfitter Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experience (SENE). Frost was one of ten international ultra runners to participate in this groundbreaking running event October 18-28. Other participants includedBoulderColorado’s Krissy Moehl, one of the most highly regarded female ultra marathoners in the world, and Simon Mtuy, Guinness world record holder for fastest unassisted ascent and descent ofMount Kilimanjaro. The runners were accompanied by videographer Andrew King ofSouth Africa’s D4 Productions, who is creating a short video series of the event that will be available later this year.

Frost and the other SENE Stage Run participants ran 170 miles and endured a total ascent of more than 35,000 feet as they ran around the steep slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The terrain was intense and varied as the group ran through rainforests, dry plains, coffee plantations, villages, and deep valleys on the ancient footpaths of the indigenous Chagga people. The run was fully supported and the participants enjoyed chef-prepared breakfasts and dinners at camp and snacks and beverages on the trail. The runners got a taste of local culture when they camped at local villages in the evenings. They also supported reforestation efforts by planting trees in thevillage of Marangu. On the fourth night, the runners were lucky enough to enjoy hot showers and comfortable accommodations at Simba Farm inWest Kilimanjaro.

The ultra runners did not encounter any major injuries or set-backs over the course of the run, and all runners completed the circuit within the time allotted. On their last night, the runners enjoyed a celebratory evening at Simon Mtuy’s private Mbahe Farm before parting ways and moving on to their next big adventures.

For more information, please visit

 http://www.facebook.com/StageRunAroundTheRoofOfAfrica?fref=ts

 or http://tanzaniatrailrunning.com/

Source: interact.stltoday.com

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All-women Nepali team to scale Mt Kilimanjaro

KATHMANDU: Two years after scaling the highest mountains in Australia and Russia, the all-women Nepali mountaineer team is all set to climb Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895m), the tallest peak of Africa, with the theme ‘A journey to educate young girls’ from March 1-7 next year.

In a mission to climb the tallest mountains in all seven continents, this will be their fourth expedition.

The Seven Summits expedition team successfully scaled Mt Everest (8,848m in Asia), Mt Kosciuszko (2,228m inAustralia), Mt Elbrus (5,642m in Europe) in 2008 and 2010 respectively.

Less than 300 people in the world have climbed the seven summits, of them only 51 are women where only two Nepali men have achieved this feat so far.

Shailee Basnet, team coordinator, said they would be highlighting the importance of ‘girl education’ during Mt Kilimanjaro climb ‘Kili for a cause’.

The team has been promoting girls’ education in coordination with various government and non-government organisations since their first expedition. “We have already reached out to 11,000 students in more than 100 schools across the country to promote education for girls,” she said.

The Nepali team will be joined by three African women to highlight the significance of

girl education around the world.

One of the climbers is a dynamic youth activist advocating against early marriage, the other is a teacher from the nearly extinct bushmen tribe called ‘the Hadzabes’ and the third climber is Hlubi Mboya (on the picture), a popular television actress in Southern Africa who is also the World Food Programme Ambassador against Hunger in South Africa.

According to Basnet, Nepali and Tanzanian climbers will be visiting various schools in Arusha andDares-Salaam,Tanzaniato tell their stories and encourage young students about the importance of education and to achieve their dreams.

The total budget for the Kilimanjaro climb is $50,000 in which 50 per cent will go to charity.

Childreach International is setting up online global donation campaign for the event.

The United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) is sponsoring the climb for three African Women. They will also produce a documentary movie featuring the climb.

The all-women Nepali mountaineer team on the slopes of Elbrus

Source: thehimalayantimes.com

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25 new peaks to be open for climbing

The government is planning to open new peaks that are in demand for the promotion of mountain tourism and to create new destinations.

The government had, in 2003, opened 111 new peaks, and later nine other peaks in 2004, but since then no new peaks have been opened. Currently, 326 peaks are allowed for mountain expeditions and adventure sports.

“We will soon forward our study report of the peaks that can be opened for expeditions like other regular peaks,” said under secretary at the Tourism Industry Division Surendra Sapkota. The division is currently studying applications from various regions that have requested the government to open certain summits for expeditions.

