Archive for September, 2005

VIEWS FROM AFRICA

Posted Thursday, September 29th, 2005 at 10:50 am

We’re currently sorting through about 400 images from the successful Expedition Hope/Mt. Kilimanjaro climb. As we get the photos organized and labeled, we’ll begin posting them on the “Photos – Mt. Kilimanjaro” page (link at right). Please check back soon; thank you!

BACK HOME

Posted Tuesday, September 27th, 2005 at 1:40 pm

I hope this message finds everyone doing well. After a long flight from Kilmanjaro, Tanzania (with stops in Dar Es Salaam, Amsterdam and Detroit), I finally returned home to Indianapolis from Africa and the Expedition Hope/Mt. Kilimanjaro climb on Monday afternoon, the 26th. We had a great trip and it was absolutely wonderful to stand [...]

AN AFRICAN SAFARI

Posted Thursday, September 22nd, 2005 at 1:07 pm

After descending the mountain on Wednesday, Joe and his teammates finally traded their tents and sleeping bags for real beds at the Keys Hotel. Early Thursday morning, the group departed for a brief safari visit. They traveled from Moshi, west to Arusha, via 4-wheel vehicles, then took small bush planes to the Serengeti. They will [...]

OFF THE MOUNTAIN

Posted Wednesday, September 21st, 2005 at 10:28 am

Greetings from Africa! I hope this message finds everyone doing well. I am now off Mt. Kilimanjaro and back in Moshi, Africa, which is about a 45 minute drive from the base of the mountain. Our hotel has only one computer and limited Internet time, so I will have to be quick. I will post [...]

BEGINNING THE DESCENT

Posted Wednesday, September 21st, 2005 at 10:19 am

After stopping on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro — Uhuru Peak — to celebrate, admire the view and take photographs (which will be posted later here on the site), Joe and the team began their descent back to 15,000 feet, which they reached approximately four hours later (2 pm Tanzania time; 5 am in Indianapolis). [...]

GREETINGS FROM THE SUMMIT!

Posted Tuesday, September 20th, 2005 at 10:43 am

Click Here to hear Joe’s fifth audio report from Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa – a call from the Summit! Hi. This is Joe Lawson calling with Expedition Hope. We did it! Today is September 20th and we’ve reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the first for Expedition Hope. We started at midnight and climbed [...]

SUMMIT DAY – 19,340 FEET!

Posted Tuesday, September 20th, 2005 at 2:05 am

Covering more than 4,000 vertical feet on this climbing segment, Joe and his teammates reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro – Uhuru Peak, 19,340 feet, the highest point in Africa – at 9:00 am Tanzania time (1:00 am Indianapolis/Central time)! This marks the first successful summit for Joe and Expedition Hope’s quest: To climb the [...]

HEADED TO THE TOP …

Posted Tuesday, September 20th, 2005 at 12:22 am

Beginning at midnight (Tanzania time), Joe and his teammates took their packs, which have been pared down to necessary survival items only, to begin their final ascent towards the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The trek usually involves 10+ hours of hiking, which is made even more strenuous by the effects of altitude and extreme cold. [...]

CALLING FROM 15,000 FEET

Posted Monday, September 19th, 2005 at 4:05 pm

Click Here to hear Joe’s fourth audio report from Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa! Hi. This is Joe Lawson with Expedition Hope calling from 15,000 feet on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Today is September 19th and it’s the 5th day of our climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Yesterday was definitely the most challenging day of our climb. We crossed [...]

15,000 FEET NOW! / TOMORROW: SUMMIT PUSH!

Posted Monday, September 19th, 2005 at 4:33 am

Today at 4 am Indy time (noon in Tanzania), Joe and his teammates reached 15,000 feet — High Camp at the Barafu Hut! “Today was brutal – 2,000 vertical feet,” says Joe. “And it’s freezing here now that we’ve stopped moving. I need to add another layer of clothes. But I feel great. I feel [...]