“We have a list of applications requesting us to open restricted peaks to create fresh destinations for tourists who arrive inNepalfor mountain and adventure tourism,” said Sapkota. “We are going through the documents and studying peaks that can be allowed for expeditions, and we are also taking suggestions from other related associations on the matter,” he said.

“As soon as we prepare proper documents, we will forward them to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, which after further verification will submit the report to the cabinet for final approval,” he said, adding that there is a demand for new peaks and along with the permission to open the peaks, it will definitely attract quality number of mountaineers and create new destinations.

“It has been more than eight years since the government last announced new peaks for expeditions, therefore, it is time that the government open new border-peaks for mountaineering,” said former president of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tshering Sherpa.

“We have also recommended 25 peaks, most of which are border-peaks that can attract quality number of climbers,”

said Sherpa, adding government must simplify rules and develop a one-window system so that the process is completed on time.

“It has been two years since we recommended names of border-peaks that are in demand among mountaineers,” he said.

Source: nepalmountainnews.com

Wade Davis' Everest book wins Samuel Johnson Prize

Winning author Wade Davis is also the National Geographic Society's Explorer-In-Residence

Wade Davis's book Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest will receive the £20,000 prize.

Judges said the "momentous" book, the result of 10 years' research and writing, "shed new light on events and stories we thought we already knew".

Davisis also the National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence.

The adventurer gives a detailed insight into the explorers' world, focusing on Mallory's expeditions and the impact of the Great War.

Chair of the judges, David Willetts MP, said it was a "fascinating historical narrative of a great adventure".

"It's an exciting story of human endeavour imbued with deep historical significance," he continued.

"Wade's scrupulous use of sources and attention to detail, combined with his storytelling skills and ability to enter into the minds of the people he is writing about, make this a thoroughly enlightening and enjoyable book."

Canadian Wade has written 15 books and produced the Geographic Channel's documentary series Light at the Edge of the World.

He flew into London from New Yorkfor the announcement of the prize at the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Waded received his PhD in ethnobotany from Harvard University

Willetts said that this year's shortlist was "very strong", which made Wade's win "all the more significant".

The rest of the judging panel was made up by writer and biographer Patrick French, The Guardian's non-fiction books editor Paul Laity, editor of Prospect magazine Bronwen Maddox, and philosopher, poet, physician and cultural critic Professor Raymond Tallis.

The prize is open to all non-fiction books published in English, by writers of any nationality, in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts.

Previous winners include 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Member of the 7 Summits Club, our good friend Andrey Podolyan climbed Mount Kosciuszko almost simultaneously with the team of "Alpari on top of the world." This was his crowning ascent program 7 Summits. 7 Summits Club congratulates Andrey and wishes new heights! Bravo!

Seven Summits of Andrey Podolyan:

Kilimanjaro, September 5, 2009

Aconcagua, February 11, 2010

Elbrus, August 1, 2010

Vinson, 23 December 2010

Everest, May 20, 2011

McKinley, July 5, 2012

Kosciuszko, 05 November 2012.

Everest 2011 www.vidgeversa.ru

And also:

Communism Peak, August 18, 2012

KorjenevskayaPeak, August 10, 2012

Andrey Podolyanu 40. He lives in Velsk,Arkhangels kregion. He was born and grew up in this area in the north of Russia. Andrey is one of the most successful businessmen in the area. He paid much attention to charity, built a church, built sport hill and did a lot of other good things. Andrey was a paratrooper in the Army, he is fond of hot-air balloons. Andrey now has the biggest balloon in Russia.

Employees trip of 7 Summits Club in Velsk, to visit Andrey Podolyanu. Photography.

https://7vershin.ru/news/all/item_2438/

Rohan Freeman – the first Afro-American and Jamaican on the Seven Summits.

In April 2009, Rohan Freeman embarked on an incredible journey to accomplish his dream of summitingMount Everest. In May 2009, he reached the world’s highest peak. In June 2009, he returned home with his sights set on establishing his own engineering consulting firm.

Mr. Freeman was born and raised in Jamaica, and came to the University of Connecticut to explore his interests in the field of civil engineering. He went on to become a dually licensed Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor. His innate leadership talents and project management abilities have been enriched by his 25 year career in the industry working for nationally recognized firms, as well as the City ofHartford’s Public Works Department.

He is a man that is characterized by his passions, pride and drive. He embodies the spirit, culture and values of his firm. The establishment of Freeman Companies has been a challenging and exciting accomplishment, and Mr. Freeman is excited about the future success and the endless possibilities that lie ahead. Failure is not an option.

Rohan’s summit ofMount Everestis part of his larger initiative to summit the highest peak on each of the world’s seven continents. His conquest ofMount Everestmarked the fifth of his seven summits. He climbed in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, and has served as an active member of the organization’s Board of Directors since 2008.

A former track star at the University of Connecticut, Freeman said he first wanted to climb mountains in 1998, when he booked his first vacation to a winter resort. One winter sport led to another, he said, and in June 2002, Freeman and several friends climbed Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. He then scaled three of the other "Seven Summits" -MountMcKinleyinAlaskain June 2004, Mount Elbrus inRussiain June 2006 and Aconcagua inArgentinain December 2006 - before he attempted to climbMount Everest.

"Just the idea that he's done outreach and work with the youth of Hartfordand has shown them a much broader world ... that was very important [to us]," said fund President Kirk Sykes.

After Everest Freeman climbed the last two of the "Seven Summits": Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Mount Kosciuszko in Australia- in 2010. And finished this story climbed Pyramid Carstensz in fall 2012.

"When I returned from Everest, I stared my own engineering company," Freeman said. "I'm trying to see if I can make that a success."

Premlata Agarwal

Premlata Agarwal has added yet another mountain to her kitty! The oldest Indian woman mountaineer to have scaled Mt Everest has now also become the only Indian woman to climb Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak of the Australia/Oceania continent, which is deemed one of the most difficult to climb.

Talking to mediapersons on her return, Agrawal (48) said she reached the 16,024-feet steep Carstensz summit ofIndonesiaon October 23, after seven days of trekking. She has now scaled five of the seven highest summits of all continents.

She took a tumble innumerable times during the expedition, braved consistent rainfall and slipped on slushy tracks to the base camp. “It was a very difficult and challenging climb. Several elements came across our trek but we did not lose heart. But I’m very happy to have come back successful,” she said.

It rained throughout the journey, in which she had threeUSmen climbers as part of the team. “We flew into Timika fromBalion October 15. Then we took a hour-long flight to Sugada village, which is one of the openings to the base camp,” Premlata recalled.

This resident ofJamshedpurwill go to Mt Vinson Massif (Antarctica) in December and re-tryMountMcKinley(North America) in May-June next year to complete her seven-summit campaign. She was forced to return without climbing McKinley last June due to inclement weather.

Agrawal has set sight on completing the mountaineering challenge of climbing the Seven Summits and Tata Steel is the proud sponsor of her expedition, and is supporting her with a sponsorship of Rs 80 lakh. Conquering all seven summits makes one a member of the Hall of Fame for mountaineers.

If Premlata achieves this remarkable feat — she is targeting 2013 for it — she will become the first Indian woman, and one the oldest in the world, to do so.

Antarctica's Tallest Peak

NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica’s tallest peak,MountVinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. The flight is part of NASA’s Operation IceBridge, a multi-year airborne campaign to monitor changes in Earth’s polar ice caps in both the Antarctic and Arctic. Ice Bridge science flights from Punta Arenas, Chile, began on Oct. 12 and continue through early November. Mount Vinsonis located in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica.

Dr. Clare O'Leary

She's already conquered Everest, completed the world's Seven Summits and become the first Irish woman to reach the South Pole.

But now Dr. Clare O'Leary is aiming to make history once again as part of the first Irish team to cross the perilous, but little-known North Patagonian Icecap.

The pint-sized adventurer, from Bandon, Co.Cork, is part of a five-strong team that also includes Kerry explorer Mike O'Shea, which is attempting to cross the treacherous 120km distance.

The team, which set off from their base inChilelast weekend, is expected to spend the whole of this month hauling their sledges across the remote cap, which has only ever been crossed by a handful of people.

Even preparing for the challenge and packing the correct clothing was a logistical nightmare, as temperatures, on altitudes ranging from 1200m to 1500m, can range from -30C to 30C on the same day.

Both Clare and Mike have spent months training for the gruelling adventure, which is deemed particularly challenging because of the difficulty in accessing the icecap.

The team will have to climb a towering glacier before setting foot on the cap, while the journey will also include boat trips, camping and horse riding with South American gauchos and crossing a rainforest.

Earlier this year both Clare and Mike were forced to abandon their bid to become the first expedition to make it to the North Pole.

They were forced to pull the plug on the challenge to reach the remote Arctic point, because their plan to share chartered logistics with other teams fell apart.

Clare is the first Irish female toclimbMt.Everest and also the first Irish woman to complete the Seven Summits, which includesMt.Vinsonin the Antarcticand Mt. McKinley inAlaska.

Keep track of their progress at irishnorthpole2013.com.

Age be damned. An elderly Vancouver couple successfully climbed Africa's highest mountain, becoming the oldest known couple to do so.

Esther Kafer, 84, and her husband Martin, 85, reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro Wednesday, according to the Alzheimer's Society of B.C. Their achievement has yet to be verified by Guinness World Record officials. The Tanzanian mountain is 5,885 metres high (19,341 feet).

Motivated by the rapid rate Martin's sister's dementia was advancing, the couple took part in the climb to help raise money for the Alzheimer's Society of B.C.

"Each time we visit Martin’s sister we are overwhelmed by the telling signs of the rapid rate her dementia is advancing," the pair said on the society's website. They point out that the former researcher and McGill professor is now "reduced to incoherent words... a sad hulk of a mind" and needs 24-hour care.

Married since 1953, the Kafers have spent their lives travelling the world, climbing mountains, and skiing.

"Esther and Martin's achievement epitomizes the spirit of the Ascent for Alzheimer's event, which is that no matter how challenging the journey there is support," said Jean Black, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

Eager to obtain international work experience, the self-described "old-timer mountaineers and life-long outdoor enthusiasts" immigrated to Canada in 1954 from Switzerland and never looked back.

When asked to provide advice for those with more sedentary lifestyles, both champion fit, active lives and sharp mental acuity.

"Be active all of the time, eat well, use your arms your legs and your head. Most of all your head. Take every day as a bonus day," the Kafers told Canadian Achievers.

The Kafers helped to raise more than $24,000 for the Alzheimer's Society of B.C.

The Huffington Post B.C.

Artem Rostovtsev sent a message from the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Today there was a day of assault. At 12 a.m. the team started from Barafu Hut. At 6 a.m. they were at Stella Point. At 7:40 the whole team was on top Uhuru Peak. Now all went down to the Barafu camp and rest. After an hour and a half, the climbers will continue to camp on 3000.

Team:

Vadim Serdyuk, Vadim Miroshnichenko, Valery Shabaev, Yuri Borisov, Nikolai Dvoikov, Artem Rostovtsev (guide of 7 Summits Club).

The group reached the camp Karranga. Unfortunately Anton Pak forced to go down due bad health. Others members and guide will go far. They are in good mood and tommorow night will try to climb the Uhuru Peak.

All climbers from our group had reached the summit of Kilimanjaro. Our congratulations to Jaroslav Zhivotovsky from Kazakhstan, Maxim Shahaev and Maxim Alagurov from Perm, Jeyhun Guseinov from Moscow State University (Moscow), Mamta Sodha – well-known woman climber from India and to our guide Nikolay Cherny !

June 15 a new group of 7 Summits Club goes on a tour of the program "Climbing Kilimanjaro". Standard Route: Marangu trail, plus two days Safari (LakeManyaraand Ngorongoro).  Nikolay Cherny is a guide in this group. Famous Russian climber in this year celebrates the 74th birthday. He has twice climbedMount Everestat the age of 66 and 70 years. Nikola Cherny continue several times a year to travel to the mountains as a guide. In winter, he was a сщфср of the team makes an attempt to climb K2. In May he was one of the judges at competitions Elbrus Race.

  The Group has an international staff: Jaroslav Zhivotovsky fromKazakhstan, Maxim  Shahaev and Maxim Alagurov from Perm, Jeyhun Guseinov from Moscow State University (Moscow). Also, Mamta Sodha – well-known woman climber fromIndia. She has already climbed Mount Everest and then goes under the project "7 summits".

In Tanzania (Marangu route on Kilimanjaro and Manyara National Parks and Ngorongoro Conservation Area) walked and fell into the frame:

Dennis Kiriyenko, Maria Kiriyenko, Alexander Poliakov, Natalie Petkina, Jacov Tebenkov,
Nadezhda Tebenkova, Maria Tokalova, Oksana Kozhushnaya, Dmitry Khodak ....

P.S. Weather was really excellent, and all were satisfied, and we coped with our tops, accumulated vivid impressions, which, perhaps, will be enough until the next trips

Hi, everybody! This is Artem Rostovtsev, practically from the top of Kilimanjaro. We were ten minutes ago on the highest point. All group left today on the storm … Unfortunately, two girls were compelled to turn back, without having reached the top ….

Climbing tour on Kilimanjaro, a group of Alpari officers from U.S. was successfully finished. All were on the top, although a month ago no one even thought of it. The weather was favorable, there was no rain during the daytimes, it was just a little wet at night. Snow and hail were only after the climb and a short rest at Kibo Hut. On the climbing day boys proved themselves as true heroes. None of them had never been before even at an altitude of 2000m, no one had any serious training. But all have shown tenacity and reached the summit. At the top the group met three Russian climbers engages in project "7 summits in 300 days" with the support of Alpari.

Artem Rostovtsev – a guide of the 7 Summit Club

Team:

Jaclyn Cole

David Makoso

John Wang

Jacob Plattner

Stan Klebaner

Mushegh Tovmasyan

Alpari-life.ru. Africa… Kilimanjaro… Mountain climbing… These things just don’t seem to mix. But Team Alpari: On Top of the World is already here in Tanzania. It didn’t take long to figure out all of the logistical issues. The Seven Summits Club really knows what it’s doing. We’re already on our way.

It’s the 8th of March. In Russia, people are taking the day off. But we’re headed upwards, forging ahead along the steep and resilient jungle paths. There hasn’t been a single gentle slope or downhill section yet. We have a 1,300-meter climb ahead of us, a special Women’s Day gift. And this is only the beginning.

… An overnight, an early climb, then upwards again. And it’s only getting steeper. In all seriousness, we’ve had to actually “climb” part of the way. There are actually hooks in the rock. There may have even been a railing too at one point. We’re the only ones on this route. This isn’t a path for beginners. It’s really steep. Lyudmila is good at picking out the routes for the team. You can’t take it easy. You have to keep grinding away, even here on Kilimanjaro. We’re leaving the jungle now. We have a spectacular view of the mountain!

Fantastic! The beauty and grandeur of the mountain and the nature of the climb have been impressive. The rocky slopes, the icy ditches left by glaciers… it all feels so natural. Not many people get the chance to see this side of the mountain. We’re already at 3,900 meters. And it’s only been 2 days!

10.03 Today we have our most difficult climb ahead of us. As if it could get any harder! We have to climb to 4,600 meters, and in doing so, circle around to the other side of the mountain. You can’t make it to the summit from this side. Normally, this takes 2 days or so, but we need to do it in one. Oh well. We’re on our way. But wait! There’s a 200-meter rock wall ahead of us. It’s scary, something we’re not used to seeing. But it should be interesting. We’ll just have to climb it. Looking at the wall from the side is frightening, but it can be done. The rocks are monolithic, with passes, steps and safety hooks, so it should be relatively safe. We made it. Now it’s back down again, then up… By the evening, we made it to where we needed to go. We’ll have dinner and go to sleep.

11.03. We left at 1:30 at night to continue our ascent. With yesterday’s difficult climb and our anxiety before our storm of the summit, we didn’t get much sleep. But our commander is strict. We left at 1:30 sharp, the moon illuminating the path ahead of us. It all feels kind of mystical – the stars, the mountain, the glowing moonlight… We’re getting higher and its getting colder. Strange, huh? Africa… cold? Anyways, it’s cold. We’re wearing our down jackets. That helps a bit. But we still have to shake our legs periodically. It’s either that or “I froze in Africa”. And that wouldn’t be too funny, would it?

Just before 6:00 we made it to the brim of the crater. This is where we planned to meet the Alpari US team, which took the classic route. They weren’t there yet. We waited an hour and a half. We were about to freeze to death. Naturally, we were elated when they finally showed up. We continued onward together, reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) in full strength. Hooray!

The first visual impression of the expedition "Alpari on top of the world." The first batch of photos and a video clip. No comments. Simply beauty. More pictures can be viewed at the project site:

http://www.alpari-life.ru/kilimanjaro/

Early in the morning, the two groups met near the summit. The team of project "Alpari - 7 summits in 300 days" (Ludmila Korobeshko, Ivan Dusharin, Maxim Shakirov) climbed via the route Umbve. Guide 7 Summits Club Artem Rostovtsev climbed with a group of managers of American office Alpari by Machame route. There were in the group: David Makoso, Jacob Plattner, Jaclyn Cole, Mushegh Tovmasyan, Stan Klebaner, John Wang. At 8:00 in the morning, they all met at the top of the massif of Kilimanjaro. And then, two groups together have gone down the Machame route. Congratulations!

Hello! This Artem Rostovtsev from Kilimanjaro. We go already third day. I must say, the company is excellent, very fun people. The guys are from the company Alpari, all Americans, but two of them came from the Union, one of Armenia, one from Ukraine. Today there was a day of acclimatization at Horombo. We went to the Zebra Rocks, and a little higher up, came down to camp. And then we walked down the excellent canyon, even swim a little....

Ludmila Korobeshko, Ivan Dusharin and Maxim Shakirov are in a camp at an altitude of 3000 meters. Yesterday's distance was longer than planned for 5-7 kilometers. Just because the rains have washed away the road. At night the monkey stole one shoe of Ludmila, but in the morning it was founded. Today, climbers will be a very long stretch.They want to be on top with a group Alpari led by Artem Rostovtsev...

On March 7, the day before International Women’s Day, Russia’s main spring holiday, our team is sending Ludmila Korobeshko off to perform great feats on the equator! The second mountain in our project is located in a place that just about everybody dreams of someday seeing.

For those who haven’t read Hemingway’s description of the famous snows of Kilimanjaro… the great snowy giant, at the foot of which elephants and rhinoceroses roam free and the sun sets over endless jungle where troops of wild monkeys migrate from one place to the next.

So the Alpari team is flying off to Nairobi, which is the capital of Kenya, for those who don’t remember.

Of course we’re a little worried about our crew — they say that yellow fever had been rampant in Kenya. The Russian Health Ministry does actually recommend getting a yellow fever vaccination. Entering Tanzania is generally safe.

Bearing the nickname the “Roof of Africa”, Mount Kilimanjaro is considered the highest freestanding mountain in the world and will be the object of our attention for the next couple of weeks.

Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania near the border with Kenya and is a mere 300 km from the equator.

The mountain has three separate peaks: Shira in the west (3962 m), Mawenzi in the east (5149 m) and the highest of the three, Kibo (5895). There is a glacier on both the northern and southern faces of Kibo, yet tropical jungle at the foot! The highest point on Kibo (and therefore the highest summit of the mountain) is the peak Uhuru.

Having scarecely had time to collect their thoughts after Argentina, our team is already packing for Africa where the temperature is currently +29-30 in the day, cooling off to +17 at night.